Ikea’s new Matter-over-Thread products were supposed to prove that the smart home could be cheap, accessible, and reliable. The highly anticipated line — which includes sensors, remotes, smart plugs, air-quality monitors, and smart bulbs — has most everything you need to build a smart home, with prices starting at $6. It’s an exciting idea, but it’s still not ready for primetime.
Technology
Ikea tried to build a smart home for everyone — here’s why it’s not working yet
When I first got the Ikea devices in January, I had a lot of problems connecting them to my main platform, Apple Home. And it turned out I was not alone. Reddit forums and user reviews were full of reports of onboarding and connectivity issues. Many people were struggling to get devices connected to every smart home platform — from Apple Home to Google Home, and even Ikea’s own Dirigera hub. YouTuber Shane Whatley documented his experience trying to onboard to Apple Home in real time, and it’s fairly painful to watch.
While I waited for Ikea to figure out what was up, I tried some more creative troubleshooting in my home. The only (admittedly odd) fix I found was to force Apple Home not to use my main Home Hub, an Ethernet-connected Apple TV. Instead, I told it to use a HomePod, and was able to onboard an Ikea Bilresa button and a Grillplats smart plug that had repeatedly failed to connect. (Hat tip to Whatley for this idea.)
Why Apple would prefer I not use my high-powered, hardwired Home Hub is anyone’s guess. In any case, it didn’t last long. When I tried to add a Myggspray motion sensor as well, it failed. I then tried connecting the same Myggspray to Google Home using an Android phone, and it joined on the first try. Admittedly, I have a complicated network, but this points towards Apple causing issues, not my setup.
While Ikea said that “the products work seamlessly” for most customers, it did acknowledge the problems “some users” were experiencing. It published a troubleshooting page, and online forums quickly filled with advice on getting the gadgets connected. These range from simple “restart your phone” to the inexplicable “just leave it alone for a few days, and then it will work” to the more complicated “dive into your internet router’s network settings and enable IPv6” (Thread and Matter run over IPv6).
One intrepid smart home reviewer, A Smarter House, painstakingly combed through all the proposed fixes and tried as many as he could on as many platforms as possible. This excellent deep dive by the YouTuber and blogger goes through the issues and what he tried that worked. His conclusion: There is not a single problem, but multiple, and the problems differ depending on the platform you are using.
Over the last few weeks, Ikea has rolled out several updates to its Dirigera hub to improve Matter-over-Thread stability and updated the troubleshooting page with more potential fixes. Ikea initially pointed to “users’ varying and sometimes complicated home networking setups,” something that’s difficult to replicate in a lab. And sure, individual network setups are often problematic. But the widespread nature of the issues points to something bigger: a problem with the core promise of Matter.
Problems at the heart of the Matter
With Matter came the promise of compatibility with every ecosystem, from Apple Home and Amazon Alexa to Home Assistant and Google Home. The industry was watching Ikea’s rollout closely; it was the first time Matter devices had been tested at the scale the standard was designed for — inexpensive devices for lots of people that would just work.
“While Thread provides a robust and secure foundation at the network layer, optimizing the end-to-end experience requires ongoing collaboration across all these interconnected components.”
— Ann Olivo, Thread Group
But what has become clear since Matter’s enthusiastic launch is that Apple, Google, and Amazon are now fully focused on pursuing their own agendas. The cooperative spirit that defined the standard’s early development has stalled, and it’s every platform for itself in the race for users.
Matter is an interoperability standard, but interoperability with Matter devices is still largely elusive. Rather than being a plug-and-play solution for manufacturers — make a Matter device, and it will just work with any platform — there remains a huge onus on each manufacturer to ensure its devices work properly with each platform before release. Which is basically the same problem they had before Matter launched.
Only now manufacturers have a playbook to follow that supposedly makes their devices work with everyone — easy, right? Apparently not. My theory is that it’s how the platforms interact with the devices that is causing many of these problems — something manufacturers have no control over.
Thread is a low-power, IP-based wireless protocol for smart home devices. It operates locally as a self-healing mesh network and promises low latency. It uses Thread Border Routers to connect to other networks and the internet.
Matter-over-Thread devices use Matter as the application layer, a shared language that enables compatibility across different smart home platforms.
This was implicitly confirmed by Thread Group, the organization that runs the Thread protocol, when I asked for comment on the issues users were seeing with Ikea’s Matter devices. “A seamless onboarding experience relies on orchestrating multiple components and layers within the smart home ecosystem, including the mobile app, application protocol, network protocol, platform software, and hardware design,” Ann Olivo, VP of marketing for Thread Group, told me via email. “While Thread provides a robust and secure foundation at the network layer, optimizing the end-to-end experience requires ongoing collaboration across all these interconnected components.”
