Almost a year ago Aqara announced that they will make many of their sensors etc compatible with ST. Their current info on the included temp and humidity sensor, for example, does not mention anything about this compatibility. I wonder if this feature is already in place or whether it was just a marketing gimmick? Or did they drop the idea?
Do you have a link to that announcement? I don’t recall seeing it.
Would they did announce about a year ago was that they would provide “Matter bridge“ support for several of their hub models, and they have come through with that. In that structure, you can connect the Aqara devices to one of their own hubs, and then you can bring that hub into your smartthings account as a “matter bridge“ and it will bring many of the devices along with it. No custom code required. It doesn’t bring all models are all features, but it is a quick and easy way to integrate a number of a car models with smartthings now. 
However, you do have to have a smartthings/Aeotec hub to make that work.
Here’s a recent discussion thread from people who are using that method:
Matter Hub + Bridge + Aqara (Sept 2023)
Alternatively if you buy just the zigbee end Devices (not the Wi-Fi versions), you can also connect many of those directly to a smartthings/Aeotec hub, and that’s been a popular choice for several years. With that option, you don’t need to have the Aqara hub, but it can be somewhat fiddly, and some people find that the devices don’t stay online consistently. Those issues are solved by using the matter bridge method.
So, as always, the first rule of Home automation applies: “the model number matters.“ But there are definitely more choices now than there were a year ago.
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Sorry, forgot to add the announcement although ment to. Now added it to the OP. I understood that no Aqara hub or fiddling would be required. The “smart home” scene, SmartThings included, is full of that already. 
Ok, that’s a link to the Matter integration plans. Aqara was one of several companies invited into smartthings’ “early access“ beta test program for matter.
From the article:
Aqara and Samsung have been working together to integrate Aqara’s Matter-enabled and Zigbee devices into Samsung SmartThings
.
Aqara is an early participant of SmartThings’ Matter Early Access Program. Sharing the common goal of promoting a seamless interoperability across different IoT devices, brands, and platforms, the two companies have been collaborating to test Aqara’s Matter-enabled devices with SmartThings, in order to ensure a smooth transition towards the new standard.
That method, as I mentioned above, will require both an aqara hub to act as a “matter bridge“ and a smartthings/Aeotec hub to act as a “matter controller” for the Zigbee devices.
The integration announced in the article was released just last month, and you can now add some Aqara hubs to SmartThings through the matter integration. No custom code required, but you do need to have the two hubs to make it work.
Aqara also intends to release some new models which use thread, and are matter enabled on their own without needing a Matter bridge. So those new models will be able to be added to Smartthings without custom code, and without needing an aqara hub. But I don’t think those are out yet.
To summarize: the integration options will vary depending on the specific model. Here’s what’s available as of the end of August 2023.
1) Zigbee devices from Aqara
At the time of this posting, zigbee devices cannot be individually certified for matter. So you have two choices
1a) add the device to an aqara hub which can act as a “matter bridge” that is added to your smartthings account. The bridge will bring in many of its Devices (although not all and not all features). You will be able to access the bridge devices using either the aqara app or a smartthings app.
No custom code is required.
1b) add the device to your smartthings/Aeotec hub, not the aqara hub. This is the same method people have been using for several years. The device will be available in the smartthings app, but not in the aqara app. You do not use the aqara hub for this option. Many people find this works best with custom code.
2) Aqara WiFi devices which are not individually certified for Matter. You will have to use an aqara hub as a matter bridge for these. And again, not all devices or all features will be available for bridging. But the ones that are bridged will show up in both apps. No custom code is required.
3) Aqara WiFi devices which are individually certified for Matter. these are new models, and at the time of this posting that weren’t any on the market yet, but some have been announced. You will be able to add these to your smartthings account using matter. These will be available in the smartthings app. You may also be able to add them to the aqara app. No custom code is required.
4) Aqara Thread devices which are individually certified for Matter. these are new models, and at the time of this posting that weren’t any on the market yet, but some have been announced. You will be able to add these to your smartthings account using matter. These will be available in the smartthings app. You may also be able to add them to the aqara app. No custom code is required.
