Anyone who has used Home Assistant for a few years knows that monthly releases are usually a long list of small improvements. Version 2026.11, in beta right now and expected as a stable release on Wednesday 4 November, is different. It brings two changes that really affect day-to-day use: full support for Matter cameras and HACS built into Home Assistant, under the new name Marketplace.
I went through the beta notes and the community’s first tests. Here’s what to expect and, above all, what to check before you press “Update”.
Matter cameras, finally usable by everyone
Camera support already existed “under the hood” in the Matter server, but it wasn’t usable from the interface. With 2026.11, compatible cameras show up as normal camera entities, with snapshots and live video.
The most interesting technical detail is that streaming runs over WebRTC directly between your browser and the camera. The video doesn’t have to be re-encoded by the machine running Home Assistant, so even a Raspberry Pi or a low-power mini PC isn’t overwhelmed by several streams at once. The entity also reports the camera’s hardware state, such as whether privacy mode is on, which is handy for automations like “when someone is home, turn off the living-room camera”.
You need an updated Matter Server. If you use the official add-on, check Settings > Add-ons for pending updates.
A practical tip: there are still few Matter cameras on the market, and a Matter logo on the box doesn’t guarantee the model exposes video too. Before buying one just for this, look for confirmation from other Home Assistant users.
Talking through the camera (preview)
The second camera feature is two-way audio: a talk button appears in the live view. It’s a “Labs” feature, meaning experimental, and you have to enable it manually from the Labs menu in the system settings.
It works with Matter cameras and with Reolink cameras configured over RTSP (according to Reolink, mains-powered models with a speaker). Two limits to know:
- it needs HTTPS, because browsers only grant microphone access on secure connections. If you open Home Assistant at
http://192.168.x.x:8123the button won’t work; HTTP support in the companion app is still in development; - RTMP and FLV streams can’t carry return audio, so those setups won’t get the button.
HACS becomes the official Marketplace
For years HACS was the first thing people installed after Home Assistant: the “unofficial store” for community integrations, cards and themes. In 2026.11 it moves into the core and opens from the main settings menu as the Marketplace.
If you already use HACS you don’t need to reinstall anything: your setup is migrated automatically. But there’s one point the new name might make people forget: projects in the Marketplace are maintained by their own developers, not by Home Assistant. An abandoned integration stays abandoned even if it now installs with one click. Before trusting one with something important, like locks or alarms, check when it was last updated and how many open issues it has.
Changes that can break automations
- Matter thermostats now resume their last heating or cooling mode when turned back on, instead of starting from the default. If an automation relied on the old behaviour, review it.
- Tilt-only Matter covers (blinds that tilt but don’t lift) are now recognised as tilt covers. Scripts and automations using open/close commands may stop working.
- Air quality sensors now use the unit reported by the device. Some TVOC sensors change device class, and you may need to clean up long-term statistics.
Smaller additions include a switch to reverse a cover motor’s direction, a power-on colour temperature entity for lights and a Matter network map that now also shows bridged devices.
Before updating: my checklist
- Take a full backup from Settings > System > Backups and, if you can, copy it off the device.
- Wait a few days if your home depends on Home Assistant for heating or access: the .1 or .2 release usually arrives within a week and fixes launch issues.
- Search your automations for Matter thermostats and covers: they’re the entities most at risk.
- Update the Matter Server first, then the core.
Keep in mind that this is based on the beta: some features may change or slip in the final release.
Source: Matter Alpha.