The Connectivity Standards Alliance finalised Matter 1.5 on 20 November 2025, and its headline feature landed in 2026 like a slow-motion earthquake: cameras, video doorbells and intercoms are now part of the standard.
What Matter 1.5 adds
For cameras, the spec defines live video and audio streaming over WebRTC, two-way talk, pan-tilt-zoom controls, detection and privacy zones, and flexible local or cloud recording. In plain terms: a future Matter camera should work in any ecosystem’s app, with its core features intact — the way bulbs and plugs already do.
Energy management also got a major overhaul: a new Device Energy Management cluster turns smart plugs and appliances into intelligent grid participants that can shift load to cheaper, greener hours.
Who supports it today
Adoption is the usual story of platforms moving at different speeds. Samsung SmartThings shipped first and already supports Matter camera features. Home Assistant supports Matter 1.5.1 and sits at the front of the pack. Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa remain on older Matter versions (broadly 1.2–1.4), so not every 1.5 feature works everywhere yet. Hardware is arriving too: Ulticam’s IQ V2 was among the first Matter 1.5 cameras shown at CES 2026.
What it means for buyers
Do not throw out your cameras — today’s Wi-Fi cameras keep working as before. But when you next buy one, a Matter 1.5 badge means freedom: no more choosing a camera brand based on which app your family uses. With the CSA already releasing Matter 1.6, the pace is accelerating. The walled gardens are losing their walls, one device category at a time.