Google has pushed out the first new update of the year for its Google TV Streamer box, adding support for the smart home protocol Thread 1.4.
It’s a major update for Google’s smart home ecosystem, and although the changelog only confirms a few bug fixes and enhancements, 9to5Google confirmed with the company that support for Thread 1.4 is also present and correct.
Thread 1.4 way back in 2024, so it has taken quite a while to wing its way into consumer devices. Similarly, it has not yet arrived on Apple’s device ecosystem, though the iPhone maker has confirmed it will come to iOS and tvOS in the autumn.
Thread is a mesh networking protocol for Matter-based smart homes, and it’s backed by some major players, including Amazon and Samsung, as well as Google and Apple. It creates a "mesh network" among various gadgets, meaning devices can connect directly to one another instead of having to rely on a central hub or router. Thread networks become stronger and more reliable the more devices are added to it.
With the Thread 1.4 update, the Thread Group alliance says it has solved the problem of separate, overlapping Thread networks that are sometimes created when users add compatible devices from different brands to their Matter-based smart homes. Rather than creating separate networks, every device will now join a unified mesh network – so long as they’re all running version 1.4.
The update also adds support for Thread-over-infrastructure, which utilises WiFi and Ethernet connections to extend the mesh network and increase coverage throughout the home. Finally, it makes it easier to share Thread network keys between devices from multiple brands, simplifying the process of adding new devices to the mesh network. With this week’s update, Google TV Streamer can share network keys using QR codes that other devices can scan to join the network.
In addition, Thread 1.4 should enable longer battery lives for smart home devices, although this doesn’t apply to the Google TV Streamer itself, as it’s powered by the mains.
The updated Thread protocol is now much more like what its backers had in mind when they first conceived of the idea – a separate communications system for smart homes, and it will allow the Google TV Streamer to act like a control hub for potentially dozens of other connected devices. Google’s hardware also serves as a Thread Border Router, which enables all of the other smart home devices in a household to connect to the same network.