That’s not to say Thread is blameless here. The protocol is frustratingly obtuse, and there are still too few troubleshooting solutions. Thread Border Routers remain a major pain point. Having too many, not enough, or the wrong ones can cause onboarding and connectivity issues. That last one is down to the problem of multiple TBRs from different companies still not working together. In practice, this means many homes now have several Thread Border Routers — Apple TVs, Eero routers, Echos, Google TV Streamers — that don’t always cooperate.
Additionally, Ikea may have shot itself in the foot by releasing its line of smart bulbs weeks after the remotes and sensors (they’re still not widely available). The latter are battery-powered, the former mains-powered. Thread is a low-power mesh network that relies on mains-powered repeaters to route signals. If you bought battery-powered buttons and sensors but have no mains-powered devices, that could be why you’ve seen devices drop off the network.
What is Ikea doing about it?
In 2024, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (the organization behind Matter) had to set up an interoperability lab to help manufacturers test their devices across all platforms. Whether Ikea took advantage of this or just took the promise of platform interoperability at face value isn’t clear. But either way, it now has a big mess to clean up.
The company is scrambling to improve reliability through software updates to its Dirigera hub, focused on improving Thread network performance and Matter onboarding stability. These include optimizing network communication and implementing “better cleanup of network settings after configuration changes, and fixes for connectivity disruptions that could cause device onboarding to fail,” according to David Granath, range manager at Ikea, who is leading the development of its smart home products. “In addition, we had an issue where outdated IPv6 network addresses could linger after configuration changes, such as turning IPv6 off on the WiFi router.”
You don’t need Ikea’s hub or app to onboard Matter devices — you should be able to just use your platform’s app. But the new Thread reset function in Ikea’s Home Smart app, which the company says “helps to rebuild the local Thread mesh if devices or border routers have fallen out of sync,” did help with some of my issues. Additionally, a Thread network check tool (iOS only) that shows your Thread network and which border routers are part of it is also useful. (There are a few other apps that offer this, too.)
Ikea’s stumble reveals a fundamental problem with Matter’s promise that you can build a device once and trust the platforms to handle the rest
Over the last week, I worked with Ikea and these new tools to troubleshoot my setup, and tried resetting and re-adding several devices, along with a new Bilresa button Ikea sent.
I got the new button connected to Apple Home on the first try, and yes — I cheered. I was also finally able to add the Timmerflotte temperature sensor to the Dirigera hub, and I had my first successful attempt at using Ikea devices with multi-admin (which lets you share devices across platforms), adding the Grillplats smart plug from Apple Home into Google Home.
However, an existing Kajplats lightbulb and Myggspray motion sensor still wouldn’t connect to Apple Home — giving me the now familiar “Unable to Add Accessory: Operation timed out” alert after about three minutes of trying to connect. But I was able to set up both of those in Google Home.
Ikea’s efforts may have improved things, but connecting devices still remains hit or miss. Even if it resolves the problems — and it looks like it’s moving in the right direction — Ikea’s stumble reveals a fundamental problem with Matter’s promise that you can build a device once and trust the platforms to handle the rest.
Until the major players prioritize interoperability, every manufacturer risks ending up where Ikea is now, scrambling for solutions in a sea of problems. Users who don’t turn to places like Reddit and YouTube for help will simply return their gadgets and move on. And the smart home will remain stuck in the early-adopter phase that Matter was supposed to leave behind.
While it’s clear there are ways to onboard these devices and keep them connected, the current experience is poor — not because any one company is failing, but because all of them are. And that’s not good news for Matter. Ultimately, what or who is at fault isn’t really the point; the point is that Matter promised it would just work, and it just doesn’t.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
The Acer Nitro Blaze Link might run on Linux, but it’s no Steam Deck. Acer says it’s a “streaming-first handheld and companion device,” like a PlayStation Portal for your PC. Announced ahead of Computex on Friday, it’s launching in Q4 2026 with a 7-inch (1920 x 1200) display, Wi-Fi 6, just 1GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and 8GB of eMMC storage. That’s technically not even enough RAM to run Stardew Valley, but the Blaze Link isn’t meant for playing games locally.
Logitech launched a similar handheld a few years ago, the Logitech G Cloud, that cost $350, included 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and ran on Android. It was a tough sell at that price considering that its performance was dependent on a good internet connection.
Acer hasn’t yet announced a price for the Nitro Blaze Link. But its specs suggest it could cost significantly less than proper handheld gaming PCs — which have been skyrocketing in price — potentially offering a more affordable and streaming-first alternative.
Correction, May 29th: The Nitro Blaze Link was announced ahead of Computex 2026, not at it.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
It shows up in your junk folder with a subject line that practically yells at you: “ATTENTION 1!!!” That alone should raise suspicion. Still, the message quickly escalates. It claims to come from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and says you are approved for a $4.5 million grant.
