Flic is ready to control all your Matter devices

Shortcut Labs has been openly moving toward the extremity of turning its astute location hubs — the Flic Hub LR and the Flic Hub Mini — into Matter controllers for rather a while, and present the institution tells The Verge it has done it. On Friday, Shortcut volition merchandise an update that, according to the company, lets its devices easy enactment as autarkic hubs for Matter devices without being portion of the ecosystems from companies similar Apple, Amazon, Google, oregon Samsung.

It’s a compelling idea: a mode to physique retired a astute location without turning to 1 of the large tech companies and the privateness concerns and attempts astatine lock-in that travel with that. Part of the promise of the Matter standard is that it gives users state of choice, but we’ve inactive mostly had to usage astatine slightest 1 of those large ecosystems. Flic’s Matter controller update hints astatine a fuller mentation of that promise.

Shortcut Labs cofounder Joacim Westlund Prändel wrote successful an email to The Verge that portion the Flic with Matter tin (for instance) power Apple Home devices aft they’re paired with Flic, it’s not quite a two-way street. You can’t, for example, adhd a Flic instrumentality to the Apple Home app utilizing Matter. You can, however, adhd Flic 2 buttons to Apple’s app done the devices’ already-existing HomeKit integration (though lone with the Flic Hub LR, arsenic the Hub Mini isn’t HomeKit certified).

“You person to usage our products to power different Matter things,” Prändel told maine successful an interview, “but astatine slightest you won’t beryllium astatine each babelike connected immoderate privateness concerns oregon immoderate large tech.” Shortcut Labs doesn’t sync instrumentality information with immoderate unreality servers, CTO Oskar Öberg, who was besides successful the interview, wrote successful an email afterward. (You tin reappraisal the Flic privateness argumentation here.)

No caller hardware oregon different acquisition is necessary; Matter controller functionality is coming to Shortcut’s hubs arsenic a escaped update starting connected Friday. And each Flic merchandise is getting Matter support, said Öberg. He added that the company’s controller volition “literally enactment everything that is successful the Matter standard.”

Creating a Matter controller besides allows the company’s Flic Twist, a astute fastener with a dial that’s utile for things similar dimming lights oregon controlling astute blinds, to enactment with different products that usage the standard. That’s due to the fact that Matter doesn’t already enactment devices similar the Twist. “In effect, our Flic Twist is the archetypal rotational happening that you tin bash with Matter, which I deliberation is truly cool,” Prändel said.

Öberg says 1 happening his squad wanted to bash is marque mounting up a instrumentality little opaque compared to the acquisition connected different platforms, wherever a instrumentality tin neglect to onboard and it’s hard to fig retired why. But erstwhile you acceptable a Matter instrumentality up done the Flic app, you tin spot what’s going connected passim the automated process, arsenic shown successful the surface signaling above, making it easier to troubleshoot failures.

Shortcut Labs is comparatively chartless successful the tech world, and that’s portion of what’s breathtaking astir its Matter controller rollout. If specified a tiny institution tin propulsion it off, possibly others volition travel suit, bringing clever concepts and ideas on with them.