The Matter Smart Home Standard and its Three Thermostats and Two HVAC Systems: Are They Compatible? How Much Does It Take to Make Sense?

Matter is a new smart home interoperability standard that provides a common language for connected devices to communicate locally in your home without relying on a cloud connection. It is designed to be secure and private, easy to set up, and widely compatible.

First, it’s important to know that there are three Nest thermostats. We’re discussing the newer Nest Thermostat, released in 2020. It is not as advanced as the flagship thermostat. There is also the Nest Thermostat E, which is only available in Europe (the Nest Thermostat is US and Canada only). While we’re covering the Nest Thermostat, the installation process for the other two is very similar.

Back in the Google Home app, you’ll configure your HVAC system to work with the thermostat. The app will ask for details about your system, such as whether it’s electric or gas, forced air or radiant, and whether you want it to heat or cool when it starts to operate. If you do not know the answers to the questions, you need to speak to an air-conditioning professional. Configuring it incorrectly could cause your system to malfunction.