That is where things start to fall apart. This type of scam is designed to trigger both excitement and urgency. It also pushes you to hand over sensitive information before you stop to think.
Let’s break down exactly what this email says and why each part signals trouble.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
- Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
NEW EMAIL SCAM USES HIDDEN CHARACTERS TO SLIP PAST FILTERS
A fake IMF grant email promises millions of dollars while asking recipients to share personal details and identity documents. (Rawf8/Getty Images)
The sender behind this IMF scam email
The email claims to be from the IMF. Yet the reply address is a Gmail account. That mismatch matters.
Legitimate financial institutions do not use free email services for official communication. They also do not ask you to reply to a personal inbox for something this serious.
Why the subject line is a warning sign
“ATTENTION 1!!!” is not how a global financial organization communicates. It is how scammers try to grab you fast.
Urgency lowers your guard. When you feel pressure, you are more likely to respond without verifying anything.
The greeting reveals a mass email
The message opens with “Attention: Sir/Madam.” If your name were truly selected for a multimillion-dollar payment, the sender would use it.
Generic greetings often mean the email was blasted out to thousands of people.
How the story tries to hook you
The email mentions debts tied to contracts, inheritance, lottery and loans. That wide net is intentional.
It increases the odds that something in the message feels familiar. Once that happens, the scam starts to feel personal.
The $4.5 million promise is the bait
The promise of $4.5 million is not random. Large numbers create excitement. They also make you more willing to overlook obvious problems.
Real financial grants do not appear out of nowhere like this.
YOUR EMAIL DIDN’T EXPIRE; IT’S JUST ANOTHER SNEAKY SCAM
Scam emails may use real organization names, official titles and urgent language to pressure people into responding quickly. (Pekic/Getty Images)
Why scammers use real names
The email mentions IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. That sounds official, which is the point.
Scammers often include real names or titles to make fake messages feel credible. It is a shortcut to trust.
The writing and grammar feel off
Phrases like “Kindly reply me directly” and awkward sentence structure stand out. One odd sentence might not mean much. However, repeated issues like this point to a lack of professional communication.
Major institutions have strict standards for how they write.
The most dangerous request in this email
This email requests:
- Full name
- Address and location
- Phone number
- Age and occupation
- A copy of your passport or driver’s license
That is everything needed for identity theft. Once someone has those details, they can open accounts, target you with more scams or impersonate you.
The payment method adds false legitimacy
The email promises a bank-to-bank wire transfer. That detail adds a layer of realism. It also sets up the next step. Many scams later ask for “fees” to release the funds.
You send money, and the payment never arrives.
Even the spam excuse is part of the scam
At the end, the email tries to explain away the biggest red flag: “If you have received this message in your SPAM/BULK folder, it is simply because your ISP has introduced restrictions. We urge that you treat it as a matter of urgency.” That is not a reassurance. It is a warning sign.
Scammers know their messages look suspicious, so they try to explain it away before you question it.
THE ONE THING SCAMMERS CHECK BEFORE TARGETING YOU ONLINE
Users should delete suspicious grant emails, avoid links and verify claims directly through official organization websites. (Photographer: Wei Leng Tay/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
How to stay safe from scam emails
Scams like this follow a pattern, and once you know what to look for, you can shut them down quickly before any damage is done.
1) Ignore and delete the message
Do not reply or engage in any way. Even a quick response tells scammers your email is active, which can lead to more targeted attacks. The safest move is to delete it and move on.
2) Do not click links or download attachments
Scam emails often hide malicious links or infected files. One click can take you to a fake login page or install malware on your device. If you were not expecting the message, do not interact with anything inside it.
3) Use strong antivirus software
Strong antivirus software adds another layer of protection. It can flag suspicious emails, block dangerous websites and stop malicious downloads before they cause harm. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
4) Never send personal documents
No legitimate organization will ask for your passport, driver’s license or other sensitive documents through an unsolicited email. Sending that information can open the door to identity theft and financial fraud.
5) Look closely at the sender
Do not rely on the display name alone. Check the full email address carefully for misspellings, random numbers or free domains like Gmail. Small details often reveal a fake.
6) Go directly to official sources
If the message seems important, verify it on your own. Type the organization’s website into your browser or use a trusted contact method. Do not use the links or contact details provided in the email.
7) Remove your personal data from the internet
Scammers often rely on publicly available information to make their messages feel convincing. Data removal services can reduce what is out there, making it harder for criminals to target you in the first place. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
8) Turn on two-factor authentication
Add an extra layer of security to your accounts. With 2FA enabled, a stolen password alone is not enough for someone to get in. This simple step can stop many attacks before they start.
