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Matter on TVs: which TVs can be your Matter hub, and what Matter Casting is

Some TVs and streaming boxes can act as a Matter hub: Google TV Streamer (4K) and select TVs for Google Home, LG webOS TVs through ThinQ, Samsung TVs with a built-in SmartThings hub, and Apple TV 4K for Apple Home. Fewer are documented as Thread border routers, and Amazon's pages describe Fire TV's Matter role as Matter Casting rather than listing it as a hub. Matter Casting lets a phone app cast to and control a Fire TV or Echo Show. See Google's hub list and Amazon's Matter Casting overview for the source details.

What a Matter hub does, and why a TV can be one

A Matter hub is the device that adds Matter accessories to your smart home, controls them locally instead of through the cloud, and lets you control them when you're away from home. That's how Google's Matter preparation page describes the job. Apple puts it in similar terms: Apple Support says you set up a home hub to control accessories away from home, share control with others, and automate accessories. That page (published 2025-09-15) also says you must set up a home hub to add Matter accessories, while Apple's newer Matter accessories page (published 2026-05-07) says an iPhone on iOS 18 or later can add and control them without one.

Makers are building that hub role into products people already own. SmartThings' blog says your Samsung TV, Smart Monitor, Family Hub refrigerator, or Sound Bar could already be hub-ready without buying another device. LG's support page adds the condition that matters for its TVs: the TV must support the hub feature to control a Matter device. For the full list of hubs and border routers across all device types, see MatterCheck's hubs and Thread border routers guide, and for the basics of what Matter itself is, start with what Matter is.

Matter on TVs at a glance

Here's how the main TV and streamer platforms line up in the sources below.

Each row names its source, and the sections that follow walk through what each page actually says.

Which TVs and streamers are Matter hubs

The documented hub and Thread border router positions for TVs and streaming boxes are collected here.

Being a Matter hub and being a Thread border router are separate questions. Google's hub list puts it plainly: if your Matter devices use only Wi-Fi, a Wi-Fi-only hub is enough, but if they use Thread, you need a hub that also works as a Thread border router. Google describes a Thread border router as a special hub that connects all your Thread devices by creating a wireless Thread network. The Google Developers Blog calls the lack of a Thread border router "one key customer challenge with Matter today," because Thread devices require one in the home for control.

Google TV Streamer, Chromecast and TVs with Google Home

Google's pages split this into three distinct cases: the Google TV Streamer (4K), Chromecast with Google TV, and select third-party TVs that can opt in as Google Home hubs.

Google TV Streamer (4K)

Google's comparison page marks Google TV Streamer (4K) as having a built-in Thread border router and as being a hub for Google Home and Matter. It also appears in both of Google's hub lists: under Wi-Fi-only hubs and under Wi-Fi-and-Thread hubs in Google's Matter preparation page. Google's Thread page for the streamer says it can create a new Thread network or join an existing one, and it securely stores those credentials in your Google Account to simplify setup for new devices and provide a backup.

You can turn Thread off from the Google TV home screen under All Settings > Network and Internet using the Thread network switch. Google warns that disabling Thread stops the streamer acting as a border router and some smart home devices may lose connection or functions, but it won't affect the Thread credentials stored in your Google Account. For more on those stored credentials and joining Thread networks, see MatterCheck's guide to Thread credentials.

Chromecast with Google TV

Google's streamer comparison table marks Thread Border Router and "Hub for Google Home & Matter" only for Google TV Streamer (4K), not for Chromecast with Google TV (HD or 4K). Google's hub list doesn't name Chromecast either. However, the Google Developers Blog says Google integrated the Google Home runtime into devices "including Google Nest devices, Chromecasts, Google TV devices on Android 14 and eligible LG TVs." So Google's developer blog uses a broader "Chromecasts" wording, while Google's consumer comparison table and hub list don't mark Chromecast with Google TV as a Matter hub.

Select TVs as a hub for Google Home

Google's TV hub page says an eligible TV that supports Google services can act as a hub for Google Home, and gives "2024 LG TVs with Google Home listed as an option under the Home Hub menu" as its example. Select TVs require manual opt-in, and the flows vary by TV brand. Google's steps are:

1. Make sure your TV and the devices with the Google Home app are connected to the same network.
2. On your TV, go to the home page and select Home hub > Google Home > Connect to Google Home. Google notes this section might be named differently depending on your device.
3. Your TV must be on high energy mode. If prompted, enable Always Ready or an equivalent energy setting. On TVs running Android 14 and later, Google's example path is Settings > System > Power & Energy.
4. Sign in with a Google Account. If your TV supports it, you can scan the QR code displayed on the TV with your phone's camera.
5. Assign your TV to a room.

