Thread 1.4 Border Routers Won’t Fully Mesh Until 2026

If you’re mixing Apple TVs, Google Nest Hubs, and Echo speakers in your smart home, you’ve likely run into fragmented Thread networks that don’t talk to each other.

Thread 1.4 Arrives on Apple Border Routers

The tvOS 26 beta, unveiled at WWDC, brings Thread 1.4 support to Apple TV 4K units this fall. Since Apple’s HomePod OS shares a tvOS fork, expect HomePods to join the 1.4 club, too.

• Standard network join ensures any border router attaches to an existing mesh.
• Unified network eliminates duplicate Thread domains and extends range.
• Improved reliability with consistent router-to-router communication across brands.

Cross-Vendor Mesh Delayed Until 2026

Despite Apple’s upgrade, Amazon and Google remain on Thread 1.3. Without a universal spec across border routers, your devices keep spinning up isolated meshes.

• Apple: Thread 1.4 in tvOS 26 this fall (2025).
• Samsung: Border routers certified on 1.4 later this year.
• Amazon: Rollout across devices in 2026.
• Google: Actively developing support, timeline TBD.

And with Thread 1.3 certification closing December 31, 2025 and 1.4 becoming the only cert from Jan 1, 2026, holding off on mixed-brand deployments pays dividends.

Bridging Today’s Network Gaps

Credential sharing via Android and iOS APIs lets some routers join existing meshes today, but it’s a stopgap. Wi-Fi router solutions in Matter 1.4 will help, yet the cleanest fix remains native border router communication.

For smart home integrators and developers, the path forward is clear: map your Thread topology now, plan firmware updates across your device fleet, and anticipate the 1.4 ecosystem.

Ready to untangle your smart home mesh? Dive into strategic network planning with QuarkyByte’s IoT analysis tools and stay ahead of the 1.4 transition.