As the smart home world prepares for the Matter 1.5 update this fall, the Connectivity Standards Alliance is releasing a 1.4.2 update designed to bridge the gap, making devices more secure and efficient. Improvements include support for Wi-Fi-only commissioning. Using Wi-Fi Unsynchronized Service Discovery (USD), the protocol bypasses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radios in onboarding devices to Matter over Wi-Fi, providing a path to more affordable devices. A host of security upgrades includes cryptographic Vendor ID (VID), ensuring that the admins installed on a device are authentic.

The mostly behind-the-scenes changes also include improved scene management, standardization for robot vacuum behaviors, and quieter network reporting. The changes are fully backward-compatible, “but many of the benefits will only kick in once manufacturers and platforms roll out support,” Android Police points out.

“Matter 1.4.2 supports more complex actions and fewer commands to execute a scene, making them run faster and more reliably,” ZDNet reports, citing “improved responsiveness and performance” as effects of the update.

“For robot vacuum users, the new update standardizes how these devices respond to user commands, delivering more predictable performance from robot vacuums,” ZDNet explains. “This means that if you tell a Matter-certified robot vacuum to start a new job, it’ll know to stop the current one first so that you don’t have to manually cancel the job before sending it to its new task.”

As for the security updates, controllers will now verify that the admins like Alexa, Google Home or Samsung’s SmartThings are authentic, and from the vendor they claim. “Access restriction lists lock down network infrastructure devices so only trusted controllers can tweak sensitive settings,” Android Police reports, adding that “certificate revocation lists give platforms a way to warn or block compromised gadgets before they join your home network.”

Vendor ID verification helps ensure that malicious actors are not impersonating trusted vendors.

More efficient network communication, known as “quieter reporting,” cuts down on repetitive updates — like repeated warnings on timer countdowns and other “intermediate values” during long transitions, extending battery life, according to the CSA news release.

Matter Smart Home details all aspects of the 1.4.2 update and explains it buys time for a possible delay in releasing 1.5, for which “tests still need to be carried out,” explains CSA Head of Technology Chris LaPré.

Related:
Surprise Matter Update Focuses on Reliability and Stability, The Verge, 8/11/25
What the Matter 1.4.2 Update Means for Smart Home Security, Help Net Security, 8/11/25