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        "result": "supported"
    },
    {
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        "result": "unsupported"
    }
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<reference>
It could be 2026 before all your Thread border routers work together | The Verge

Code in tvOS 26 shows Thread 1.4 is coming to Apple’s border routers this fall. But with Amazon and Google still on 1.3, you may be waiting a bit longer for that unified mesh network.

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It could be 2026 before all your Thread border routers work together
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It could be 2026 before all your Thread border routers work together
Code in tvOS 26 shows Thread 1.4 is coming to Apple’s border routers this fall. But with Amazon and Google still on 1.3, you may be waiting a bit longer for that unified mesh network.
Code in tvOS 26 shows Thread 1.4 is coming to Apple’s border routers this fall. But with Amazon and Google still on 1.3, you may be waiting a bit longer for that unified mesh network.
by

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
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Jun 12, 2025, 10:45 PM UTC
Illustration: The Verge
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There’s finally some good news for anyone battling multiple Thread networks while using Matter devices in their smart home — as long as you’re the patient type. According to
Matter Alpha
, the tvOS 26 beta announced at WWDC this week adds
Thread 1.4
to Apple TVs. And, as Apple’s smart speakers use a fork of tvOS, it’s likely that the upcoming HomePod OS 26 will include 1.4 as well.
Thread 1.4
brings a standard way for Thread border routers, such as
Apple TVs and HomePods
, to join an existing Thread network, fixing the problem where
border routers from different manufacturers set up separate networks
when they join your smart home. “We’re seeing a great shift toward Thread 1.4 among some major device, platform, and border router vendors,” Thread Group VP of marketing Ann Olivo told
The Verge
.
Related
The four changes in Thread 1.4 that could fix the protocol
Matter will be better in 2025 — say the people who make it
What is Thread and how will it help your smart home?
Apple now lets you add Matter devices to Apple Home without a hub
But, with tvOS 26 not arriving until the fall, and Google and Amazon’s adoption of Thread 1.4 coming next year at the earliest, those of us who like to mix and match our smart home hardware — maybe you have an Apple TV, an Eero router, and a Google Nest Hub — will have to wait until at least 2026 for a more stable and speedier smart home.
Released in September 2024,
Thread 1.4
is the latest specification of the
smart home protocol
that
Matter
runs on. Thread offers a low-power, low-bandwidth mesh networking protocol designed specifically for IoT devices like lights, locks, sensors, and more. The 1.4 spec dictates that when a border router is added, it will join the existing Thread network versus creating a new one — regardless of brand or platform. So, for example, your new Echo Show 8 would join the network already created by your Apple TV.
Code in tvOS 26 indicates that the updated Apple TV 4K runs Thread 1.4.

Image: Matter Alpha
Thread-powered devices require a
Thread border router
to connect to the internet. Today, there are several options for border routers, including the newest Apple TVs and HomePods, higher-end Echo and Google Nest smart speakers, and some Wi-Fi routers, including Eeros. If you have a few of these devices, they may set up separate Thread networks, which can cause issues. The biggest being that you lose the extended range and reliability benefits of a unified mesh network.
I currently have nine Thread networks running in my home. Samsung SmartThings has created three. My Nest network includes most of my HomePods and my Google TV streamer; my Apple network has a newer Apple TV and a Nanoleaf border router in it. I have three separate Eero networks, one with Eero devices in it and the other two with Echo devices in them. While my setup is not typical (I test smart home devices for a living), it does demonstrate what a mess this can create.
Older versions of Thread are being sunsetted
to speed up the transition. “Thread 1.3 certification applications for Thread Border Routers will close December 31, 2025,” Olivo confirmed. “As of Jan. 1, 2026, Thread 1.4 will be the only specification available for Thread Border Router certification.”
With Apple poised to implement Thread 1.4 this fall with tvOS 26, I checked in with Google, Amazon, and Samsung to see where they were at. All are still on 1.3. However, Mark Benson, head of SmartThings US, said Samsung’s border routers will be on 1.4 “later this year.” Amazon spokesperson Melanie Garvey said they will bring support for 1.4 “across compatible devices next year.” Alex Sakhartchouk, a software engineer at Google Home, confirmed that they are actively working toward adding support for Thread 1.4 “in the future.”
“As of Jan. 1, 2026, Thread 1.4 will be the only specification available for Thread Border Router certification.”
Sakhartchouk added that Google Nest Thread border routers already “do our best” to join existing networks by integrating with mobile Thread credential storage APIs on Android and iOS. Meaning, when you set them up with your smartphone, they should share credentials with an existing border router using the phone. “We share our credentials via these same mobile APIs to allow others to join our networks,” he said. This worked for me — when I set up the
Google TV streamer
, it joined my existing Apple Thread network.
While mobile credential sharing helps today, and the
Wi-Fi router-based solution
put in place by the Connectivity Standards Alliance in Matter 1.4 could help at some point, the most straightforward fix is border routers communicating with each other. This should have been the approach
from day one
— but it looks like we’ll have to be patient a while longer.
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</reference>

<statements>
1. The Thread Group confirmed that Thread 1.3 border-router certification applications closed on 31 December 2025 and that Thread 1.4 became the only specification available for new border-router certification from 1 January 2026
2. A Verge reviewer reported nine separate Thread networks in his home, a non-typical setup but one that demonstrates the interoperability problem Thread 1.4 is meant to solve
3. Apple was expected to implement Thread 1.4 with tvOS 26 in the fall, Samsung said its border routers would move to 1.4 “later this year,” Amazon said support would arrive “across compatible devices next year,” and Google said it was working toward 1.4 “in the future”
4. Google’s interim mobile credential-sharing APIs partially mitigate the problem, but the most straightforward fix remains border routers communicating directly
5. Thread 1.4 credential sharing is now the certification path for new border routers
6. Matter is now common in launches but still uneven in installed base, device types, battery behaviour and platform support
</statements>

Begin the assessment now. Output only the JSON list, without any conversational text or explanations.