The SmartThings Blog

SmartThings adds real-time cycle notifications, customizable wash and dry settings, remote start/stop/scheduling, built-in maintenance alerts, and cross-appliance intelligence to a connected Samsung washer and dryer, all managed from the SmartThings app rather than the appliance's own controls. Laundry is a small, recurring task that's easy to lose track of-a load forgotten in the washer, a cycle that finishes while nobody's home to move it along. SmartThings targets that specific gap: instead of adding a new feature that requires attention, it moves the tracking into the background and only surfaces a notification when something actually needs a decision. SmartThings Laundry Features at a Glance FeatureWhat it doesBest forReal-time notificationsAlerts when a cycle starts, pauses, or finishesAvoiding forgotten loadsSpecialty cyclesFabric- and load-specific wash and dry settingsBetter fabric careMaintenance and diagnosticsFlags performance issues and guides self-diagnosisPreventing breakdownsRemote controlStart, stop, monitor, and schedule from a phoneOff-peak energy savingsCross-appliance intelligenceRecommends dryer settings based on the wash cycle usedLess guesswork Does SmartThings Notify Me When a Laundry Cycle Is Done? Yes. SmartThings sends a notification when a cycle starts, pauses, or finishes, so there's no need to guess or keep checking. If a load sits too long after drying, SmartThings sends a follow-up reminder before clothes sit long enough to need rewashing. Can I Customize Wash and Dry Cycles in the SmartThings App? Yes. Rather than relying on the dial or panel on the machine itself, SmartThings lets a user choose cycles directly in the app based on fabric type, load size, or soil level, along with temperature and spin intensity. Combinations can be saved, so a household's regular routines are one tap away instead of reconfigured every time. What Specialty Cycles and Settings Does SmartThings Offer? Cycle or setting*Specialty cycles and settings may vary by country and model.What it's forActivewearJersey and moisture-wicking gym clothesBeddingBulky sheets and comfortersBaby CareGentle sanitizing at a high temperatureFabric-specific cyclesWool, denim, delicates, or a custom blendWrinkle PreventKeeps clothes wrinkle-free for up to three hours after a cycle endsDamp AlertFlags the optimal time to iron clothes right out of the dryerEco-modesBalances performance and energy efficiencyUnemptied Laundry AlertsReminds a user up to 24 hours later to remove or fold a finished loadSensor DryAutomatically adjusts dry time based on moisture levels Can SmartThings Help Diagnose Washer or Dryer Problems? Yes. SmartThings offers maintenance modes to help keep a washer and dryer clean, and it can alert a user to performance issues and walk through self-diagnosis steps, often before a problem becomes obvious on its own. Samsung positions this as a way to catch issues early rather than after a breakdown, which can reduce the need for a service call, though SmartThings doesn't replace an actual repair when one is genuinely needed. Can I Start or Stop My Washer and Dryer Remotely? Yes. A connected washer and dryer can be started, stopped, or monitored directly from a phone through the SmartThings app, without needing to be in the laundry room. Cycles can also be scheduled to run when electricity rates are lower, or simply whenever is most convenient, rather than only running on demand. This works the same way SmartThings already lets a phone act as a remote for a Samsung TV — one app extending control to whichever connected device needs it, rather than a separate remote or panel for each appliance. Does SmartThings Recommend Dryer Settings Based on the Wash Cycle? Yes. SmartThings can connect the two appliances' behavior rather than treating them as separate machines: after a wash finishes on a specific setting, such as Heavy Duty, SmartThings can recommend a matching dryer setting for that load. This reduces the guesswork of matching wash and dry settings manually, though the two appliances still need to be linked in the same SmartThings account for the recommendation to work. Why Connect a Washer and Dryer to SmartThings at All? None of these features change what a washer or dryer physically does — a cycle still washes or dries the same way whether or not it's connected. What changes is where the attention goes. Without an app, tracking a load means either setting a timer, listening for the machine to stop, or periodically walking over to check, and none of those scale well when a household is running multiple loads across a day. Connecting to SmartThings shifts that tracking off the person and onto the app, which then interrupts only when there's an actual decision to make: pull the load out, run it through the dryer, or check on a performance issue before it becomes a bigger repair. For a household with a demanding laundry routine — bedding one day, activewear another, a baby's clothes needing a gentler cycle — the specialty cycles compound that same benefit: matching the cycle to the load doesn't need to be remembered or looked up each time once a combination has been saved. SmartThings Laundry: Compatibility and Limitations Appliance compatibility. SmartThings laundry features are built around Samsung washers and dryers specifically; additional brands washers and dryers that Work with SmartThings may also be connected. Connectivity. A washer and dryer connect to the SmartThings app over Wi-Fi rather than through a separate SmartThings hub.  Notification timing. Wrinkle Prevent holds for up to three hours after a cycle ends, and Unemptied Laundry Alerts continue for up to 24 hours. Account linking. Cross-appliance recommendations, such as a suggested dryer setting based on the wash cycle used, depend on the washer and dryer being connected to the same SmartThings account. Scope of cross-appliance automation. The cross-appliance intelligence described here is specifically a wash-to-dry setting recommendation between a washer and dryer.

