What Is Thread? We Explain the Smart Home Network Protocol

Thread is a protocol designed to connect smart home devices in a wireless mesh network. It works much like Wi-Fi but requires less power. With Thread, devices from any manufacturer can create a separate low-latency mesh and share encrypted data. Thread enables supported devices to connect and speak to each other without any configuration or management on your part, and it works locally without going back and forth to the cloud.

You can use various application layers on top of Thread, including Matter. I go into more detail about the unifying smart home standard in my Matter guide. If you're setting up a smart home, you'll likely run into terms like “Thread” and “Matter” now that the technologies are baked into more and more products. Here's what you need to know.

Thread is a way for smart home gadgets to connect and share data. It is a ...