Kitchen, Lounge, Bedroom, Door
One room at a time, one easy first step each. Open a room tab, then work through the setup steps in order. Nothing here needs more than a screwdriver, except the thermostat.
Why this order works
We start in the kitchen because the speaker you place there becomes the controller for everything else. Once it is online, each new device is a two-minute pairing job: scan the Matter code, name the device after its room, done. Naming matters more than people expect. "Lounge lamp" and "Bedroom plug" let your voice assistant and every family member understand the home without a manual. Do one room per sitting, live with it for a few days, then move on.
Choose a room
Kitchen: the speaker that runs the house
Place the speaker away from the hob and the sink, ideally where you can reach the mute button. A spot near the middle of the home also helps the Thread mesh reach other rooms.
1. Update your router and phone
Install router firmware updates and the latest phone OS. Confirm your Wi-Fi has a 2.4 GHz band enabled; most smart devices cannot join 5 GHz-only networks.
2. Install the right app and secure the account
Apple Home, Google Home or the Amazon Alexa app. Turn on two-factor authentication before pairing anything.
3. Pair the speaker and name the room
Follow the in-app prompts, create rooms called Kitchen, Lounge, Bedroom and Hallway now, and assign the speaker to Kitchen.
4. Set your privacy defaults
Choose voice recording auto-delete (for example, after three months) and decide whether voice matching is on for each person.
Lounge: warm light first, heating later
Begin with two bulbs in floor or table lamps. The thermostat is a separate, later project because it touches your heating system.
1. Fit the bulbs with the wall switch on
Screw in the bulbs, switch on, and scan the Matter code on the bulb or box. Keep a photo of each code in a safe album; you need it if you reset the bulb.
2. Group them as "Lounge lamps"
A group lets one command dim both. Set a warm 2700 K evening scene and a brighter reading scene.
3. Add a sunset schedule
Lamps fade on at sunset and off at bedtime. It is the routine most households keep a year later.
4. Thermostat: check, ask, then install
Run the maker's compatibility checker, get landlord permission if you rent, keep the old unit, and book an installer if mains wiring is involved. Start with a simple schedule before trying learning or geofencing features.
Bedroom: one plug, one calm routine
The bedroom should feel quieter, not busier. A single plug for the bedside lamp or a fan is enough.
1. Check the load, then plug in
Read the plug's rated load. Lamps, fans and phone chargers are ideal; avoid unattended heating appliances.
2. Name it after what it powers
"Bedside lamp" beats "Plug 1". Voice commands become natural.
3. Create a gentle wake-up
Lamp on fifteen minutes before your alarm on weekdays only.
4. Keep microphones out if you prefer
You can control the bedroom from your phone or the kitchen speaker. Many people choose a mic-free bedroom, and that is a perfectly sensible setup.
Door: see visitors, respect the street
Charge the battery fully before mounting; a first charge can take several hours.
1. Test the Wi-Fi at the door
Stand at the door with your phone and run a speed test. Weak signal means missed alerts; a mesh node or extender in the hallway fixes most cases.
2. Mount at chest height, angled at your step
About 120 cm high. Renters can use a no-drill mount or ask permission for two screws.
3. Draw privacy and motion zones
Mask the pavement, road and neighbouring windows. Limit motion alerts to your path.
4. Choose storage and sharing
Pick a short retention period, enable end-to-end encryption if offered, and decide who in the household can view clips.
Linking the rooms: your first "Good night" routine
Once all four rooms are online, one routine shows why the effort was worth it. Say "good night" to the kitchen speaker and it switches off the lounge lamps, turns the bedroom plug off after ten minutes, drops the thermostat to its night temperature and sets the doorbell to quiet chime hours. Build it in your main app's automations section, test it twice, and adjust timings to your household.
If a step fails, check that the device is assigned to the right room and that it shows as "responding". Most hiccups are a weak signal or a bulb whose wall switch was turned off.