Many 2024-and-newer Samsung TVs have a SmartThings Hub built in, so no separate hub device is needed. It can be turned on either from the SmartThings app on a phone or from the SmartThings app on the TV itself; both methods connect the TV, activate the hub, and let a user start adding devices. This is the practical, hands-on counterpart to Samsung's broader "Hub Everywhere" strategy: rather than describing the concept of hubs built into everyday devices, this is the specific set of steps for turning that concept on for one TV. A phone already set up to control that same TV as a remote uses the same SmartThings app for hub activation, so nothing extra needs to be installed. SmartThings TV Hub Activation at a Glance MethodWhere it happensBest forActivate from a phoneSmartThings app on a Galaxy phoneAnyone already using SmartThings on their phoneActivate from the TVSmartThings app on the TV itself, using the remoteSetting up the TV before linking a phone Which Samsung TVs Have a Built-In SmartThings Hub? Many Samsung TV models from 2024 and newer include a SmartThings Hub built in, meaning the TV itself can act as the hub without an additional standalone device. Samsung's material for this feature doesn't list every specific model that qualifies, so it's worth checking a TV's own specs if its model year is close to that 2024 cutoff. How Do You Activate the SmartThings Hub From Your Phone? Make sure the Samsung TV is powered on and connected to Wi-Fi. Open the SmartThings app on the phone and confirm it's signed in with the same Samsung account used on the TV. Tap Devices in the app, then select the TV from the list. Tap the Featured icon at the bottom; SmartThings Hub shows up on the next screen. Follow the on-screen prompts to turn the hub on, and wait while SmartThings connects to the TV and completes setup. Once finished, the TV is activated as a SmartThings Hub. How Do You Activate the SmartThings Hub Directly From the TV? Make sure the Samsung TV is powered on and connected to Wi-Fi. Press the Home button on the remote, scroll to Connected Devices, and open the SmartThings app. Select the Settings icon in the SmartThings app; it may already appear on the home page. Scroll down and choose SmartThings Hub. Toggle SmartThings Hub to on. How Do You Add Devices Once the Hub Is Activated? In the SmartThings app, tap + Add device, then scan for supported devices and import them into SmartThings. From there, the TV functions as the command center for the connected home: dimming lights, automating a thermostat when the house is empty, or linking new Matter devices as they're added. Why Activate the Built-In Hub Instead of Buying a Standalone One? A TV, once it's on and connected to Wi-Fi anyway, is already doing most of the work a standalone hub would otherwise need to be plugged in and configured to do. Activating the built-in hub is closer to flipping a setting on than setting up new hardware: there's no box to unpack, no separate spot to find near a router, and no additional device pulling power around the clock. That matters most for anyone just starting a connected home, where the first hurdle is often deciding whether a hub is worth buying before knowing if the rest of the setup is worth the effort. Activating a hub that's already sitting inside a TV removes that decision entirely — the only real choice left is whether to do it from the phone or from the remote, and either path leads to the same result. SmartThings TV Hub: Compatibility and Limitations Model requirement. The built-in hub is available on many 2024-and-newer Samsung TV models; Same-account requirement. Activating the hub from a phone requires the phone to be signed in with the same Samsung account used on the TV.  Network requirement. The TV needs to be powered on and connected to Wi-Fi for either activation method; neither method is described as working while the TV is offline. Device compatibility for adding devices. Once activated, the hub adds devices by scanning for Matter or other supported devices.

