Aqara and Home Assistant have announced an official partnership, with Aquara joining the Works with Home Assistant program. This means that several Aquara devices are now officially supported in the Home Assistant platform.
Previously, these devices were supported via third party integrations and API’s. So this is a big win for privacy and open source software.
Aqara is the first partner to join the program since its recent update, certifying specific devices to ensure they provide an optimal experience with Home Assistant. Aqara will also be the first to use the “Works via Matter with Home Assistant” badge.
Aqara has been an early adopter of the Matter protocol, which supports local control by directly connecting devices to Home Assistant. Matter uses existing Ethernet and Wi-Fi networks and can also utilize Thread, a technology that many Aqara devices support. Thread devices can connect directly to Home Assistant using a Connect ZBT-1 or through an existing Thread Border Router, such as the Aqara Hub M3.
The following Aqara devices have been certified under the Works with Home Assistant program:
- Motion and Light Sensor P2: A battery-powered motion and lux sensor using Matter over Thread.
- Door and Window Sensor P2: A battery-powered cover sensor using Matter over Thread.
- Smart Lock U200: A battery-powered lock using Matter over Thread.
Additionally, the Aqara Hub M3 has been certified as a Matter Bridge, allowing users to connect existing Aqara Zigbee devices to Matter and act as a Thread Border Router for Home Assistant.
Other Aqara products not listed above will continue to function as usual. The Works with Home Assistant program aims to indicate which devices offer the best experience with Home Assistant, ensuring compatibility and support.
The program is now managed by the non-profit Open Home Foundation, focusing on encouraging brands to support the Home Assistant community. For more information, visit the Home Assistant’s website here.
