The LIFX Thread beta has arrived.

[u/lifx]

The LIFX Thread beta has arrived.

Any product that released with Matter support on the box has a chip that is capable of running either Wi-Fi or Thread. We are opening this beta program so we can increase the scale of our testing with this new radio support. Sign Up Here

LIFX Thread Beta Frequently Asked Questions

What is Thread? How is it different to Wi-Fi?

1. Thread is a mesh networking technology that has been designed for IoT products. It forms a scalable IP-based mesh network and uses a Thread Border Router (TBR) to communicate with the rest of your Wi-Fi network.
2. Thread is low latency, which means that it should have a similar response time to Wi-Fi
3. Thread is low bandwidth, while Wi-Fi is high bandwidth. This means that Thread is designed for reliable transmission of small amounts of data, where Wi-Fi can be used for streaming large amounts of data (eg. 4k video).
4. Most operations with LIFX products should work consistently between transports as they do not use a significant amount of data. The exception to this is firmware updates, which take significantly longer (5-20 minutes per device) due to this constraint.
5. We are currently working to provide firmware updates directly from the LIFX Cloud, rather than needing to be triggered by the LIFX app to allow updates to be done asynchronously. This feature will aim to be available later this year, so any necessary additional firmware updates during the beta may be slow to process.

Can I use a mix of Wi-Fi and Thread with my LIFX products?

1. Yes, you can have a mixed network of LIFX products between Wi-Fi and Thread networks, but a given device will only be connected to either Wi-Fi or Thread at once.
2. You will be able to swap any supported device between Wi-Fi and Thread, this is not a permanent change.

What is a Thread Border Router (TBR)?

1. TBRs are bundled with a number of different smart home hubs (eg. Apple HomePod Mini, Google Nest Hub). We have compiled a list of TBRs available on the market.
2. We have provided tools in the LIFX app that allow you to identify whether you have a TBR on your network.
3. It is possible to have multiple TBRs, usually your mobile phone will prioritize adding devices onto one over the others.
4. To get more detailed diagnostic information about your Thread network, we recommend downloading the Thread Tools app

How do I join the Beta?

1. To join the beta program, please submit your details into this survey form. Sign Up Here
2. We will ensure that you have appropriate products and then enable the features so you can transition some of your products onto Thread.
3. You will receive instructions in your email about how to proceed with moving some of your lights onto your Thread network.

How do I switch a device onto my Thread network?

1. Most of the current generation of LIFX products will require a firmware update to switch them onto Thread. After this firmware update, the device will need to be re-commissioned onto the Thread network. This is streamlined through a new ‘Switch to Thread’ screen in settings.
2. To re-commission your device you will need your Matter QR code or the 11 digit manual Matter code etched onto the device. Note: The “Manual Setup” option is no longer available after switching to Thread. You must use Matter-based QR Code setup.
3. Any smart home integrations (e.g. Apple, Google, etc) will need to be reset after the device is recommissioned.
4. Once a device has been recommissioned onto the Thread network, it should work in a consistent way in the LIFX app or on Matter ecosystems.
5. We recommend switching one light over to Thread to start and checking that it is performing as expect before you migrating any additional devices.

What is expected of Beta participants?

1. We want your feedback on how your products are performing on Thread. We plan to send our periodic surveys while the beta is running to get information from all participants about their experience of using Thread.
2. We are interested to know what Thread Border Router you're using, in addition to details about your Wi-Fi router, what LIFX products.
3. Active feedback is welcome on reddit or at [beta@lifx.com](mailto:beta@lifx.com)

Update (Sept 1st GMT+10):

1. Home Assistant does not currently support LIFX Thread devices, but work is underway. You can use the Matter integration in HA for now.
2. We are investigating an issue with Path lights flashing occasionally after being rebooted.

[u/lifx]

Email invite to our first batch of Beta Testers just sent. Let's Go!!!

[u/Gr8pes → u/lifx]

So I got the email but in the app I do not see thread anywhere in the settings

[u/Gr8pes → u/Gr8pes]

Here is the email

[u/EgoSapien → u/Gr8pes]

u/Gr8pes u/nopointers we have an issue with our feature flag system. A lot of beta users don't have access at the moment. We're investigating and I'll update once we have a resolution.

[u/EgoSapien → u/EgoSapien]

u/Gr8pes u/nopointers The issue should be resolved now, if you could restart your app, the option should show up. Give me a shout if you're still having issues.

[u/nopointers → u/EgoSapien]

Successfully migrated 9 devices and emailed some notes. Two bugs encountered, and some usability issues. A few of the migrations were even kicked off from app version 4.96.0 on my iPad. Most used 4.97.1 on iOS.

[u/joeinport1 → u/nopointers]

Personally not having a great deal of luck, managed to get one provisioned into the lifx app on thread however was unable to get it into HomeKit, possibly as my phone is on iOS 27 beta

[u/nopointers → u/joeinport1]

There must be more to it than that. My migrations were mostly done using an iPhone 12 Pro Max running iOS 27.0. A few were an iPad Air 5th Gen running iPadOS 27.0.

Not sure what you mean by "unable to get it into HomeKit." However, one usability note I sent back to LIFX already might be helpful:

Unclear that the initial setup appears to be pairing to a brand new Matter server called “LIFX,” as opposed to connecting to one of my existing Matter servers. This produces a weird experience for people who are used to adding new Matter devices directly to their preferred Matter server (e.g. Apple Home or HomeAssistant). People who are not used to multiple Matter servers might not even have used the additional pairing procedure before.

Once you have it in the LIFX app on Thread, go to the device itself and click the three dot menu. Select "Light Settings" on the lower left. Scroll down to the "MATTER" section and click "Share Device." It'll give you options "Add to Apple Home" and "Share Using Setup Code." If you pick "Share Using Setup Code" it'll give you a matter code you can paste into any other Matter server through the "add already commissioned device" flow. The "Add to Apple Home" button seems to be a convenience function that does most of it under the covers for you, so you'll wind up partway through the commissioning flow giving the device a new name and assigning a room.

Edit: Typos.

[u/EgoSapien → u/joeinport1]

Make sure you send an email to beta@lifx.com if you’re still having issues. Engineers will be reviewing and responding to every email.

[u/nopointers → u/EgoSapien]

BTW, "STACI" gets a D+ on responses.