Homey's Device Updates Feature Proves Matter Was Meant to Do More

For years the biggest headache in a smart home has been keeping every gadget up‑to‑date. Light bulbs, locks, sensors – all of them run tiny pieces of software that need occasional patches, but the update process has been clunky, scattered across dozens of manufacturer apps, and often ignored.

Enter Homey’s latest trick: a Device Updates feature that pulls firmware upgrades for Matter, Z‑Wave and Zigbee devices straight from the Homey mobile or web app. No more hunting for a separate app, no more manual downloads. You tap a button, Homey does the heavy lifting, and you get a notification when the job is finished.

The workflow is intentionally simple. Open the Homey app, head to More → Settings → Device Updates, or dive into a specific device’s Maintenance screen. From there you can see which devices have updates ready, start the process, and watch a progress bar. The system reports back when the firmware has been applied, so you know the lock or the sensor is now running the newest code.

Behind the scenes, the story splits depending on the protocol.

Z‑Wave and Zigbee updates still travel through the respective Homey companion apps, which means the availability of a patch hinges on whether the device maker has pushed one through their own channel. The good news is that Homey’s launch partner list already includes a solid roster—think IKEA, Aeotec, INNR, Niko, Inovelli, Zooz, frient, ThirdReality, EcoDim, HeatIt, Namron, amina, CTM Lyng and Nous. More brands are slated to join, so the ecosystem feels less like a patchwork.

Matter is where the real magic happens. Homey no longer leans on any manufacturer‑specific app. Instead it checks the Connectivity Standards Alliance’s Distributed Compliance Ledger (DCL) for any publicly listed firmware updates. The DCL acts like a trusted catalogue: it stores the version number, download URL, file size, checksum and applicability data for each Matter product. Homey pulls that metadata, downloads the firmware from the manufacturer’s URL, and then pushes it to the device using Matter’s built‑in OTA (over‑the‑air) update mechanism.

Because the DCL is managed by the very body that certifies Matter devices, the update path isn’t tied to a single cloud service or a proprietary app. In theory any Matter controller could implement the same lookup process, making firmware distribution truly platform‑agnostic.

If you ever notice an expected update missing, the usual culprits are simple: either the Homey app hasn’t been updated to surface it, or the manufacturer simply hasn’t published a new firmware version yet.

The feature is baked into Homey Cloud, Homey Pro (2023‑2026 models), Homey Pro mini and the self‑hosted Homey Server. It requires version 13.2.0 or later of the Homey mobile app, so make sure you’re on the latest release.

Speaking of Matter delivering on its promises, there’s a side benefit that Apple‑centric users will appreciate. With Homey Pro and Homey Pro mini acting as Matter controllers and Thread border routers, Eve’s lineup—Energy, Door & Window, Motion, Thermo, Weather, MotionBlinds and others—now works seamlessly with Homey. Eve has long been praised for its privacy‑first approach: no cloud, no registration, no tracking. The Matter/Thread foundation simply lifts that privacy‑centric hardware onto another platform without losing any of its original charm.

This is exactly what the Matter initiative set out to achieve—a protocol that lives beyond any single ecosystem. When you can patch a lock, a sensor or a bulb from a single place, regardless of brand, the promise of true interoperability starts to feel real.

In short, the smart‑home world has spent a decade promising interoperability while delivering walled gardens and extra steps. Homey’s Device Updates is a concrete illustration that the long‑term benefits of Matter are finally materialising: firmware updates coming from the standard’s own trusted registry, not from a siloed app.

Critics have said Matter is moving too slowly, but features like this make the wait worthwhile. A more reliable, easier‑to‑maintain smart home isn’t just a nice‑to‑have—it’s becoming the baseline expectation.