Nest speakers and displays are Google Home devices, and Google's Home app is also a Matter controller: Nest Hub models can act as hubs for Matter devices and Thread border routers, which lets them control compatible lights, plugs and sensors. The Nest Hub (2nd gen) and Nest Hub Max support acting as Matter controllers in Google's ecosystem, so devices you add with Matter appear in the Google Home app.
The checks in more detail
They do not become Apple HomeKit accessories, and Siri cannot control them, though Matter devices can also be shared with Apple Home from the device's own sharing option. Nest Mini and Nest Audio control Matter devices by voice through Google Assistant but do not act as Thread border routers. To add a Matter device, use the Google Home app's add device option and follow the pairing code. If a Matter device fails to add, keep it near the hub, check the hub is online, use the correct pairing code and turn off other Matter controllers during setup.
Google warns that without IPv6 enabled on your home network, setup may appear to succeed but control eventually fails, so check the router supports IPv6. Updates to the Home app and the hub improve Matter support. Check Google's Matter support pages for the latest device list, since coverage grows over time. Read the Matter device's own page before buying, since a claim of Matter support does not always cover every feature. Keep a note of which Matter devices you added and when, in case you must re-add them.
Update the hub before adding a new Matter device. Draw a small list of your devices and which controller each one uses, since a home with two controllers on one Matter device is the usual source of confusing behavior. If a Matter device works from a phone but not through the hub, the hub may be missing IPv6 or Thread support in its network, which is a router setting, not a fault in either device.
Differential
Likely causes of “Nest displays and smart speakers will not connect through Matter”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A hub offline
What separates it A Matter device will not add because the Nest Hub that acts as the hub is offline
How to confirm Reconnect the hub to wifi, and check that it shows online in the Google Home app
- 2
A wrong pairing code
What separates it Setup fails because the pairing code was scanned or typed wrongly
How to confirm Rescan the pairing code, or type it again carefully, and start the pairing again
- 3
Distance
What separates it Pairing fails because the Matter device is too far from the hub
How to confirm Keep the device close to the hub during the pairing, then move it afterwards
- 4
Two controllers competing
What separates it The results are confusing because two controllers try to set up the same device
How to confirm Use one controller at a time during the setup, and finish before you try the other
- 5
An old app or hub software
What separates it Matter is missing because the app or the hub is running old software
How to confirm Update the Google Home app and the hub, and then look for the Matter option again
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The Matter device that you are trying to add
- The model of the Nest Hub that you are using as the hub
- The pairing code that comes with the device
- Whether the device uses Thread as well
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the hub is online
ReversibleCheck the hub is online, meaning the Nest Hub shows as connected in the Google Home app.
Update the Home app
ReversibleUpdate the Google Home app and the hub, so that they both support the Matter features you need.
Use the pairing code
ReversibleUse the pairing code, scanning it with the app, or typing it in carefully if it will not scan.
Keep the device close
ReversibleKeep the device close to the hub during setup, so that the pairing signal is strong.
Use one controller
ReversibleUse one controller at a time when setting up a device, and finish before you use another.
Share to other apps
ReversibleShare the device to other apps afterwards if you want, using the sharing option in Google Home.
Contact Google
ReversibleContact Google if it fails, and tell them the device and the hub model that you use.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Hub 2 and Hub Max
- Act as Matter controllers.
- Mini and Audio
- Control Matter devices by voice.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Nest Audio, Nest Mini (2nd gen).
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If a device will not add after several tries, contact its maker
- !If the hub misbehaves, contact Google Nest support
- !If HomeKit is the goal, share to Apple Home
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Matter and Thread border routers.
Setup issues.
Updates.
Members and Admins.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Do Nest Hubs support Matter?+
Yes, Nest Hubs support Matter, and they act as controllers for the devices in your home.
Can they be Thread border routers?+
Hub models can act as Thread border routers, which lets them connect Thread devices.
Does Nest Mini act as a hub?+
A Nest Mini controls by voice, but it is not a Thread border router like the hubs.
Can Siri control them?+
No, Siri cannot control Nest devices, since Siri works through HomeKit.
Can Matter devices be shared to Apple Home?+
Yes, Matter devices can be shared to Apple Home, using the sharing option in Google Home.
Where is the pairing code?+
The pairing code is on the device or its box, and you scan it during the setup.