Ikea’s smart home platform just got a whole lot smarter. The Dirigera hub, which for the past year has quietly played a supporting role in the Matter ecosystem, is finally stepping into the spotlight with a powerful new firmware update. Version 2.805.6, now rolling out to users, turns the hub into a Matter controller, allowing it to take the lead in discovering and managing Matter-compatible devices from other brands.
Before this update, the Dirigera hub acted more like a translator—it allowed Ikea smart home gear to work with third-party Matter platforms like Alexa, Google Home, and Apple’s HomeKit. Now, the tables have turned: Dirigera can initiate and control the smart home conversation, expanding your options without locking you into a single ecosystem.
What makes this update even more exciting is that it also enables the hub’s previously dormant Thread radio. According to both Reddit users and Matter Alpha, the Dirigera hub can now serve as a Thread border router—a critical role that connects Thread-only Matter devices to your home network and the wider internet. For those keeping track, that puts Ikea in elite company alongside Google, Amazon, and Apple in supporting both Matter and Thread at the hub level.
If you’re wondering what this means for Ikea’s future, the signs were there. Earlier this year, leaks revealed two upcoming Thread-based Ikea devices: the Timmerflotte, a temperature and humidity sensor, and the Bilresa Dual Button, a smart switch. These hinted at a bigger Thread push, and now we know that the company was preparing the Dirigera hub to support them directly—no extra gear required.
This new functionality is still in beta, so some rough edges may remain. You’ll need to update the Dirigera hub firmware and the Ikea Home smart home app to try it out. But the implications are big: Ikea is now much more than a budget-friendly smart bulb provider. It’s staking a claim in the rapidly evolving world of cross-platform, standards-based smart homes.
Whether you’re deep into the smart home game or just getting started, this update makes the Dirigera hub a more compelling option than ever—especially for those looking to simplify or unify their smart home experience without breaking the bank.