Note that in all cases using Matter you will have to have a smartthings/Aeotec hub or family hub dongle to act as a “matter controller.”
The matter integrations should significantly reduce the amount of custom code that people need to make aqara devices work with smartthings, so it is definitely a step forward in terms of Interoperability.
Thanks for the clear explanation. What I still wonder is whether that announcement meant that the zigbee and other devices would be properly working with ST/Aeotec hub without any extra fiddling or Aqara hub? And that process is still a work in progress?
No, that announcement was specific to the new Matter integration, and that requires an Aqara hub to act as a matter bridge for zigbee Devices. The purpose of the announcement was to introduce aqara as one of the members of the new “early access” program for smartthings’ matter integration.
The logo display on the back of the stage during the announcement (which is shown in the article that you linked to) are the logos of the other companies participating in the matter early access program.
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I don’t get it. I read: “As a result, over 20 Aqara devices will receive the Work with SmartThings certification and be connected to the SmartThings ecosystem in the following months, including smart sensors, smart switches, …”
From this I would understand that no extra hubs are needed.
Good point.
They did make a marketing announcement at a trade show that a specific list of 20 device models would be submitted for the “WORKS WITH SMARTTHINGS” certification, but like many tradeshow announcements, as far as I know that was never delivered. You would have to ask Aqara about that, but so far it looks like both companies have been focusing on the Matter integration, which was delivered in its first stage last month. 
Here’s the original list of WWST Candidate models:
Aqara devices that are intended to receive SmartThings support include Door and Window Sensor T1, Motion Sensor T1, Temperature and Humidity Sensor T1, Water Leak Sensor T1, Illuminance Sensor T1, High Precision Motion Sensor, Wireless Mini Switch T1, Wireless Remote Switch T1 (Single & Double Rocker), Cube T1 Pro, Wireless Smart Knob H1, Smart Wall Switch (US-style, No Neutral, Single & Double Rocker), Smart Wall Switch H1 Pro (With Neutral, Single, Double & Triple Rocker), Smart Plug (EU), Roller Shade Controller, Curtain Controller (Zigbee 1.2), LED Strip Driver T1 and Dimmer Controller T1 Pro
But at the time of this posting, there are as yet no Aqara products on the official WWST list. 
So the new Matter integration is definitely a step forward, but does require an Aqara hub to act as a Matter bridge.
Whether the WWST integration for the standalone Aqara T1 Zigbee models will ever be delivered remains unknown. A lot of tradeshow announcements never make it to reality, but we can always hope.
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Ok I thought that should be so. But so far it seems that it was an empty promise. Too bad as I won’t buy any gadgets that don’t connect to ST directly without any hassle and I believe that the case for the regular joes and janes. Lost possibility for Aqara.
any new information?
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There are currently 10 different Aqara Devices that integrate directly with ST. Then you have the ability to do it with Matter which yes it can be buggy.
Regardless I have 24 total Aqara devices that I can access via Google Home, Smart Things and Aqara which i then use to trigger different Govee lights or other things. For example I use an Aqara contact sensor to turn on my Xbox then turn on my Govee gaming lights setup
Of the 24 Aqara devices i have Contact sensors, Vibration , Water Detect, Motion , a Smart plug and wireless buttons. Finally I also have an FP2 presence sensor that runs well. I also have a solid Zigbee network by making sure that specific network stays solid at the edge.
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And worth mentioning that the Aqara smart plugs integrate perfectly, out if the box, with the Energy Home Monitor. 
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do I need to have a Samsung hub to integrate Aqara devices?
I only have the Aqara hub M2 and the integration with Smartthing doesn’t work for me.
You need a ST hub of some sort to use any Matter device including Aqara bridge hubs.
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@OpethNJ Are these existing ZigBee devices? For example the door and window sensor, motion sensor, and smart plug (and even energy monitoring?) ?
If so that’s a great news, I can just pair with my SmartThings hub! In your experience are they reliable enough?
Sorry for not getting back sooner, real life got in the way.
Let me know if you still need help with this.
No problem! Yes the questions are still relevant (the last ones).
Yes please!
Really interested on how you were able to get the FP2 sensor into ST. Thanks so much!
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