Thread lets your smart home devices like locks, doorbells, fans, and thermostats connect to your eero network using a low-power mesh network. Thread is a networking protocol designed for supporting low-powered devices.
eero 7, eero Pro 7, eero PoE 7, eero Outdoor 7, eero Max 7, eero Pro 6E, eero 6+, eero Pro 6, eero 6, eero PoE 6, eero Pro (Wi-Fi 5), and eero Beacon (Wi-Fi 5) all support Thread border routing and are Thread 1.3.0 compliant. The Wi-Fi 5 eero and first generation eero don't support Thread.
What are the benefits of Thread?
Thread creates its own encrypted mesh network for Thread-capable devices. Each Thread-capable eero acts as a border router, providing connectivity between the Thread mesh network and your other wifi/ethernet devices. eero and other always-on devices like lights and smart plugs also act as Thread routers, forwarding traffic for other devices and extending your Thread network coverage.
Where can I find Thread devices?
Thread works with Matter-compatible devices and some Apple HomeKit devices. All Thread devices should be interoperable with eero's border router. Certain device makers integrate with eero through account linking, described in our Partner Account Linking guide.
Can I use Thread and Alexa Zigbee Smart Home Hub at the same time?
Yes. Any eero that supports Zigbee can use the Alexa Zigbee Smart Home Hub feature simultaneously with Thread.
What is Mobile Credential Sharing?
Apple iOS and Google Android provide features to make sharing of Thread network credentials between apps more seamless. When syncing is enabled, the eero App will store Thread credentials in the applicable credential keychain.
This means they're both stored locally on your device and sent to the Apple/Google cloud if you're logged into your iCloud/Google Play account. Stored credentials will be synchronized across other iOS/Android devices logged in with the same iCloud/Google Play account (respectively), so you can save time if your credentials change knowing your Thread devices can still communicate with each other.
Third-party apps can also access (read) these credentials from the keychain, but Apple and Google currently require you to affirmatively consent to this access each time.
Note: Keychain syncing is enabled by default in the eero App.
How do I disable Mobile Credential Sharing?
You can disable syncing in the eero App Thread settings area:
- Open the eero App, and tap Settings
- Tap Advanced networking
- Under Wireless, tap Thread
- Tap the toggle button. It will turn gray to indicate Thread is disabled
Note: This will cause eero to no longer write new Thread credentials to the mobile operating system. This action doesn't delete credentials from the keychain.
How do I regenerate Thread credentials?
Regenerate your eero Thread credentials to ensure your new Thread network credentials aren't usable by other apps. Regenerating your Thread credentials creates a new Thread network and Thread credentials.
Your eero will leave your current Thread network as the border router and join the new network instead. In most cases, you may experience downtime and need to re-set up all Thread products on the new network.
To regenerate credentials:
- Open the eero App, and tap Settings in the bottom-right corner
- Tap Advanced networking
- Tap Thread
- Tap the
(more options icon) in the top-right corner
- Tap the Regenerate credentials button
Note: Thread must already be enabled before you can regenerate your Thread credentials.
What happens to my old Thread network after regenerating credentials?
Due to the fully distributed nature of Thread mesh networks, the prior Thread network will still be maintained. While eero devices in your network will no longer use the original network credentials, other devices that have joined the previous network may continue to use the old network details or obtain them from the keychain.
These devices may still be able to connect to the internet if you have a secondary Thread border router on your old network. To fully migrate to the new Thread network, you'll need to reset any third-party devices and reconfigure onto the new eero Thread network (as shown in the eero App) after regeneration.
How do I delete stored credentials from my device?
To fully delete previously stored credentials from a keychain, you'll need to delete them directly through Apple and/or Google settings.
For iOS:
Fully delete all homes from the Apple Home app.
For Android:
Reset Google Play Services through the following steps depending on the Android device you have:
- Open your device's Settings app
- Tap Apps
- Tap Google Play services
- Clear the cache and clear all data (see Google's cache clearing guide)
For additional information on the Apple iOS and Google Play Services mobile APIs, developer documentation can be found from Apple's Thread Network guide and this Android Thread guide, respectively.
Why don't I see this feature on my eero FireOS app?
Mobile credential sharing through Google Play Services APIs requires the Google Play Services framework which isn't included on FireOS based devices.