Ikea adds Matter Controller and Thread support, integrating third-party Matter devices

Swedish furniture giant Ikea has released new firmware that enables Thread and Matter Controller features to the public, marking a milestone in its smart home ecosystem.

Dirigera has long been rumored to support these features, and Ikea has finally made the move as its native Matter devices—such as a thermometer and wireless button using Matter over Thread and Zigbee—have appeared in the public database. This update lays the groundwork for the upcoming release of new Ikea smart home products.

Initial Matter Controller support

The update, version 2.805.6, turns the Dirigera bridge into a Matter controller (often referred to as a Matter hub), allowing users to add Matter devices from other brands into the Ikea app for management and automation.

Once the hub and app are updated, users can toggle on the Matter Controller feature. Similar to adding an Ikea Zigbee device, there is a new option to scan a QR code. From there, users go through the standard Matter setup flow, after which the device can be configured in the Ikea app for naming, room assignment, and automations.

I tested several devices: Bosch contact sensor (first commission), Aqara M3 Matter Bridge (shared), Aqara M100 Matter Bridge (shared), Hue Bridge (shared), and Eve Energy plug (shared). The setup success rate was good across both iOS and Android apps, except for Aqara M100.

So far, I’ve noticed support for lights, plugs, and basic sensors. The app also displays power meter information from Eve Energy, indicating its support for at least Matter 1.3.

However, I didn’t notice any changes in the Matter Bridge function. No energy meters were exposed, and water leak detectors remain unsupported via Matter. Ikea is likely to address this soon, as it has recently received new Matter certifications.

A fully accessible OpenThread Border Router

The update also activates the Thread radio. With this update, the Dirigera acts as a Thread Border Router. Based on further inspection from mDNS discovery, it uses OpenThread version 1.4, meaning it benefits from the latest Thread enhancements and improved performance.

Since it’s running OpenThread, I tried accessing the default REST API for a standard OpenThread Border Router—and it worked. This means the border router can be easily managed via platforms like Home Assistant. By entering the HTTP://IP.ADD.RESS:8081, Home Assistant takes over and can use the router to commission new devices.

I also added it to my existing Thread network created by Apple Home, making it my 12th border router from different brands on the same Thread network.

It seems the Ikea app tried to access Apple Home data to automatically add the border router to the network, but the process didn’t work. This is a common method vendors use for Thread credential fetching. So maybe it would work in a future version, or it is a glitch on the Apple side.

How to get it

Typically, your Dirigera Hub and app will update automatically. 

Full change log is as listed below:

DIRIGERA Hub version 2.805.6

DIRIGERA hub is now a Matter controller (beta):

• manage Matter-certified products from one place

• bridge IKEA products into other Matter-certified smart systems

• control products from other smart systems in an IKEA Home smart system

• make sure you have the latest app version

• go to The Workshop to connect Matter products

Manual changes to a brightness of a light or changing the color of a light will now turn off Adaptive Lighting completely. It will no longer resume adaptive automatically when turning on the light.

Maintenance and bug fixes

If you want to try the update now, simply update the app via the App Store or Google Play, then go to the hub settings page (Hub and app version) to trigger the update manually.