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The Open Home Foundation has released the Home Assistant 2026.11 beta, adding frontend support for Matter cameras and a Labs preview of two-way audio. The update also brings the Home Assistant Community Store into the core interface as a built-in Marketplace; the public release is scheduled for Nov. 4.
The Open Home Foundation has released the Home Assistant 2026.11 beta, adding frontend support for Matter cameras and a preview of two-way audio so users can view compatible camera feeds and speak through some cameras from Home Assistant. The update also makes the Home Assistant Community Store a built-in Marketplace; the public release is scheduled for Nov. 4.
With an updated Matter Server, compatible cameras can appear as standard camera entities in Home Assistant, with snapshots and live video. The report says video streams use WebRTC between the browser and camera, and the entity reflects hardware status such as whether the camera’s privacy mode is enabled. The change brings camera capabilities that were already supported in the Matter.js backend into Home Assistant’s user-facing interface.
Two-way talk is a separate Labs preview that users must enable in system settings. At launch it supports Matter cameras and Reolink cameras configured over RTSP; RTMP and FLV streams cannot carry return audio. The report says Home Assistant must be opened over HTTPS for browser microphone access. Companion-app support over HTTP is in development, but the report gives no release date for it.
The release also incorporates HACS, the Home Assistant Community Store, into the core interface as a built-in Marketplace for browsing, installing and updating community integrations, dashboard cards and themes. Existing HACS setups are reported to migrate automatically. Community projects remain maintained by their own developers, rather than being officially supported by Home Assistant.
Camera Talk Moves Into Home Assistant
The camera changes let users bring compatible Matter video into the same interface they use to manage other smart-home devices. Adding live video and camera status as standard entities could make these devices more useful for dashboards and automations, though the report does not specify which camera models have been tested or how broad compatibility will be at launch.
Two-way audio adds a practical feature for doorbells and cameras, but its initial limits matter: users need a supported stream type, a compatible device and an HTTPS connection in a browser. The Marketplace change also reduces the separation between Home Assistant’s core interface and community add-ons, while the independent status of project developers remains relevant to users weighing support and maintenance.
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Backend Support Reaches the Interface
The report describes the release as a bridge between a recent Matter.js server upgrade and Home Assistant’s main interface. Camera functions had been available in the backend, but this beta exposes them to users as camera entities. That distinction explains why the update is more than a protocol-level change: it makes supported camera functions accessible through the product’s dashboard.
Other Matter changes adjust existing device behavior. Climate entities remember their last active heating or cooling mode when switched back on. Tilt-only window coverings are represented as tilt covers, and the update adds controls including reverse motor direction for Matter coverings and power-on color temperature for lighting. The report warns that users may need to revise automations that depended on previous climate or cover behavior.
Additional changes include revised unit handling for some Matter air-quality sensors, bridged devices in the Matter network map, translated firmware release notes and developer test improvements. These changes accompany the headline camera and Marketplace additions, but the source does not provide a complete list of devices affected by every fix.
“Video streams run over WebRTC directly between your browser and the camera.”
— Matter Alpha report
Compatibility and Beta Limits
The source identifies support for Matter cameras and Reolink cameras using RTSP, but does not name a tested camera list, give a full compatibility matrix or specify hardware requirements beyond Reolink’s reported comment about powered cameras with speakers. Device-by-device support should not be assumed from the general feature announcement.
The release is a beta, and the report cautions that some features may not be included in the beta build if they need more work before final release. The timing for companion-app talk over HTTP is also unspecified. It is not yet clear whether all described features will ship unchanged on Nov. 4.
Public Release Set for Nov. 4
Home Assistant users can test version 2026.11 through the beta channel, according to the report. The scheduled public release is Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. As with any beta, users should check the final release notes for changes to feature availability and device behavior before relying on the update in existing automations.
Users upgrading should also review automations that use HVAC mode or standard open-and-close actions for tilt-only covers, since the report says those behaviors have changed. Further details on camera compatibility and the timing of companion-app audio support remain to be confirmed.
Key Questions
What camera features are new in Home Assistant 2026.11?
The beta adds frontend support for compatible Matter cameras, including camera entities, snapshots and live video when paired with an updated Matter Server.
Which cameras support two-way talk?
The report says the Labs preview works with Matter cameras and Reolink cameras configured over RTSP. It does not provide a model-by-model compatibility list.
Do I need HTTPS to use two-way audio?
Yes, in a browser. The report says browser microphone access requires Home Assistant to be opened over HTTPS. Companion-app support over HTTP is in development, with no timing given.
What is the built-in Marketplace?
It brings the Home Assistant Community Store into the core interface so users can browse, install and update community integrations, dashboard cards and themes. Those projects remain maintained by their respective developers.
When is Home Assistant 2026.11 expected to be released?
The beta is available through the beta channel, and the report schedules the public release for Nov. 4, 2026. Beta features may change before then.
Source: matteralpha.com
