The Thread Group is extremely technical on its website. That makes it difficult for the average person (and even smart home experts like us) to understand what Thread is all about. Plus, every article about Thread describes it a little differently, making it even harder to define. In this piece, we’ll discuss what we do know about Thread, how it works, and what it can potentially do.
No single point of failure Low-energy Low-power Low-bandwidth Secure Seamless Application-layer agnostic Self-healing
Because Thread isn’t widely used right now, we don’t know how accurate these descriptions are. Oh, and FYI—Thread sometimes refers to a smart home product as an “end device.” Don’t be confused if you see it in Thread connected home literature. The following are examples of potential Thread uses:
Turn on the air conditioner when you unlock the door Turn on smart lights when your wakeup alarm goes off Arm and disarm security remotely Set a timer when you start the laundry Close the automated blinds when you turn off the lights Send you a text message if someone trips a sensor
To compare the Thread smart home network to other smart home protocols and services, check out this piece on home automation languages. Or, if you’re curious about IFTTT, we have a roundup of the best IFTTT-compatible smart devices. In terms of manufacturing, anyone can use the Thread Specification, but only members of the Thread Group have Thread Certification. In normal-person language, we think that means that a certified product gets stamped as a bona fide Thread-compatible device. We can’t find a statement from the Thread Group about the qualifications for Thread Specification. The Thread Group website specifies that the platform is compatible with the following:
