Build my system

How we earn: we plan to earn commissions from some links. Today we hold no affiliate approvals, so every button goes straight to the seller. The System Builder ranks by fit and 3-year cost — never by commission. Editorial examples may feature a merchant we partner with, but only when it genuinely fits. How we make money

Matter and robot vacuums

"Works with Matter" on a robot vacuum box means you can start it, stop it and send it home from Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa or SmartThings without its own app. It doesn't mean you can throw the maker's app away. Here's what Matter actually covers, and where it stops.

The short answer

What Matter controls

When the Connectivity Standards Alliance released Matter 1.2 in October 2023, it added robot vacuums with basic features like remote start and progress notifications, cleaning modes (dry vacuuming or wet mopping), and status details such as brush status, errors and charging. Later versions added cleaning chosen areas, though you still define those areas in the maker's app.

In practice, in Apple's Home app (iOS 18.4 and later), 9to5Mac reported you can start and stop a robot, turn mopping on or off, pick preset modes like quick or deep clean, and send it to its dock. Room mapping and custom routes still need the maker's app.

What still needs the maker's app

Dreame is direct about this in its own guide: Matter exposes the essentials, and it doesn't replace the Dreamehome app. Map editing, no-go zones, per-room suction, mop-wash frequency and camera video stay in the app. Expect a similar split from most brands. Set the robot up in its own app first, then add it to your smart-home platform for everyday control.

Local control

Matter runs over your home network, on Wi-Fi or Thread, and the Alliance lists responsive local connectivity as one of its goals. That means a command from your phone at home can go straight to the robot. Some things still need extra hardware: Roborock says that with Apple Home, automations, notifications and remote access need a home hub such as a HomePod or Apple TV. And local control covers only what Matter exposes; it won't save features that live in the maker's cloud. See what works if the company dies.

How setup usually works

  1. Set the robot up in the maker's app first, including its map. Matter won't build maps.
  2. Update the app and the robot's firmware. Matter support often arrives by update, with minimum versions: SwitchBot lists app 9.7 or later and firmware 1.1.040 or later for its K10+ Pro Combo, plus iOS 18.4.1 or later for Apple Home.
  3. Turn on Matter or the smart-home connection in the maker's app. iRobot, for example, puts Apple Home under the app's connected services, as AppleInsider reported.
  4. Add the robot in your smart-home app with its Matter pairing code, from the maker's app or the label on the robot or box.
  5. For automations and away-from-home control, check whether your platform needs a hub. Roborock says Apple Home needs a HomePod or Apple TV for those.

If the robot doesn't appear, the usual causes are an older app or firmware version, or a model that hasn't received Matter yet. Check the maker's support page for your exact model.

Which robot vacuums support it

Support arrives by model and often by firmware update, so check your exact model on the maker's site. Examples from makers' own announcements:

Older robots without Matter can sometimes be bridged into a smart-home app through a hub; our Safety & Security page covers the SwitchBot Hub 2, which bridges SwitchBot's own devices to Matter.

What this means when you buy

Our floor-cleaning guide compares the robots we cover, and the System Builder matches one to your home.

Related: how robot vacuums navigate · glossary: Matter and Thread.

Sources

All sources read October 12, 2026.

Last checked . See what changed.