Berlin-based company Fritz (link) has released the latest update for its gateway featuring a Matter Bridge. Software version 8.26 brings not only quality and stability improvements to the FritzSmart Gateway but also a few new features. Among other things, it now supports brightness measurement using Zigbee sensors and expands the list of compatible Zigbee devices. The list of lighting, blinds, sensors, outlets, switches, and flush-mounted modules that can be registered with the gateway is available online (link).
Groups, Templates, and Routines Now Available in Matter
Users who have enabled the gateway’s bridge function and connected their devices to Matter ecosystems such as Home Assistant, Google Home, or SmartThings now gain additional flexibility. In addition to individual smart home devices like lights and outlets, so-called groups, templates, and routines from Fritz now appear on the Matter side.
The manufacturer defines groups as combinations of similar devices. Currently, outlets and lights can be grouped together, as can radiator thermostats and blinds. This allows the Matter system to control multiple devices simultaneously without requiring additional configuration steps.
Templates can include individual devices, groups, and even convenience features of a FritzBox router. For example, they can send emails or toggle the router’s guest Wi-Fi on and off. Multiple templates can be combined into so-called scenarios for more advanced control.
Routines, in turn, automate scenarios, templates, and devices based on if-then logic. This is particularly useful for Matter newcomers who have already configured their automations within the gateway and do not want to recreate them in a connected Matter system. In such cases, the bridge exports a Matter switch that can be used to activate or deactivate the routine as needed.
The free update is now available. It can be installed via the FritzBox router’s web interface or the FritzSmart Gateway’s user interface. Once Fritz equips its Wi-Fi routers with a Matter Bridge, the same set of features is expected to be available there as well. A corresponding beta version of the software for the FritzBox 5690 Pro is scheduled to be released this spring.
Share this information:
