LG Temperature Sensor works with other Matter thermostats in Apple Home

LG Temperature Sensor in Essence White

The $39.95 (U.S.) LG Temperature Sensor in Apple Home Collection is not tied to LG’s own thermostat. Apple’s store page says you can “Pair temperature sensors with your LG Smart Thermostat or other Matter-compatible thermostats through the Home app to maintain more balanced comfort throughout your home.”

LG Smart Thermostat for Apple Home Collection
The LG Smart Thermostat is the sensor's intended partner, but Apple's store page names other Matter thermostats too. Image: Apple

That means it can work with a thermostat you already own, as long as that thermostat is Matter compatible and you have the right home hub.

Price and availability

Apple’s Apple Home Collection press release lists the LG Temperature Sensor at $39.95 (U.S.) in Essence White, for the U.S. and Canada. Apple says Apple Home Collection availability begins in December, with select accessories arriving in early 2027. The sensor’s store page currently reads “Coming later. Check back for availability.”

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Apple’s store page also carries a shipping note: because of “standalone lithium-based battery shipping restrictions, this product may only ship via ground,” and an order may be cancelled if the address cannot be reached by ground.

HomePod mini 2 controlling smart home accessories
A Thread-enabled home hub such as HomePod mini is required for the LG Temperature Sensor. Image: Apple

What it works with

Apple’s page names two kinds of partner: the LG Smart Thermostat and “other Matter-compatible thermostats.” Pairing happens in the Home app, not in a separate LG app.

The point is room-to-room balance. Apple says that “By monitoring conditions in multiple spaces, the thermostat can help reduce room-to-room temperature differences and make more informed comfort adjustments.”

Apple’s iPhone User Guide uses similar language for Adaptive Temperature, describing it as working with “your compatible Matter thermostat.” Apple’s store page does not list specific third-party thermostat models, so check that yours is Matter compatible and works with the Home app before you buy.

Schneider Home’s $39.95 Room Sensor is worded differently. Its store page says to pair it “with the Schneider Home Smart Thermostat through the Home app or the Schneider Intelligence Hub,” and does not mention other thermostats.

The home hub requirement

The sensor needs a hub. Apple’s footnote says it “Requires a Thread-enabled Apple Home hub such as HomeView, HomePod mini, or select Apple TV 4K devices running the latest operating system software.”

Apple’s support document on home hubs explains that “Thread-enabled Matter accessories require a Thread-enabled home hub, such as HomePod mini or Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Ethernet, or a supported third-party border router.” Apple’s release for the new Apple TV 4K says it has “built-in Wi-Fi and Thread.” Our Apple Home Collection overview covers the rest of the lineup that runs on the same hubs.

Setup starts with a tap: Apple promises “one-tap setup” by bringing your iPhone near the sensor. The page’s iPhone list runs from iPhone 14 through the iPhone 17 family and iPhone Air. Unlike the thermostat pages, it does not list iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone Duo.

Battery, mounting and size

The sensor runs on a CR2477 coin-cell battery, which is included. Apple’s store page does not give a battery life figure for the LG model.

Apple says you can “Simply place it on a shelf, table, wall, or magnetic surface to monitor temperature and humidity in any room.” The box includes a metal plate with double-sided tape for wall mounting.

LG Temperature Sensor
Price$39.95 (U.S.)
ColourEssence White
MeasuresTemperature and humidity
BatteryCR2477 (included)
MountingShelf, table, wall or magnetic surface; metal plate with double-sided tape included
ConnectionsBluetooth 5.3, Matter
HubThread-enabled Apple Home hub
Size50.0 x 50.0 x 20.5 mm
Weight48.7 g including battery
In the boxSensor, metal plate, CR2477 battery, manual

Apple adds that you can “Add as many sensors as your home needs and control them from the Home app.”

LG sensor vs Schneider Home Room Sensor

Both sensors cost $39.95 (U.S.) and both measure temperature and humidity. The differences on Apple’s store pages:

  • Battery life: Schneider Home lists “Up to 3 years” on a coin-cell battery; LG gives no figure.
  • Size: Schneider Home’s sensor is smaller at 45 x 45 x 17 mm and 25 g.
  • Mounting: Schneider Home says you can mount its sensor “using the included adhesive or magnetic plate”; LG includes a metal plate with double-sided tape.
  • Pairing: LG names “other Matter-compatible thermostats”; Schneider Home names its own thermostat and the Schneider Intelligence Hub, though it says the sensor “works with any Thread-enabled home hub.”

You may not need one at all

Apple says its new thermostats can also read “the sensors already built into HomeView, HomePod, and HomePod mini.” If you already have a HomePod mini in the bedroom, that room may be covered. The LG sensor fills in rooms without an Apple speaker or display.

LG’s own release describes the sensors as “optional LG Temperature Sensor devices placed in other rooms,” which lets “the system” monitor “temperature and humidity across multiple spaces to support more consistent comfort throughout the home.”