Google adds that, if your TV supports it, scanning the QR code the TV displays keeps your devices synchronized between Google Home and your TV brand.

After setup, Google's hub list places "Select TVs compatible with Google Home" under Wi-Fi-only hubs, and says to check the manufacturer's manual or website for a third-party TV's up-to-date technical specifications. For Google Home's wider Matter support, see MatterCheck's Google Home Matter guide.

LG TVs: ThinQ and the Home Hub

LG's US support page lists three requirements before connecting a TV and a Matter device in the ThinQ app: the TV must support the hub feature; the Matter device and TV must be on the same network and in the same home in the ThinQ app; and the account on the TV and in the ThinQ app must be the same. LG also says to set the TV up as an LG Hub if you want to use the Matter device remotely from the ThinQ app.

LG's connection steps are:

1. Connect your TV to the ThinQ app.
2. Set the TV up as an LG Hub for remote use.
3. Add the Matter device. From the ThinQ home screen, tap Add a Device and choose Scan QR to scan the device's QR code, or choose Select Device then Add Matter device at the bottom of the list and enter the setup code.
4. Use the device from the Matter device card on the ThinQ home screen or from the TV's home hub screen.

LG Canada's version says the guide was created for television models that feature Home Hub in the dashboard page. The CSA's certification listing records a webOS TV software component from LG Electronics, certified 2024-07-29 against Matter 1.2, described as helping users register and control Matter-enabled home appliances around the TV. Google's LG case study says Home runtime transforms compatible webOS LG TVs into hubs for Google Home, and adds that "local control for Matter is currently supported over a Wi-Fi connection on select LG TVs." No page here says LG TVs are Thread border routers. For the general steps of adding a Matter device, see MatterCheck's guide to adding a device.

Samsung TVs: the built-in SmartThings hub

The SmartThings blog (published 2025-04-17) describes "Hub Everywhere": when a hub is available in a Samsung TV, the option to enable it pops up so you can set it up through the SmartThings app. The blog says the listed products "all include a SmartThings hub and Thread Border Router, to connect devices including those that that use Matter-over-Thread and Matter-over-Wi-Fi, or Zigbee." At a glance it lists select Samsung QLED / Neo QLED / OLED TVs (2023 and later) and select The Frame / The Serif TVs (2024 and later), and its full model list covers 2023, 2024 and 2025 series.

Samsung's US SmartThings app page words coverage differently in a footnote: TVs released after 2022 in named series (QN900*, QN800*, QN700*, QN95*, S95*, QN90*, QN85*, Q80*, Q70*, Q60*, *U8, The Serif, The Frame, The Sero) include a built-in SmartThings Hub. It says 2022 or earlier models need a separate SmartThings Dongle to connect Thread and Zigbee devices, and most models after 2023 have the dongle built in. Because the two Samsung pages describe coverage differently, check your model on Samsung's own pages. MatterCheck's SmartThings entries list the hub requirement as "SmartThings-compatible hub required (standalone hub, Samsung TV, Station, etc.)." For SmartThings' broader Matter support, see MatterCheck's SmartThings Matter guide.

Apple TV 4K as an Apple Home hub

Apple Support (published 2025-09-15) says Apple TV becomes a home hub when you add it to a room in the Home app: open Settings on Apple TV, select AirPlay and Apple Home, select Room, then choose or add a room. Apple says Thread-enabled Matter accessories require a Thread-enabled home hub, "such as HomePod mini or Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Ethernet, or a supported third-party border router." Only home owners can add Apple TV to a room, and if you can't, Apple says to check Settings > Users and Accounts on Apple TV and make sure your name is selected under Default User.

Apple's Matter accessories page (published 2026-05-07) adds a newer wrinkle: with an iPhone using iOS 18 or later, you can add and control Matter accessories in the Home app without a home hub, and with iPhone 15 Pro or later you can control Thread-based accessories without a home hub. Apple still advises setting up a home hub, and names Apple TV 4K among the Thread-enabled hubs. Home Assistant's Matter integration docs also name Apple TV 4K as the Thread border router Apple users need. For Apple Home's full Matter story, see MatterCheck's Apple Home Matter guide.

