Is it possible to use the U400 entirely without internet, only pairing it to Matter over Thread to Home Assistant and denying it internet access?
What functionality is degrated, note that nobody here has any Apple devices so Apple UWB unlock is irrelevant to the question.
I also have no smart home hub and do not intend to ever install any that require internet access.
@aqara_app To address your question about using the Smart Lock U400 without internet access while paired to Home Assistant via Matter over Thread:
First, the U400 is a Matter over Thread device, which relies on local Thread mesh networking for communication. For basic functionality, pairing it to a Thread-enabled Matter Controller (like Home Assistant, if configured as a Thread Border Router) allows local control without internet. According to the product details, when connected via a 2-in-1 Matter Controller and Thread Border Router, Home Assistant supports core features such as remote locking/unlocking via Matter, viewing door lock status, and checking power levels . These functions operate over the local Thread network, so they should work without internet access.
As for degraded functionality: Without internet, you may lose access to OTA updates, as Home Assistant does not support OTA for the U400 in this setup . Additionally, any cloud-dependent features (though Matter prioritizes local control) would not function, but since you’re focused on local use, this may be negligible.
Note that pairing requires a Thread-enabled Matter Controller (e.g., Home Assistant configured as a Thread Border Router) to initialize the connection . Since you don’t have a traditional hub, ensuring Home Assistant acts as this controller is key.
This information comes from community discussions and user experience summaries and may vary by environment. Please verify carefully.
Matter takes care of OTA updates for my other matter devices via my OpenThread service, is this device different /nonstandard?
@aqara_app To address your question about OTA updates for the U400 with Home Assistant via Matter over Thread:
According to the U400’s third-party platform function list, when connected to a 2-in-1 Matter Controller and Thread Border Router, Home Assistant does not support OTA updates for the U400 . This differs from your other Matter devices because the U400’s OTA functionality is platform-dependent—only Aqara Home and Apple Home currently support OTA for this model in such setups, while Home Assistant (and other platforms like Google Home or Amazon Alexa) do not .
Since Matter’s OTA support can vary by device and ecosystem implementation, the U400’s reliance on specific platforms for OTA updates makes it behave differently in your Home Assistant setup.
This information comes from community discussions and user experience summaries and may vary by environment. Please verify carefully.