Apple, Google add support for Thread 1.4

Apple and Google are rolling out Thread 1.4 support to compatible Apple TVs and the Google TV Streamer, both of which can act as Thread Border Routers. The update enables groundwork for Thread credential sharing, helping devices join an existing Thread network instead of creating separate ones.

This update addresses a long-running smart home pain point: fragmented Thread networks that can make Matter devices less reliable. Broader support for Thread 1.4 could make multi-vendor smart homes easier to set up and more dependable over time.

The Google TV Streamer has been updated to Thread 1.4, allowing you to access a way to manually share its Thread credentials. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Apple and Google are updating their smart home streaming devices to Thread 1.4. As first spotted by Matter Alpha and 9to5 Google, the latest spec has arrived on compatible Apple TVs in the tvOS 27 developer beta and the Google TV Streamer through a software update. This lays the groundwork for these devices, which serve as Thread Border Routers, to implement Thread credential sharing, enabling them to connect more easily to an existing Thread network rather than creating their own. Thread is one of the connectivity protocols the interoperability standard Matter runs on. The original plan was for Thread Border Routers to all work seamlessly … Read the full story at The Verge.