TL;DR
Get home appliances delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
The Home Assistant 2026.11 beta exposes Matter camera feeds in the frontend and adds a Labs preview for two-way audio. It also brings HACS into the built-in Marketplace and includes updates to Matter devices and controls. The stable release is scheduled for Nov. 4, according to the report.
The Home Assistant 2026.11 beta adds frontend support for Matter cameras and a Labs preview of two-way audio, making live feeds and talkback available through the smart-home platform’s interface. The Open Home Foundation release also brings the Home Assistant Community Store (HACS) into a built-in Marketplace and updates controls for several Matter device types.
With an updated Matter Server, compatible cameras can appear in Home Assistant as standard camera entities, with snapshots and live video. The report says streams use WebRTC between the camera and the user’s browser. Camera entities also reflect device hardware status, including whether privacy mode is active. The frontend changes expose camera functions that were already supported by the Matter.js server behind Home Assistant’s Matter integration.
Two-way audio is a preview feature that users must enable in the system’s Labs settings. A talk button then appears on supported live streams. At launch, the feature works with Matter cameras and Reolink cameras set up over RTSP; RTMP and FLV streams do not support return audio, according to the report. Browser microphone access requires a secure connection, so users currently need to open Home Assistant over HTTPS to use talkback.
The update also changes how several Matter devices behave. Climate entities resume their last active heating or cooling mode when switched back on. Tilt-only window coverings are represented as tilt covers, while additional changes include reversed motor direction controls, lighting color-temperature controls and thermostat setpoint attributes. The release adjusts air-quality sensor units and adds bridged devices to the Matter network map. HACS is now accessible from the main settings menu as the built-in Marketplace; community projects remain maintained by their developers.
Camera Feeds Move Into Home Assistant
The camera changes address a practical gap between Matter support at the server level and what users could access in Home Assistant’s interface. Bringing live video and snapshots into standard camera entities makes compatible devices easier to use alongside other smart-home controls and automations, rather than requiring users to rely only on the backend integration.
Talkback adds a way to respond through a supported camera or doorbell from a live stream. But its current limits matter: users need a compatible camera and stream type, and browser use requires HTTPS. The update is a step toward a more unified interface, not a guarantee that every Matter camera or Home Assistant access method will support two-way audio.
The Marketplace change may also make community integrations, cards and themes easier to discover and maintain from the Home Assistant interface. That convenience does not make community projects official or guarantee their ongoing support. Users still need to distinguish community-maintained software from features maintained by Home Assistant itself.
Products Worth Considering
Philips Hue Secure Wired Video Doorbell, 2K Resolution, Wide Angle View, Integrated Hue Lights, Two-Way Audio, Infrared Night Visibility, Bl
Philips Hue Bridge Pro Smart Lighting Hub
Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit (2nd Gen) Home Security System
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Matter Server to Frontend
The report describes the release as linking recent work in the Matter.js server with Home Assistant’s main interface. Camera capabilities existed in the backend before this beta; the new element is their exposure as entities users can access in the frontend. An updated Matter Server is required for compatible cameras to appear with the described features.
HACS, the Home Assistant Community Store, has been used to find and install community integrations and interface components. In 2026.11, it becomes a built-in Marketplace reached through Settings, with existing HACS setups reported to migrate automatically. The projects listed there continue to be maintained by their individual developers, not officially supported by Home Assistant.
The release is a beta**, not the stable version. The source report says the public release was scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 4, and cautions that some features might not be present in the beta if they need more work before the final rollout.
“Video streams run over WebRTC directly between your browser and the camera.”
— Matter Alpha report
Compatibility and Beta Limits
The source does not list the specific Matter camera models tested or provide a complete compatibility table. It also does not state whether every camera that works with Matter will support both live video and talkback in Home Assistant. The beta may not contain all features planned for the stable build, and the report does not specify which items could be delayed.
Two-way talk over the Home Assistant companion apps while using HTTP is still in development, according to the report; no delivery date is given. Users with existing automations may also need to adjust them: climate automations that depended on the old fallback mode should call a specific HVAC mode, while scripts and voice routines using standard open-and-close commands may need changes for tilt-only covers.
The report says existing sensors with convertible units may convert their readings to match older units. Some TVOC sensors using density units will change device class, and users may need to update or clean up statistics. The source does not give a detailed migration guide for each sensor configuration.
Stable Release and Follow-Up
Home Assistant users can test 2026.11 through the beta channel. The report gives Nov. 4 as the scheduled date for the public release, but a beta feature’s presence does not by itself confirm that it will ship unchanged in the stable version.
After upgrading, users can check whether their Matter Server is current and whether supported cameras appear as camera entities. Those testing talkback will need to enable the Labs preview, use a supported camera and stream, and access Home Assistant over HTTPS in a browser. Users should also review automations for climate mode and tilt-cover changes, and check sensor units and statistics where relevant.
The release’s final availability and any changes between beta and stable remain the next milestones. Support for companion-app talkback over HTTP is described as in development, but the report provides no launch timing. Camera compatibility details and any beta-to-release changes will need to be confirmed in later release information.
Key Questions
What camera features are new in Home Assistant 2026.11?
The beta exposes compatible Matter cameras in the frontend as camera entities, with snapshots and live video when paired with an updated Matter Server. The report says feeds use WebRTC.
How does two-way talk work?
Users enable the Labs preview, then use a talk button on a supported live stream. The report lists Matter cameras and Reolink cameras configured over RTSP. Browser use currently requires HTTPS for microphone access.
Does the built-in Marketplace make HACS projects official?
No. HACS is included as a Marketplace in Home Assistant, but the projects listed there remain maintained by their respective developers and are not officially supported by Home Assistant, according to the report.
When is Home Assistant 2026.11 scheduled for public release?
The source report gives Nov. 4 as the scheduled public release date. The version described is a beta, and the report cautions that not every planned feature may be ready in the beta build.
Source: matteralpha.com
