Photo: Nanoleaf
Apple plans to expand its Adaptive Lighting feature to Matter-compatible smart lights with the release of iOS 18, which will significantly increase the number of smart lights that can use the popular feature in the Apple Home ecosystem. And among the first to work on it is Nanoleaf, according to a new report.
Nanoleaf tests iOS 18’s Adaptive Lighting for Matter in its upcoming smart bulbs
Adaptive Lighting, which automatically adjusts the color temperature of smart lights throughout the day, has been available in Apple Home since iOS 14. However, it was limited to a few brands using HomeKit. With iOS 18, this feature will work with smart lights connected through Matter, the new smart home interoperability standard.
Nanoleaf CEO Gimmy Chu confirmed that his company is testing Adaptive Lighting on its Essentials Matter lights, according to The Verge. This will fix a limitation with previous models.
“We are one of the partners that are part of the launch of Adaptive Lighting on Matter products,” Chu stated. This testing has resulted in the feature appearing in iOS 18 betas for Nanoleaf’s Matter products.
Opens up Adaptive Lighting to other manufacturers
The expansion to Matter devices is significant because it opens up Adaptive Lighting to a wider range of smart light manufacturers. Chu believes that “the vision for Adaptive Lighting is to be open to all partners that work with the Apple Home ecosystem via Matter.” This could potentially include brands like Govee, Lifx, Wiz, and Linkind, making it easier and more affordable for users to implement Adaptive Lighting throughout their homes.
It’s important to note that Adaptive Lighting remains an Apple Home exclusive feature and is not part of the Matter specification. Therefore, it won’t be available in other Matter-compatible ecosystems like Amazon Alexa or Google Home.
The integration of Adaptive Lighting with Matter devices in Apple Home is expected to launch with iOS 18 this fall. It will provide users with more options for creating dynamic lighting environments in their smart homes.