What has changed in Matter Server 1.5?
The project changelog dates 1.5.0 to 20 October 2026, with fixes in 1.5.1 and 1.5.2 (21 October), 1.5.3 and 1.5.4 (23 October) and 1.5.5 (24 October). The engine underneath moves to matter.js 0.18.0, which is what brings Matter 1.6.1 support, including in the Python client Home Assistant uses to talk to the server.
The changelog is long, and most of it is plumbing. These are the items a Home Assistant user is likely to notice:
| Change | What it does |
|---|---|
| Camera API (WebSocket schema 14) | The server manages WebRTC sessions for Matter cameras and doorbells; a talkback: true option lets a client speak through the camera. |
| Instant offline detection | The fixed three-minute grace period after a lost connection is gone; a node shows as unavailable as soon as matter.js gives up on it. |
| Thread 1.4 role names | The dashboard now calls Thread routers "Mesh Extenders" and REEDs "Standby Mesh Extenders". |
| Aqara FP400 clusters | Custom clusters for detection zones and target position events from the Aqara Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400. |
| IKEA valve calibration | A ValveCalibration cluster and dashboard panel for IKEA's Matter radiator thermostats. |
| Door lock PINs | The dashboard can create temporary, expiring PIN users and set the lock's expiry timeout. |
| Certificate controls | New flags to import vendor certificates, install attestation revocation lists and run without contacting the DCL. |
Does Matter Server 1.5 add two-way audio to Home Assistant cameras?
Partly. The server now supports it, but you will not see a talk button on your own dashboards until Home Assistant Core's Matter integration uses the new camera API. The changelog says camera_start_stream only asks the camera to play the client's audio when talkback: true is set, and that the Matter Server's own dashboard camera view can talk back to cameras that support two-way audio. The browser needs HTTPS or localhost to allow microphone access.
The camera limitations page also sets expectations. Live view in a browser tops out at 1280x720 because browsers offer H.264 level 3.1, and the server defaults to 30 fps and a 4000 ms key frame interval after testing showed cameras refusing other values. Matter cameras are a young category, so expect quirks.
Why does this matter for Home Assistant users?
Most of 1.5 is groundwork rather than a new feature you switch on. Matter 1.6.1 support in the server is the first step, and each device type still needs Home Assistant Core to expose it. That is why the changelog reads like a developer document: cameras, groupcast and energy forecasts arrive in your dashboards one integration update at a time.
The changes you can feel sooner are in reliability and diagnostics. Removing the three-minute offline grace period means a battery sensor or plug that drops off the network is flagged straight away, which helps if you trigger automations on availability. The Thread view's new role names match Thread 1.4 terminology, so they will line up with what you see in the Thread network visualiser. If you are new to Thread, our Thread smart home guide explains the roles.
Vendor-specific clusters are a quiet win. Supporting the Aqara FP400 zones and IKEA valve calibration at server level is what lets devices behave beyond the basic Matter model. Our IKEA LILJEBAGGE radiator thermostat guide covers the hardware that gains the calibration panel.
How do you get Matter Server 1.5 in Home Assistant?
You wait for the official add-on to update, or run the server yourself. When we checked, the Home Assistant add-on changelog listed version 9.2.0 shipping Matter Server 1.4.0, with no 1.5 release yet. Home Assistant OS and Supervised users install the add-on from the add-on store and get new server versions through normal add-on updates, so there is nothing to do except update when it appears.
Container and Core users can run the matter.js server releases directly. If you are migrating from the old Python server, take a backup first. The 1.5.1 fix notes that migration keeps the Python controller fabric so migrated nodes stay available, but if the storage directory already holds a different controller CA or fabric, the server logs a warning and skips the Python data. Restoring the pre-migration backup and starting again is the documented recovery.
If you have not set Matter up yet, start with our Home Assistant Matter setup guide, which covers the add-on, commissioning and Thread requirements.
Should you update now or wait?
Wait for the official add-on unless you have a specific reason. If you rely on Matter cameras, FP400 zones or IKEA valve calibration, the new server is worth watching, but the visible Home Assistant features depend on Core catching up. Five patch releases in four days (1.5.1 to 1.5.5) also suggest the release is still settling, so hold off on production setups until the add-on adopts it.
This is our reading of the changelog, not a statement from the Home Assistant team. Check the add-on changelog before updating, and take a full backup first.
