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Home Assistant’s Matter Server 1.5.0 beta upgrades its Matter.JS engine and adds a camera API with two-way audio, vendor-specific support for Aqara’s FP400 and IKEA’s LILJEBAGGE thermostat, and faster offline detection. The release is not stable yet, and some functions still need work in Home Assistant Core before users can access them more broadly.
The Open Home Foundation’s Matter Server 1.5.0 beta adds a dedicated camera interface with two-way audio, support for custom features in Aqara and IKEA devices, and the underlying controller changes needed for Matter 1.6.1. The update matters to Home Assistant users who want more responsive device control and broader access to camera and thermostat functions, but it has not yet reached the stable add-on release.
According to the version 1.5.0 changelog cited by Matter Alpha, the server moves to the Matter.JS 0.18.0 engine and introduces WebSocket Schema version 14, including a dedicated camera API. The server can manage WebRTC sessions and stream negotiation for connected clients. A new talkback: true option lets compatible cameras and video doorbells send audio back from Home Assistant’s dashboard or an integrated client app. The report names the Aqara Camera Hub G350 as an example of compatible hardware.
The release also adds built-in definitions and Python client support for custom clusters used by the Aqara Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400. Those clusters cover ambient-sensing configuration, radar sensing and occupant location. The changes are intended to expose detection zones and real-time target-position events over Matter; the changelog also fixes how zone-configuration data is sent to the sensor. For IKEA’s LILJEBAGGE radiator thermostat, the server adds a ValveCalibration cluster and a dashboard control panel for calibrating compatible radiator valves without an IKEA hub.
Other changes include removing the server’s fixed three-minute offline grace period, so a device is marked unavailable once Matter.JS determines it cannot be reached. The update also improves Thread network labels, adds temporary guest PIN controls for door locks, and reports commissioning details such as discriminator and vendor and product IDs. Owners of older Eve Energy plugs gain a command-line option to set polling intervals for custom attributes.
Camera Audio and Device Controls Expand
The camera API gives Home Assistant a more direct way to handle stream setup and talkback, rather than relying only on raw Matter cluster commands. For households with compatible cameras or doorbells, that could make speaking through a device from a Home Assistant interface possible without switching to a separate vendor app. The report describes the feature and its API, but does not establish how many devices or client apps will support it at launch.
Support for the Aqara and IKEA custom clusters addresses functions that standard Matter features may not expose. FP400 zone and position data can make its sensing features more usable in Home Assistant, while the LILJEBAGGE panel offers a path to valve calibration through the Matter Server dashboard. Faster offline status may also help users spot connectivity problems sooner. These improvements are relevant to people managing mixed-brand Matter installations, though availability depends on compatible hardware and integration work.
The Matter 1.6.1 work is groundwork for Groupcast, a protocol feature that could reduce the staggered response seen when group commands are sent to devices one at a time. The reported server changes establish a foundation for multicast messaging; they do not confirm that every Home Assistant group will immediately switch to simultaneous control.
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From Matter 1.6.1 to Server 1.5.0
Matter Server is the controller used by Home Assistant to communicate with Matter devices. Matter Alpha reports that the 1.5.0 release upgrades the Matter.JS engine and adds support associated with Matter 1.6.1. The report says the Connectivity Standards Alliance released Matter 1.6.1 in September and that the specification moved Groupcast out of provisional status and added separate volume and mute controls for doorbell chimes.
Before this update, Home Assistant handled device groups by sending individual unicast commands in sequence, according to the report. That can make a group of lights appear to respond one after another. The new server establishes the protocol-level basis for IPv6 multicast group messaging across Thread, Wi-Fi and Ethernet, but the article does not say that the resulting behavior is already active for all users.
The server release also adds management features beyond the headline changes. Its network graph adopts clearer Thread role labels, and commissioning windows now expose pairing details for clients sharing devices with platforms such as Apple Home or Google Home. The built-in web interface gains command panels for several device types, including robot vacuums, ovens and EV chargers.
“The new Matter Server establishes the protocol-level foundation required for native IPv6 multicast group messaging over Thread, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet.”
— Matter Alpha, reporting on the Matter Server 1.5.0 changelog
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Stable Release and Device Coverage
The report identifies Matter Server 1.5.0 as a beta release and gives no firm date for stable availability. It also says many features still require work in Home Assistant Core before they become more accessible, without specifying which changes are ready for wider use or when that work will be complete.
The exact range of camera models and client apps that will support talkback is not provided. Nor does the report confirm when Groupcast will affect everyday group commands, or whether all compatible IKEA thermostats and Aqara FP400 functions will be exposed through the same Home Assistant interfaces. Users should distinguish the server’s new API and cluster definitions from full end-to-end support in a stable Home Assistant setup.
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Beta Testing Before Stable Rollout
Home Assistant users can opt into testing by enabling the beta option in Matter Server settings, according to the report. That gives testers a chance to check device compatibility and report issues, but beta software may behave differently from a stable installation.
The next milestones are a stable Matter Server add-on release and the required Home Assistant Core work to make more of the new functions available. The source report does not provide a release date. Users seeking camera talkback, FP400 sensing data or IKEA valve calibration should check the server and Core release notes for confirmation that their particular hardware and interface are supported.
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Key Questions
Is Matter Server 1.5.0 available as a stable release?
No. The source report describes version 1.5.0 as a beta and says a stable rollout is expected soon, without giving a date.
What does the new camera API add?
It lets the server manage WebRTC sessions and stream negotiation for connected clients. A talkback: true option supports two-way audio on compatible cameras and video doorbells, subject to client and device support.
What changes are included for Aqara and IKEA devices?
The update adds custom-cluster support for Aqara’s FP400, including sensing and occupant-location functions, and a ValveCalibration cluster and dashboard panel for IKEA’s LILJEBAGGE thermostat.
Does the update make grouped lights respond simultaneously?
Not necessarily yet. The report says the release establishes a foundation for Matter 1.6.1 Groupcast. It does not confirm that all Home Assistant groups already use multicast or respond at once.
What should users watch for next?
Watch for the stable Matter Server add-on release and Home Assistant Core updates. The report says some features still need Core work, so beta server support alone may not make every function available in the main interface.
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