Samsung Updates SmartThings With New Features for a More Intelligent Connected Home Experience
Samsung Electronics has announced a major update to SmartThings, its global smart home platform, introducing new features designed to make connected living more intuitive, personalized, and reliable. The platform currently serves 470 million registered users and supports more than 430 Works with SmartThings (WWST)-certified brands worldwide. The latest update introduces SmartThings Now, a redesigned Home tab, improved local device control, and expanded compatibility with the Matter 1.6 smart home connectivity standard.
The update aims to simplify how users interact with connected devices by providing relevant information, personalized recommendations, and accessible controls based on their daily activities. It also enhances device responsiveness and reliability, helping users manage their smart homes even when internet connectivity is disrupted.
According to Samsung, these improvements represent another step toward creating a more intelligent home environment where users do not have to search through multiple menus to find the features they need.
“This update marks another step in SmartThings’ ongoing efforts to move beyond a home experience where users search for and launch features,” said Jaeyeon Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of the SmartThings Team, AI Platform Center, Samsung Electronics. She added that delivering relevant information and controls at the right time will help users manage their everyday lives more naturally.
SmartThings Now Introduces a More Personalized Home Experience
One of the main highlights of the update is SmartThings Now, a new feature displayed as cards at the top of the app’s Home tab. Building on the platform’s existing Home Insight capabilities, SmartThings Now combines personalized information with actionable suggestions, allowing users to respond to relevant situations directly from the main screen.
Instead of requiring users to navigate through different menus, the feature recommends actions based on their circumstances and usage patterns. These suggestions are intended to make smart home management more convenient while helping users discover features they may not regularly use.
For example, if a family member enrolled in Family Care, such as an older parent, has shown no device activity for an extended period, SmartThings Now can display a care card for the caregiver. The card provides options to check in on the family member or make a call, helping caregivers respond more easily when they want to confirm that everything is fine.
The feature also uses location-related information to offer timely suggestions. When users arrive near a home location registered in the SmartThings app, it can recommend turning on connected devices such as lights and air purifiers before they enter the home.
After users complete a suggested action, SmartThings Now can encourage them to create a routine that automates the same process in the future. This approach helps transform one-time actions into automated experiences, reducing the need for repeated manual control.
Usage-Based Recommendations and Routine Management
SmartThings Now also introduces personalized recommendations based on how users interact with their connected devices and services. By analyzing activity from the previous week, the platform can suggest changes to the Favorites section of the Home tab, including adding or removing devices, services, and routines.
These recommendations can adapt to changing household needs and seasonal habits. For instance, as temperatures drop and air conditioner usage decreases, SmartThings may recommend removing the air conditioner card from Favorites. At the same time, if users begin using their Samsung AirDresser more frequently, the platform may suggest adding it for easier access.
The feature also provides tools for reviewing automated routines. Through the Routine Insight card, users can access a detailed overview of their routine activity over the past week. They can review existing automations and delete routines that are no longer useful, helping keep their smart home setup organized and relevant.
By combining usage analysis with practical suggestions, Samsung aims to make SmartThings more responsive to individual preferences rather than relying on a static interface that remains unchanged over time.
Redesigned Home Tab Improves Navigation
Alongside SmartThings Now, Samsung has refreshed the Home tab to provide a more organized and streamlined interface. The updated layout arranges important information into categories, including dashboards, device cards, and service cards, with each presented in a format designed to make browsing easier.
Service cards now use space more efficiently, allowing more services to appear on a single screen. They can also display useful information, including device status and numerical readings, giving users a clearer overview of their connected home without requiring them to open each service individually.
The update also introduces Live Wallpaper, which changes naturally throughout the day to provide a more dynamic visual experience within the app.
Another addition is the Floating Bar, which places frequently used features at the bottom of the screen. This design makes commonly accessed controls easier to reach, particularly on larger smartphones where one-handed navigation can be challenging. The feature also reflects Samsung’s broader One UI design direction, which emphasizes accessibility and convenient interaction.
Together, these interface improvements are intended to reduce unnecessary navigation and make essential smart home controls easier to access.
Improved Local Control Enhances Reliability
Samsung is also expanding local control capabilities to help SmartThings devices remain responsive when home network conditions change or external internet services experience disruptions.
When a smartphone and a compatible SmartThings Hub are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, the phone can communicate directly with the hub rather than routing commands through Samsung’s cloud services. This direct connection can reduce delays, with Samsung reporting that local control can improve response times by approximately 30% compared with cloud-based control.
Local communication can also help users continue controlling connected devices during temporary internet disruptions or network fluctuations, provided the relevant devices and local connections remain available.
SmartThings automatically switches between local control and cloud-based remote control depending on whether the user’s mobile device is at home or away. This allows the platform to select the appropriate connection method based on the user’s location.
The update also improves the Offline Device Diagnostics page. When connected devices go offline, users can update network information across all registered devices at once, making it easier to restore connectivity without managing each device separately.
Matter 1.6 Adds Support for More Smart Home Devices
The latest SmartThings update also introduces support for Matter 1.6, the latest version referenced in Samsung’s announcement of the smart home connectivity standard developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). The addition is designed to improve stability and enhance Group Control performance across supported devices.
Matter support is an important part of the broader smart home ecosystem, helping compatible products from different manufacturers work together through a common connectivity standard. With this update, SmartThings expands its support for four additional device categories.
These include Energy Meters, which enable real-time power monitoring; Closures, which support specialized door and gate types; Irrigation devices, including sprinkler systems; and Soil Sensors, which measure ground conditions.
The expanded compatibility creates opportunities for users to integrate more types of equipment into their connected environments, extending smart home management beyond lighting, entertainment, and climate control.
Moving Toward Smarter Connected Living
With SmartThings Now, an updated Home tab, faster local control, and expanded Matter compatibility, Samsung is continuing to develop its platform around convenience, personalization, and reliability.
The new features are designed to help users access relevant information, automate everyday tasks, and maintain greater control over their connected devices. By combining context-based recommendations with improvements to navigation and local connectivity, Samsung aims to make smart home technology easier to use in daily life.
As the SmartThings ecosystem continues to grow across hundreds of millions of registered users and more than 430 certified brands, the update reinforces Samsung’s focus on creating a connected home experience that adapts to users’ habits while offering more responsive device management and broader compatibility.
Source Link: https://news.samsung.com/