The SmartThings app turns a phone into a remote for a connected Samsung TV, with Quick remote available from the phone's notification screen or Dynamic Island. Invite member lets a user share control of specific devices with family or guests through a QR code, without handing over the phone itself. A lost remote is a small, recurring annoyance rather than a real problem, which is exactly the kind of thing SmartThings is built to remove: instead of a new device to misplace, the remote lives inside an app already on the phone.  SmartThings TV Remote Features at a Glance FeatureWhat it doesAvailable onPhone as remoteControls a connected Samsung TV from the SmartThings appiOS and AndroidQuick remoteOpens the remote from the notification screen or Dynamic IslandGalaxy (notification screen), iOS (Notification Center or Dynamic Island)Invite memberShares control of specific devices via a QR codeiOS and Android How Do You Connect a Samsung TV to the SmartThings App? Download the SmartThings app, then connect the TV with these steps: 1.               Open the SmartThings app and tap the "+" button in the top right corner. 2.               Select Add device under Samsung devices, then tap TV. 3.               Make sure the Samsung TV is on and near the phone or tablet. 4.               Select the TV and enter the PIN displayed on screen. Once connected, the TV can be controlled from the app. How Do You Use Your Phone as a Samsung TV Remote? Open the SmartThings app and tap the TV tile, with the TV turned on. In the bottom panel, tap Remote to open the on-screen remote. Swiping left or right in the middle panel navigates between different remote buttons; for volume specifically, the phone's own volume up/down buttons work instead of an on-screen control. The same app can extend that same phone-as-remote idea to other connected devices, including Samsung washers and dryers, so a household isn't learning a separate control method for every appliance. Can You Access the Remote Without Opening the App Fully? Yes. The remote can be reached directly from the notification screen on a Galaxy device, or from the Notification Center or Dynamic Island on iOS devices, without navigating into the full SmartThings app first. Can You Share TV Control With Family or Guests? Yes, through a feature called Invite member. Rather than handing over the phone itself, a user can generate a QR code that gives someone else access to specific devices in the home, and that person can even set up their own routines once connected. To share access: Open the SmartThings app and tap the location drop-down menu to select the relevant location. Tap the QR code sharing button in the top left corner. Optionally, tap "Access level" to choose full access or specific devices, and set how long that access lasts. The invitee scans the QR code with their own phone to join. Why Share Access Instead of Just Handing Over the Phone? Sharing device access allows a guest to use their own phone rather than borrow yours. This can be useful when a visitor needs TV controls while you keep your phone available for calls, messages or other tasks. SmartThings TV Remote: Compatibility and Limitations Platform support. The SmartThings app and its TV remote features are available on both iOS and Android. Setup proximity. Initial pairing requires the Samsung TV to be on and physically near the phone or tablet being used to connect it. QR code expiration. Each Invite member QR code is available to only one person at a time and expires after five minutes, as a security measure. A new code needs to be generated for each person being granted access, or after a code expires unused. Quick remote location. Where the Quick remote appears differs by platform: the notification screen on Galaxy devices, versus the Notification Center or Dynamic Island on iOS. Samsung's material doesn't describe an equivalent Quick remote shortcut for non-Galaxy Android devices specifically.

Samsung SmartThings Family Care is a feature that lets a caregiver track a care recipient's daily activity, medication schedules, and location, all from the SmartThings app. Now Brief is a personalized daily briefing service on Galaxy phones that pulls together home, health, and family status into one screen. In its most recent update, SmartThings added new features to Family Care: Care on Call, a pop-up that shows a care recipient's recent activity and local weather before a caregiver's call connects and stays visible during the call; and Safety Patrol, which sends a camera-equipped robot vacuum to check on a care recipient after a period of inactivity. This article covers how each of the two works. For the base version of Family Care, including its global availability and role-based design, see our companion article, What Is SmartThings Family Care and How It Works. SmartThings Family Care Features at a Glance FeatureWhat It DoesPrimary UseCare on CallShows recent activity and weather before a callRemote check-insSafety PatrolSends a camera-equipped device, such as a robot vacuum, to check the homeChecking prolonged inactivityNow BriefConsolidates Family Care and smart-home informationDaily overview Why Does This Update Matter for Caregivers? One in three adults in the United States provide some form of care to a loved one, according to the Mayo Clinic. Many are also raising children or holding a full-time job at the same time, leaving little spare attention for anything beyond the basics. For this group, the biggest caregiving cost often isn't money, it's attention: the mental habit of checking in “just in case,” even when nothing is wrong. This update targets that cost directly, replacing routine check-in calls with passive, ongoing awareness. How Can I Check on My Elderly Parent