You name exactly the reason this program exists: “In theory”. We work with the vendor to test their devices and make sure that they all work. When bugs appear, we also have an engineering contact to escalate issues. As a member of our program they also have to make OTA updates available such that we are able to get bugs fixed for Home Assistant users.
While a lot of devices work with Home Assistant, devices in the WWHA will come with extra peace of mind for the user that the device works today and that it will keep working.
The FP2 is not a Matter device on its own and you have 2 options to add it to Home Assistant:
Through their M3 Hub (so bridged from Aqara protocol to Matter)
Using Home Assistant’s Homekit emulator, so you can add any Homekit device in Home Assistant (so without an actual apple phone, HA will pretend as if its an apple device in that case).
You report issues to the Home Assistant core repository. In this case the state not updating correctly is a known issue introduced in a recent Matter Server version and we’re working on a fix (a new beta is available which addresses the issue so we’re close).
I have tested several of these sensors and I cant confirm what you’re saying here. Both presence and lightlevel are detected accurately and without any false positives.
The only thing I noticed is that the sensor is not as sensitive compared to e.g. a Hue motion sensor set to max sensitivity, but that is the case for most sensors tbh.
In my case it works well, and you are correct that a temperature sensor is missing but one can argue how helpful that is, measuring temperature at ceiling height.
Some fruit you find in the supermarket have beeswax on them to make them shiny and are therefore not 100% vegan.
There is a recent blog post dedicated to what these labels actually mean, BTW
It looks just like a marketing gag for me. The only Aqara “device” which connects at my home to home assistant via Matter and as Homekit Device is the M3 Hub itself, which is useless.
The FP2 Presence sensor is only usable via the Homekit Bridge and the Door and Window Sensor P2 is not usable in HA. I tried it now again and again since I bought it last year and it’s impossible. Even the M3 Hub does not expose the Sensor in HA.
There are no helpful error messages and no helpful suppert. There are a few “works for me” in the forums, but most gave up annoyed.
To officially state here that the sensors work together with HomeAssistant is a cheek!
Which is true? Can we control any Aqara Zigbee devices that are attached to an M3 Hub which is then attached to HA as a Matter Bridge? Or is what BraVo75 saying true - that the hub doesn’t actually expose all devices to HA?
I have 3 of the Door and Window Sensor P2’s connected via Thread to a ZBT-1 USB Stick, and all of them work fine. I get two entities in HA for each, one for open/closed status, the other for battery.
There are several automations configured against each, and everything works as intended, with HA reporting state changes almost instantaneously.
Are you sure you have the Matter Server add-on installed and running, along with the Matter Integration in HA?
Another “works for me”. Yes, the matter server is up and running and if I add the M3 hub as a Matter device in HA, it’s visible in the Matter integration. The M3 hub and also my Homepod Mini are showing up as Thread Border routers.
Maybe Zigbee Devices attached to the Hub could be exposed. I didn’t test this. But Matter devices are not exposed, maybe because they are not recognized as child devices in the Aquara Hub.
Matter standard current version still doesn’t support cameras or home security systems. Some kind of camera support as a new Matter device type in the future is however on Matter standard roadmap. See:
”The Connectivity Standards Alliance says support for security cameras, garage door controllers, ambient motion and presence sensors, Wi-Fi routers, and access points are all on its roadmap. It is also working on more features for existing device types.
Device types supported by Matter
As of August 2024, the Matter spec supports the following device types:
Implemented
These device types are in the Matter spec and are currently supported by some or all Matter-compatible platforms.
Air purifiers
Air quality sensors
Blinds and shades
Bridges (for bridging other protocols, such as Zigbee)
Door locks
Fans
Light bulbs and light switches (including smart buttons)
Plugs and outlets
Robot vacuums
Room air conditioners (i.e., window units)
Safety and security sensors (motion, contact)
Televisions and media devices
Thermostats and other HVAC controllers
Announced
These device types have been added to the Matter spec but are not currently supported by any platforms and / or there are no available products to buy in these categories.
Refrigerators / Freezers
Washing machines
Water management devices — leak and frost detectors, rain sensors, controllable valves
Smoke and CO alarms
Microwave ovens
Dryers
Dishwashers
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
Matter supports basic functions for most device types, which means that whether you use a gadget in Apple Home or Amazon Alexa, you’ll have the same controls. Smart home platforms can add features on top of Matter, plus you may need to use the manufacturer’s app for features not supported by Matter — such as setting dynamic lighting scenes for smart lights, mapping for robot vacuums, and PINs for smart locks.
I just figured out the real benefit of Aqara joining the WWHA programme.
It isn’t that HA users will get better devices from Aqara or know what to expect from an Aqara device, although this may happen to some small degree.
No, the true benefit is that the many, many people buying an Aqara device, to work with say Alexa or Google, will see Home Assistant on the packaging - and may get curious. In turn, more people will get into Home Assistant and more manufactures will take HA seriously.
You have got Home Assistant up there with the big 4: Samsung, Google, Amazon and Fruit salad. If that isn’t something that should help push the distribution of HA then I don’t know.
Yes, the matter server is up and running and if I add the M3 hub as a Matter device in HA, it’s visible in the Matter integration. The M3 hub and also my Homepod Mini are showing up as Thread Border routers.