Nanoleaf's Matter-over-Thread bulbs, downlights, GU10s and lightstrips have a new firmware, 5.1.45, and this week the company's app caught up with it. Version 12.0.0 of the Nanoleaf app, which its release notes say adds "support for firmware 5.x.x on Nanoleaf Matter over Thread devices", started rolling out on Android on 20 October and on iOS on 21 October. Nanoleaf expects the rollout to take about a week. Matterhome.io pulled the details together on 23 October.
What 5.1.45 changes
Nanoleaf's firmware notes date the release to 7 October and list Matter 1.4 support, better connection reliability in its app and native Adaptive Lighting in the Apple Home app. The previous firmware for these lights was 4.1.3 from September 2025.
The Matter version is what unlocks Adaptive Lighting. In iOS 26 and later, Apple Home turns the feature on by default for Matter lights that support Matter 1.4 or newer and cover at least 2700 to 5000 K. Nanoleaf rates its Matter A19 bulbs at 2700 to 6500 K, so the old firmware was the only missing piece. Adaptive Lighting is an Apple Home feature, and Nanoleaf names no new controls for Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings or Home Assistant. If you already use the Circadian Lighting schedule in Nanoleaf's own app, choose one schedule per light so the two do not fight.
Two groups are left out. The Matter-over-Wi-Fi lights run a separate firmware line and moved to Matter 1.4.2 with 5.2.54 on 23 September, but Nanoleaf does not claim Adaptive Lighting for them. The older Essentials bulbs and strips that use HomeKit over Thread without Matter stay on 3.0.2.
Updating, and the Home Assistant problem
Nanoleaf's documented path is its own app: More, then My Devices, with the phone kept close to the light because the update goes over Bluetooth. A SmartThings user who updated 12 lights on 9 October reported 5 to 10 minutes per light, a few retries, and two lights that had to be removed and added again in both apps, which broke their routines.
Home Assistant offers the update over Matter, because the CSA certification ledger lists 5.1.45 for all five Thread models. Since 12 October, though, Home Assistant forum users with A19 bulbs, GU10s and downlights have reported that the transfer runs to the end, the light keeps its old version, and the update starts again later. Posters there pass on reports that the Bluetooth update from Nanoleaf's app works. If the update entity in Home Assistant keeps cycling, use the app instead.
After the light reports 5.1.45, look for the Adaptive Lighting option in Apple Home. Nanoleaf has not said whether lights already added to Apple Home pick it up in place.