Fire TV and Echo: what Amazon's pages say

Amazon's Matter support page says Matter-supported Amazon Echo devices connect and control Matter smart home devices, and that the Echo device is the Matter administrator used to discover and connect Matter devices to Alexa locally. Amazon's Thread support page lists Thread border routers among Echo and eero devices, with Thread version 1.1 or 1.3. Fire TV isn't on either list.

Fire TV's Matter role in Amazon's pages is different: Fire TV and Echo Show appear in Amazon's Matter Casting overview as casting video players. So Amazon's lists name Echo and eero devices as Matter hubs and Thread border routers, while Fire TV appears in the casting documentation. For Alexa's wider Matter support, see MatterCheck's Alexa Matter guide.

What Matter Casting is

Amazon's Overview of Matter Casting (last updated 2026-09-02) describes it this way: customers start content on their iOS or Android phone, cast it to a Fire TV or Echo Show, and control playback from the phone. It's built on the Matter standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance, and Fire TV and Echo devices implement Matter Casting as defined in Matter specification 1.5. Amazon says it supports media and device controls such as play, pause, navigation, skip forward, back, and volume, and that most Fire TV devices running Fire OS 7 or higher support it. Amazon adds that it can help install the app on the Fire TV or Echo Show if it isn't already installed.

Amazon defines three roles:

• Player: Fire TV and Echo Show devices are casting video players that render media to a physical output or built-in display screen.
• Client: an Android or iOS phone app discovers players on the network, initiates casting, and controls playback.
• Content app: the matching app on the Fire TV runs on the player and receives commands from the client.

On first connection, the player generates an 8-digit passcode and displays it on screen; you type that passcode into the phone app. Amazon says commissioning happens only once, and the client caches the connection so later sessions reconnect without repeating it. Amazon's Fling discontinuation post says Amazon Fling will be discontinued on March 5, 2026 and recommends Matter Casting as the replacement. A separate Amazon staff post says Matter Casting works with "Fire TV, Echo Show, and other TVs that support Matter Casting" — Amazon's wording, not a list of which other TVs those are.

The Matter SDK's Casting APIs page describes the same three-part structure from the implementation side: the mobile app is a Matter Casting Client, the TV content app is a Matter Content app, and the TV platform app implements the Casting Video Player device type, generally by the TV manufacturer. The casting client is a commissionable node and the TV is a commissioner, and the TV obtains user consent before allowing a connection. The CSA's Matter 1.3 announcement (2024-05-08) adds TV improvements including push messages and dialog support, casting initialization enhancements, and the ability for other Matter devices to send notifications to TVs. No page here says which shipping TVs include those 1.3 features, and no page here names consumer apps that support Matter Casting or other TV platforms that do.

Can you control your TV over Matter?

The Matter SDK's TV example defines four media player device types. They share the same media playback feature set and differ by whether they also launch content and whether they act as a commissioner or a plain commissionable node: Basic Video Player (0x0028) is commissionable, Casting Video Player (0x0023) is a commissioner, Streaming Audio Player (0x0020) is commissionable, and Casting Audio Player (0x0021) is a commissioner. Google's Home APIs device-type page lists Basic Video Player, Casting Video Player, and Video Remote Control — but that's a developer page for app builders, and no source here says the Google Home app lets users add or control a Matter TV.

No page here says Apple Home, Alexa, SmartThings, or Home Assistant controls a Matter TV. MatterCheck's own data checks 24 Matter device types and none is a TV or video player; the closest row is Matter Speaker, shown below. These results are for speakers only, not TVs.

See MatterCheck's Matter speaker page for the full speaker row, and MatterCheck's data for how the matrix works.

Setting up a TV as your hub: what to check

1. Check the TV's own pages first. Google says to check the manufacturer's manual or website for a third-party TV's up-to-date specifications, and LG says the TV must support the hub feature.
2. Put the TV and your phone on the same network. Google's TV hub page and LG's support page both ask for the TV and the devices with the app to be on the same network.
3. Use the same account. LG requires the account on the TV and the account in the ThinQ app to be the same to register and use a Matter device.
4. Keep the TV in high energy mode. Google says a TV must be on high energy mode to be enabled as a hub for Google Home, and to turn on Always Ready or an equivalent energy setting if the TV prompts you.
5. For Thread devices, check for a Thread border router. Google says homes with Thread devices need a hub that also works as a Thread border router, and its hub list places select TVs under Wi-Fi-only hubs, while the SmartThings blog lists Samsung models that include a Thread Border Router.
6. Turn on IPv6 on your home network. Google warns that without IPv6, Matter setup may appear to succeed but control and other functionality can fail. See MatterCheck's IPv6 and network guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is my TV a Matter hub?

