Your biggest smart home setup headache is finally going away

Credit: Roger Fingas / Android Authority TL;DR Matter 1.6 introduces full bi-directional NFC pairing, entirely removing finicky Bluetooth handshakes from the setup process. A new feature called Joint Fabric allows platforms like Apple Home, Google Home, and SmartThings to securely co-administer a single shared network, and you only have to sync the household once. Smart hubs will now send time-bound “Thermostat Suggestions” rather than blind commands.