By Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Publication Date: 2026-06-10 20:25:00
Apple and Google are updating their smart home streaming devices to Thread 1.4. As first spotted by Matter Alpha and 9to5 Google, the latest spec has arrived on compatible Apple TVs in the tvOS 27 developer beta and the Google TV Streamer through a software update.
Thread is one of the connectivity protocols the interoperability standard Matter runs on. The original plan was for Thread Border Routers to all work seamlessly behind the scenes, but that didn’t pan out.
In 2024, the Thread 1.4 spec introduced a standardized way for border routers to share credentials. Two years later, with 1.4 on board, the streamers should offer a more straightforward way for users, manufacturers, and ecosystems to share the credentials so they join your existing Thread network. Think of it like sharing a Wi-Fi password.
However, it looks like I’ll still have to wait for a unified Thread network. While the Google TV Streamer now offers the option to generate a QR code to join a Thread network, it…