It depends on the brand and model. Google lists Google TV Streamer (4K) and "select TVs compatible with Google Home" as hubs, with 2024 LG TVs as its example. LG says the TV must support the hub feature, Samsung lists specific TV series with a built-in SmartThings hub, and Apple TV becomes an Apple Home hub when added to a room in the Home app. Check your model's support page for its specifications.

Is Chromecast with Google TV a Matter hub?

Google's comparison table marks Thread Border Router and "Hub for Google Home & Matter" only for Google TV Streamer (4K), not for Chromecast with Google TV (HD or 4K), and Google's hub list doesn't name Chromecast. Google's developer blog separately says the Google Home runtime was integrated into devices including "Chromecasts." The consumer-facing pages don't mark Chromecast with Google TV as a Matter hub.

Is Fire TV a Matter hub?

Amazon's Matter page says Matter-supported Echo devices connect and control Matter devices, and its Thread page lists Echo and eero devices as Thread border routers. Fire TV isn't on those lists. Fire TV appears in Amazon's Matter Casting documentation as a casting video player.

Can an LG TV be a Thread border router?

No page here says LG TVs are Thread border routers. LG's pages describe the TV supporting the hub feature over the same network, and Google's LG case study says local control for Matter is currently supported over a Wi-Fi connection on select LG TVs.

Which Samsung TVs have a SmartThings hub built in?

The SmartThings blog lists select QLED / Neo QLED / OLED TVs from 2023 and later and select The Frame / The Serif TVs from 2024 and later, with a full model list covering 2023, 2024 and 2025 series. Samsung's app page footnote says TVs released after 2022 in named series include a built-in SmartThings Hub, and that 2022 or earlier models need a SmartThings Dongle for Thread and Zigbee.

What is Matter Casting on Fire TV?

Matter Casting lets you start content on an iOS or Android phone, cast it to a Fire TV or Echo Show, and control playback from the phone. Amazon says most Fire TV devices running Fire OS 7 or higher support it, and the first connection uses an 8-digit passcode shown on the TV screen. Amazon recommends it as the replacement for Amazon Fling, which is discontinued on March 5, 2026.

Can I add the same Matter device to my TV and to another platform?

Google's Matter page describes cross-platform control of Matter devices, and LG's support page says you can connect one Matter-certified device to multiple platforms. MatterCheck's guide to sharing a Matter device across platforms covers how each platform handles it.

More MatterCheck guides

• Matter hubs and Thread border routers — the full list across speakers, displays, routers and more.
• Thread vs Wi-Fi for Matter — what each transport does and when you need a border router.
• Thread credentials and joining Thread networks — how stored credentials work.
• How to add a Matter device — the pairing steps across platforms.
• Sharing a Matter device across platforms — multi-admin explained.
• What Matter is — the standard in plain terms.
• IPv6 and network setup for Matter — why IPv6 matters.
• Platform comparison — Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings and Home Assistant side by side.
• Matter speakers: what works with Matter — what the Speaker type controls and which platforms support it.

How we checked

Pages fetched 2026-10-20: Google Home Help 15681130 and 12391458, Google Streaming Help 15273676 and 15178609, the Google Developers Blog post of 2025-01-07, Google Home Developers' LG case study and Home APIs device-type page; LG USA and LG Canada support pages and the CSA's webOS TV certification listing; the SmartThings blog post of 2025-04-17 and Samsung's US SmartThings page; Apple Support 102557 (published 2025-09-15) and 102135 (published 2026-05-07); Amazon's Fire TV "Overview of Matter Casting" (last updated 2026-09-02), two Amazon Developer Community posts, and Amazon's Alexa Matter and Thread developer pages; the Matter SDK's TV example and Casting APIs pages; the CSA's Matter 1.3 news (2024-05-08); and Home Assistant's Matter docs. The speaker results come from MatterCheck's own data. Makers add TV models and features over time, so check your model's own support page. See MatterCheck's methodology.

Last reviewed 2026-10-20. If your TV maker's support page says something different, follow the maker's own instructions.