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Home Assistant’s Matter Server 1.5.0 beta upgrades to the Matter.JS 0.18.0 engine and adds a camera API with two-way audio, custom clusters for Aqara and IKEA devices, and faster offline detection. Stable availability is expected soon, but several features still need Home Assistant Core work before they are broadly accessible.
The Open Home Foundation’s Matter Server 1.5.0 beta, the controller software used by Home Assistant’s Matter integration, adds a dedicated camera API with two-way audio, custom support for upcoming Aqara and IKEA devices, and the protocol foundation for Matter 1.6.1. The update is based on Matter.JS 0.18.0 and is expected to reach the stable add-on soon, though the source report says several features also require changes in Home Assistant Core.
The update introduces WebSocket Schema version 14 and lets the server manage WebRTC sessions and stream negotiation for connected clients. A new talkback: true parameter can enable users to speak through compatible Matter cameras and video doorbells, including the Aqara Camera Hub G350 cited in the report. The release also addresses WebRTC session drops and adds more specific stream error codes for troubleshooting.
For hardware support, the server adds definitions and Python client support for custom Aqara clusters used by the FP400 spatial multi-sensor. According to the report, this enables Matter access to detection zones and real-time target-position events, alongside a fix for transmitting zone configuration data. The update also adds IKEA’s custom ValveCalibration cluster and a dashboard control panel for calibrating compatible radiator valves without an IKEA hub.
Other changes include removing a fixed three-minute wait before a disconnected device is marked unavailable, clearer labels in the network graph, and controls for temporary door-lock guest PINs. The server dashboard also gains interactive command panels for several device categories, including robot vacuums, ovens, water heaters and EV chargers. Owners of older Eve Energy plugs get a command-line option to adjust polling for custom attributes.
Camera Audio and Device Control
The camera API could make two-way communication available through Home Assistant’s Matter setup rather than leaving users to rely solely on raw cluster commands. For compatible cameras and doorbells, that may let users speak through the same dashboard or client apps they use to view a stream. Actual access depends on device compatibility and the work required in Home Assistant Core.
The Aqara and IKEA additions address features that Matter’s standard device functions may not cover. Custom clusters give the server a way to handle manufacturer-specific capabilities, such as sensor detection zones and radiator-valve calibration. The faster unavailable status and clearer network labels also have practical value: they can help users identify connection problems and understand their Thread network sooner.
Matter 1.6.1’s Groupcast support could also affect how quickly groups of devices respond. The source says Home Assistant previously sent group commands as sequential unicast messages, which can cause lights to react at different times. The new server provides a protocol-level foundation for IPv6 multicast group messaging, but the report does not establish that synchronized group control is already available to users across supported devices.
Home Assistant Matter camera with two-way audio
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What Server 1.5.0 Adds
The Matter Server is the controller layer behind Home Assistant’s Matter setup. Its version 1.5.0 changelog describes an upgrade to the Matter.JS 0.18.0 engine. The report links that upgrade to official support for Matter 1.6.1 and new server-side camera and manufacturer-cluster features.
The Connectivity Standards Alliance released Matter 1.6.1 in September, according to the source report. It moved Groupcast out of provisional status and added independent volume and mute controls for doorbell chimes. The Home Assistant server update supplies the underlying protocol capability for group messaging; that does not by itself confirm when all related controls will appear in Home Assistant’s user-facing interface.
The report identifies version 1.5.0 as a beta release and says users can opt into testing through the Matter Server settings. It also says most new features need further Home Assistant Core work for broader access. The source attributes the release details to the server changelog and GitHub, while the product capabilities described are not a guarantee that every device or installation will support them.
“The server is upgrading to the Matter.JS 0.18.0 engine to introduce official support for Matter 1.6.1.”
— Matter Alpha report on the Matter Server 1.5.0 changelog
IKEA smart radiator valve calibration kit
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Rollout and Compatibility Questions
The source says stable rollout is expected soon but gives no specific release date. It also does not specify which Home Assistant Core version will expose each feature or whether all listed capabilities will be available as soon as the server add-on reaches stable release.
Device and client compatibility remains a key limitation. The report names the Aqara Camera Hub G350 as an example of a camera for talkback, but does not provide a complete supported-device list. It likewise does not state which IKEA radiator-valve models support the new calibration controls. The extent to which Matter 1.6.1 Groupcast will change real-world group response in Home Assistant is not yet clear.
Aqara multi-sensor with custom clusters
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Stable Release and Core Updates
The next milestone is the stable release of Matter Server 1.5.0, which the report expects soon but does not date. Users who want to test the beta can enable the beta option in Matter Server settings; beta software may behave differently from a stable release.
Home Assistant Core changes will also be needed to make several server features more accessible. Users should watch the project’s release notes for details on when camera talkback, device-specific controls and Matter 1.6.1 group messaging become available in their installations, and check compatibility before relying on a feature with a particular device.
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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 being in beta and says a stable rollout is expected soon, without giving a date.
What does camera talkback add?
The new camera API can support two-way audio through compatible Matter cameras and video doorbells. The report says a stream can use the talkback: true parameter; it does not provide a full compatibility list.
Which Aqara and IKEA features are included?
The server adds custom-cluster support for the Aqara FP400, including detection-zone and target-position features described in the report. For IKEA, it adds a ValveCalibration cluster and a dashboard panel for calibrating compatible radiator valves.
Does this update mean Matter group commands are already faster?
Not necessarily. The update provides the protocol foundation for IPv6 multicast Groupcast, but the report does not confirm the timing or extent of user-facing improvements across Home Assistant installations and devices.
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