AVM has recently unveiled a new FRITZ! Lab beta for the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro, introducing Matter support ahead of the official FRITZ!OS 8.50 release. This marks a significant milestone as it is the first FRITZ!Box model to feature Matter bridge functionality directly within the router itself, eliminating the need for a separate FRITZ!Smart Gateway.
Back in August 2025, I had the opportunity to review the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro and noted the absence of native Matter support as a notable drawback. AVM had previously announced the impending arrival of Matter support, and it is exciting to see this feature finally materialize, albeit in beta form for now.
The FRITZ! Lab serves as AVM’s testing ground for new features before they are officially incorporated into a full FRITZ!OS release. Users keen on early access can download the beta version from fritz.com and install it on a compatible router.
For the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro, this Lab build introduces three key enhancements: Matter bridge support, enabling FRITZ! Smart Home devices to interact with other Matter controllers; configurable DNS filters, previously exclusive to the FRITZ! Lab build for the FRITZ!Box 7690; and automatic prioritization, a feature carried over from the 7690 Lab build.
While DNS filtering and prioritization are not novel to the FRITZ! platform, this release marks the first time they are available specifically for the 5690 Pro.
The Matter Bridge functionality now integrated into the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro allows it to serve as a bridge for FRITZ! Smart Home devices within a Matter network. This enables seamless control of devices like the FRITZ!Smart Thermo 302 radiator valve and compatible third-party smart home devices across platforms such as Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and the FRITZ!App Smart Home.
Matter, developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, is an open smart home standard that facilitates interoperability between devices from various manufacturers under a unified controller. The FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro acts as a bridge between FRITZ! Smart Home devices utilizing DECT ULE, HAN-FUN, or Zigbee protocols and Matter-compatible controllers.
Noteworthy about Matter is its local operation over the home network, eliminating the dependence on manufacturer servers for device control. While an internet connection is necessary for voice control via Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant, device management remains unaffected by server outages.
AVM has released detailed guides for linking the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro to a Matter network through Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home apps. By adding the FRITZ!Box as a Matter bridge within the respective platforms, users can control registered FRITZ! Smart Home devices from within those apps.
The FRITZ! Lab beta for the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro is now available for download from fritz.com. As with any beta software, it is advisable to back up router configurations before installation due to the pre-release nature of Lab builds.
Despite the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro not being officially distributed in the UK, it can be purchased from Amazon.de for around 300 euros, while UK retailers and Amazon UK offer it between £340 and £370. The addition of Matter support through the FRITZ! Lab addresses a previous limitation highlighted in my initial review, positioning the 5690 Pro competitively against rivals already offering Matter support.
The comprehensive Matter bridge functionality is expected to become more widely accessible once it transitions from the FRITZ! Lab to a stable FRITZ!OS 8.50 release.
