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The Open Home Foundation has released the Home Assistant 2026.11 beta, adding Matter camera entities with snapshots and live video, plus a Labs preview of two-way audio. The update also brings HACS into the core interface as a Marketplace and includes Matter device changes; the public release is scheduled for Nov. 4, according to Matter Alpha.
The Home Assistant 2026.11 beta adds frontend support for Matter cameras, including snapshots and live video, and introduces a preview feature for two-way audio. The Open Home Foundation’s update also makes the Home Assistant Community Store (HACS) a built-in Marketplace, bringing camera controls and community add-ons closer to the platform’s main interface.
With an updated Matter Server, compatible cameras appear in Home Assistant as standard camera entities. Users can access snapshots and live feeds, with video carried over WebRTC between the camera and browser. The camera entity also reflects device state, including whether its privacy mode is enabled. The Matter.js server already supported camera capabilities; this release exposes them in Home Assistant’s frontend.
Two-way audio is a separate Labs preview that users must enable in system settings. A talk button appears on supported live streams. At launch, the feature works with Matter cameras and Reolink cameras configured over RTSP; RTMP and FLV streams do not carry return audio. Matter Alpha reports that browser microphone access requires Home Assistant to be opened over HTTPS. Companion-app support over HTTP is in development, according to the report.
The release also moves HACS into the core interface as a Marketplace available from Settings. Users can browse, install and update custom integrations, dashboard cards and themes without a separate manual installation; the source says a GitHub account is not mandatory for catalog items. Existing HACS installations are set to migrate automatically. Community projects remain maintained by their own developers, rather than officially supported by Home Assistant.
Camera Feeds Reach Home Assistant Dashboards
Putting Matter camera feeds in the main interface makes those devices more directly usable alongside other smart-home controls. The addition of live video and snapshots can reduce the need to switch between separate camera software and a Home Assistant dashboard. The talk feature adds an interaction option for supported cameras and doorbells, though its Labs preview status, device compatibility and HTTPS requirement limit how broadly it can be used at launch.
The Marketplace change also affects how users find and manage extensions. Bringing HACS into Settings could make community integrations and dashboard additions easier to access, while the distinction between a built-in catalog and official support remains important: individual community developers still maintain their projects.
Several device-control changes may require user action. Climate entities now restore their last active heating or cooling mode, which can affect automations that depended on the previous fallback behavior. Tilt-only covers use dedicated tilt actions, so existing scripts and voice routines using standard open and close commands may need revision.
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From Matter Server to Frontend
The report describes the camera addition as a step after a recent Matter.js server upgrade. Backend camera support was already present; Home Assistant 2026.11 connects those capabilities to the main interface so users can access compatible cameras as entities. This distinction means camera availability depends on both the Home Assistant update and an updated Matter Server.
Beyond cameras, the beta makes targeted changes to Matter devices. Climate entities resume their last active mode when switched back on. Tilt-only window coverings now appear as tilt covers, and coverings gain a motor-direction option. Other additions include a travel-time selector for the WAGO Home Blind Control, a power-on color-temperature entity for lights and support for Matter thermostat setpoint attributes.
The update also changes how certain Matter air-quality sensors handle reported units, updates the network map to show bridged devices and translates firmware release notes. Matter Alpha says existing sensors may retain or convert units depending on their configuration; some TVOC entities may need a statistics update or cleanup after a device-class change.
““Video streams run over WebRTC directly between your browser and the camera.””
— Matter Alpha report
Beta Limits and Compatibility Questions
The available source is a report on a beta release, and it cautions that features may not all be present in the beta build if work remains before the final rollout. It does not provide a full list of supported Matter camera models, nor does it specify the exact Matter Server version required. Actual compatibility may depend on the camera, server and configuration.
The report says two-way audio over companion apps using HTTP is in development, but gives no release date. It also does not identify when the feature will leave Labs preview or whether its supported-camera list will expand. Users should check the final release notes before relying on the feature or changing established automations.
Final Release Expected Nov. 4
According to Matter Alpha, the public Home Assistant 2026.11 release is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, following the beta. Users testing the beta can check the final release notes for changes to feature availability, camera compatibility and migration details before upgrading a production system.
People with existing HACS installations are expected to have them migrate automatically. Before updating, users may also want to review automations that depend on climate-mode fallback behavior or standard cover open-and-close actions. The source provides no date for HTTP companion-app talk support or further expansion of two-way audio compatibility.
Key Questions
What camera features are new in Home Assistant 2026.11?
The beta exposes compatible Matter cameras in the frontend as standard camera entities, with snapshots, WebRTC live video and device-state information such as privacy mode. An updated Matter Server is required, according to the source report.
Which cameras support two-way audio?
The Labs preview supports Matter cameras and Reolink cameras configured over RTSP at launch. The report says RTMP and FLV streams cannot carry return audio, and does not give a complete model-by-model compatibility list.
Does two-way talk work over HTTP?
Not through a browser at launch, according to Matter Alpha. Browser microphone access requires Home Assistant over HTTPS; companion-app support over HTTP is described as in development, with no date provided.
What happens to existing HACS installations?
The report says existing HACS setups will migrate automatically to the built-in Marketplace during the upgrade. Community integrations and other projects remain maintained by their developers and are not thereby officially supported by Home Assistant.
When is Home Assistant 2026.11 due for public release?
Matter Alpha reports that the public release is scheduled for Nov. 4, 2026. The current build described in the source is a beta, so feature availability may change before the final rollout.
Source: matteralpha.com
