How to make smart home gadgets from different brands work together

Gadgets from different brands can work together in one smart home, and the simplest route is to choose one of three big platforms: Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple Home. Before buying anything new, check the box for a "Works With" label that matches your choice. Engadget lays out how this works and where the catches are.

Why one brand rarely works

On paper, buying everything from a single brand is easiest. Setup and control are simpler, and there are fewer choices to sort through. In practice, most companies make only one type of product, or a handful at most. A smart lamp maker probably does not also build robot vacuums. Sticking to one brand also means missing out when a rival has better features or a better price.

The three easy options

Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home (which includes HomeKit) are designed for mixing brands. Typically, you check for the right label and follow the platform's pairing steps. The word "typically" matters, because some gadgets have other requirements, such as a specific wireless standard. The platforms differ in a few ways:

• Alexa and Google Home support the most accessories, so you get more choice.
• HomeKit ranks a distant third for supported products.
• HomeKit works only with Apple devices, while Alexa and Google Home have apps for iOS and Android.

Apple fans who want the HomeView display, or HomePods paired with an Apple TV 4K, can probably live with the smaller selection of third-party HomeKit products.

What Matter does

Matter is a universal pairing standard. If an accessory supports it, you can link it to any of the three platforms. There are catches. You need a device on your platform marked as a Matter controller, most often a hub, smart speaker or smart display. Matter pairing also often limits a gadget to generic features, not its full set. And not every product type is covered, though most essentials are, from light bulbs to EV chargers.

Hubs and wireless types

Hubs built on mesh wireless systems such as Zigbee, Z-Wave and Thread can potentially connect several brands. But a hub without Matter pairing may refuse accessories from other brands. The Philips Hue Bridge is the usual example. It pairs only select third-party Zigbee bulbs, and even then not with every feature. If that flexibility matters to you, a hub-centered platform such as Home Assistant or Homey may suit you better.

What to do

Pick one platform first, and think about which phones and devices you will control it from. Pairing with two or more platforms is usually possible, but unless you enjoy tinkering, one is far simpler. Home Assistant is open-source and aimed at tech-savvy users. If installing it on a Raspberry Pi sounds intimidating, the big three are the safer choice.