Home Assistant just released initial support for access management of Matter door locks with the first beta release of Home Assistant Core 2026.4. This is a significant step forward for the Matter smart home ecosystem, greatly reducing the reliance on vendor applications for a more local and cloud-free smart home experience.
What does it support?
The new feature allows users to manage user and password pairs stored directly in the Matter locks locally. This means that with the latest update, you can check the specific user entries that have access to your Matter locks. You can easily add or remove users as well.
Aqara Smart Lock U200
A native Matter over Thread retrofit smartlock with planned support for Apple Home Keys as well as auto-unlock, NFC, a keypad, and fingerprint recognition.
Aqara Smart Lock U400
Matter-certified Thread smart lock with UWB hands-free intent-based unlocking, Apple Home Key support, multiple access methods, auto lock via gyroscope, weather resistance, and a rechargeable battery.
ULTRALOQ Bolt Fingerprint Smart Deadbolt
Unlock smarter living with a Matter-over-Thread door lock that blends secure access, long battery life, and seamless control across your favorite smart home platforms.
There are two primary options available for credential management. You can set a disposable, one-time password for temporary guests, or you can create a permanent entry for your regular family members.
I tested the feature with two Xthings Ultraloq locks, specifically the Bolt Fingerprint Matter and the standard Bolt. Both devices allowed me to set access codes directly from the Home Assistant and manage the entry logs. Sometimes it takes a little while to send the new user and credentials over the Thread network to the physical lock.
Once the data is successfully sent, you can immediately use the new PIN to unlock the door.
However, because the feature is still in its beta phase, it may not always work exactly as expected. During my testing, there was one instance where I issued a one-time password, but I was able to unlock the door multiple times until the code finally reached its timed expiration.
Users should be aware of these quirks and thoroughly test the functionality first if they plan to rely on this feature for home security.
Home Assistant users also reported the feature worked well with Aqara U200 and U400 door locks.
How to test the feature
You need to use the latest beta version of the Home Assistant operating system to try the feature before the official public release in early April. If you are currently running on the official stable release, you can navigate to your system settings, locate the updates section, and click the menu button to join the beta channel.
It is highly recommended to make a full system backup or snapshot before updating your core system. Once the update is finished, you must reboot your Matter server to pull the latest beta branch based on Matter.js, which recently fixed a critical issue regarding this lock feature. You'll need to upgrade Home Assistant if you are still running the Legacy Matter component.
Upon setting up both the core and the server updates, navigate to the Matter integration settings and find your specific door lock device. On the device information section, expand the menu located next to the device sharing button and click on the lock management option.
From there, you will be able to manage all the access credentials of your smart lock. If you find any software bugs while testing, please help to provide feedback to the Home Assistant communities through their official forum, Discord, or GitHub issue tracker.
Home Assistant takes the lead
The ability to access and configure advanced device capabilities directly through the Matter standard is incredibly important for the future of the smart home. Currently, Home Assistant is leading the broader Matter ecosystem by giving users native access to these deep settings without requiring a separate manufacturer app. This approach fulfills the original promise of a truly unified, local smart home experience.
Hopefully, other major platforms like Apple Home will soon join this effort and begin offering these advanced PIN management features natively via Matter to provide a more seamless and powerful experience for average consumers.
(Source: Home Assistant, Discord; Image: Matter Alpha/Ward Zhou)