9) Monitor your financial accounts and credit
Check your bank statements and credit reports regularly. Look for unfamiliar charges, new accounts or changes you did not make. Catching fraud early can limit the damage.
10) Consider placing a credit freeze
If you think your personal information was exposed, a credit freeze can help protect you. It prevents new credit accounts from being opened in your name without your approval.
11) Add identity theft protection
Because this scam asks for your name, address, phone number, age, occupation and a copy of your passport or driver’s license, identity theft protection can help you spot trouble faster. A good service can monitor your credit files, alert you to new activity and help you recover if someone uses your information to open accounts or commit fraud in your name. See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com
12) Report the scam
Mark the email as phishing in your inbox. This helps your email provider block similar messages and protects other people from falling into the same trap.
Join CyberGuy Live: Lock Down Your Phone in 30 Minutes (Saturday, June 13, 10 am ET)
Your phone holds your email, passwords, photos, banking apps and personal data. In this free, live online class, Kurt the CyberGuy will walk you step by step through simple phone security fixes you can do in real time. You’ll learn how to improve your privacy settings, spot the latest phone scams, use trusted security tools and walk away with a simple checklist to stay protected. Register here: CyberGuyLive.com
Kurt’s key takeaways
This email tries hard to look official. It uses a real organization, a real name and a convincing story. Still, the cracks show up quickly once you slow down. A Gmail reply address, a massive payout, a vague greeting and a request for identity documents all point in the same direction. Scams like this rely on one thing: getting you to act before you think. Take a second look, and the whole thing falls apart.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
If a message promises millions and asks for your personal information, would you pause long enough to question it, or would the urgency pull you in? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
- Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Technology
Blue Origin explosion is a major setback for NASA’s Moon plans and Amazon’s Starlink competitor
While Blue Origin investigates the root cause behind last night’s spectacular explosion of its New Glenn rocket, it’s already clear that this will be a major setback for NASA’s Moon base plans and Amazon’s fledgling Leo space internet constellation.
The incident occurred at about 9pm at Blue Origin’s Florida launch site during a hot-fire test, where seven engines in the booster stage are lit while keeping the 322-foot-tall rocket fixed to the launchpad. The explosion and ensuing fireball severely damaged the only launchpad Blue Origin has for its New Glenn rocket.
“It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it,” wrote Blue Origin boss Jeff Bezos on X. “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
According to sources speaking to Ars Technica, the transporter-erector and one of the lightning towers at LC-36A may not be salvageable. “New Glenn almost certainly will not launch again in 2026, and frankly a launch during the first half of 2027 would be heroic given the launch site concerns,” writes Eric Berger, senior space editor at Ars Technica.
Such a delay would affect NASA’s Moon base plans. NASA announced on Tuesday that New Glenn would deliver a robotic lunar lander as soon as fall 2026. In 2027, Blue Origin is also scheduled to participate in the upcoming Artemis III mission, which will see astronauts docking their Orion capsule with lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.
“Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult,” said NASA administrator Jared Isaacman on X. “We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets.”
The New Glenn rocket that exploded Thursday night was being prepped to carry 48 Amazon Leo satellites — the largest batch ever slated for a single launch — into low-Earth orbit on an upcoming mission. The satellites were not onboard.
To date Amazon has launched just over 300 of the 1,618 Leo satellites the FCC requires by July 30, 2026. Amazon has applied for an extension to keep its license.
Amazon had been counting on New Glenn’s massive payload capacity and reusable boosters to accelerate a launch schedule that is already behind. Without its primary workhorse, Amazon will be forced to rely more heavily on secondary providers like United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Arianespace — and its chief rival, SpaceX.
“Sorry to see this,” wrote fellow billionaire spaceman Elon Musk on X. “I hope you recover quickly.”
-
Utah6 minutes agoVideo: Utah startup employs those right out of prison and celebrates new milestone – KSLTV.com
-
Vermont12 minutes agoWith two major vacancies, who will lead the Vermont House and Senate? – VTDigger
-
Virginia18 minutes agoNetflix casting Central Virginia singles for “Love on the Spectrum” after Danville man joins show
-
Washington24 minutes agoAs an AI tech-hub, Washington must lead with conscience
-
Wisconsin30 minutes ago
Wisconsin National Guard troops return after yearlong deployment in Middle East
-
West Virginia36 minutes agoWheeling launches West Virginia’s first recovery housing program for young adults
-
Wyoming42 minutes ago
Critics oppose Wyoming hydroelectric project, pointing to climate-driven drought crisis
-
Crypto48 minutes agoStablecoin Settlement Is Here, but Seamless Off-Chain Money Movement Is Not | PYMNTS.com