Without Calling Every Hour? Care on Call is built for exactly this. When a caregiver calls a care recipient through the SmartThings-linked phone, a pop-up appears before the call connects and stays on screen while the caregiver is talking, not only in the moment before it connects. It shows the time of the care recipient's first activity that day, their most recent activity, and the local weather. SmartThings gives the caregiver context for the call instead of starting cold, cutting down on the routine “just checking in” calls that make up so much caregiving overhead. Care on Call requires a Galaxy smartphone running One UI 8.5 or later. The feature activates on a standard cellular call between two linked SmartThings accounts, not a VoIP call placed through a messaging app. How Do You Set Up Care on Call? A caregiver sets up Care on Call the same way they set up the rest of Family Care: by linking a care recipient's account through the SmartThings app's Life tab, then confirming the caregiver's device runs One UI 8.5 or later. Once linked, the caregiver turns on Care on Call one time from the Activity tab, below Care Insight — after that, the pop-up appears automatically before any qualifying call, with no need to toggle it on again per call. How Can SmartThings Help Check on an Elderly Parent Who Isn't Responding? This is what Safety Patrol is for, though the mechanism is worth spelling out. If SmartThings detects no activity from the care recipient for a set period, it notifies the caregiver. The caregiver can then remotely send a compatible robot vacuum, such as Samsung's Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra, to patrol the house. (The newest Jet Bot Steam Ultra model is currently available in Korea; earlier Jet Bot models remain available in the US.) Beyond routine cleaning, the Jet Bot Steam Ultra carries a front-facing camera, a speaker, and a microphone. That's what turns it into a mobile check-in tool rather than only a cleaning appliance: the camera lets the caregiver look for a person who may be incapacitated, and the speaker and microphone allow two-way talk, unlike a fixed security camera that only watches one spot. Remote control only works if the caregiver has already been set up with remote-control permissions for that device. Does SmartThings' Family Care Feature Include Fall Detection? No, not in the sense of a dedicated fall sensor or wearable. Family Care detects prolonged inactivity and lets the caregiver dispatch a robot vacuum with a camera to check visually. It can't distinguish “fell and needs help” from “napping” or “stepped out,” which is why the visual check step exists. Caregivers who need immediate fall-impact detection should treat this as a complement to, not a replacement for, a dedicated fall-detection wearable. What Tools Help Caregivers Monitor Medication Adherence Remotely? Family Care sends notifications for medication schedules and hospital or appointment visits, along with location-based alerts when a care recipient arrives at or leaves a set place like a pharmacy. Together, a caregiver gets two layers of information instead of one: a same-day reminder that a dose is due, and through Care on Call, a same-call summary of what's happened since the last check-in. Which Samsung TVs and Refrigerators Support Now Brief? Now Brief is expanding from Galaxy phones to Samsung TVs launched in 2024 or later and Family Hub refrigerators launched in 2021 or later, rolling out in phases. On those screens, Now Brief opens automatically when a user approaches the TV or touches or opens the Family Hub refrigerator, if they've set that up in advance. With the Galaxy S26 series, Now Brief adds Home Security, Family Care, and Pet Care information to its existing Home Insight, Energy, and Sleep Environment Report sections. How Does Family Care Compare to Manual Caregiving Habits? Caregiving TaskManual ApproachFamily Care Approach (April 2026)Checking a parent is awake and activeCall or text every morningPassive activity notification, reviewed in Care on Call before and during any callConfirming a parent took medicationAsk directly, or trust a pillboxScheduled reminderChecking on a parent who isn't answeringDrive over or call a neighborSafety Patrol dispatches a camera-equipped robot vacuum Does SmartThings Support Two-Way Audio for Checking In Remotely? Yes, but with some conditions. Live Talk through the Safety Patrol robot vacuum only activates when its camera finds a person, upright or fallen; if no one is found, the robot returns to its station without offering Live Talk. When it does activate, the built-in speaker and microphone let a caregiver talk to and hear the care recipient, on top of the camera feed. If the caregiver has turned the microphone off, Speaker and Record still run silently — a toast notification appears, but no audio plays or records. Does SmartThings Offer a Caregiver or Family-Sharing Mode? Yes. Family Care is built around a caregiver role and a care-recipient role from the ground up, not added on top of a single shared account. The caregiver side gets monitoring, alerts, and remote controls like Safety Patrol; the care-recipient side controls what gets shared. Our companion article, What Is SmartThings Family Care and How It Works, covers how the two roles are set up in full. Is SmartThings Family Care Available Outside of Korea and the USA? Family Care is available in more than 200 countries; see our companion article, What Is SmartThings Family Care and How It Works, and how it applies to these new features. What Does Samsung Say About This Update? Jaeyeon Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of the SmartThings Team at Samsung's AI Platform Center, said the update is meant to extend SmartThings' role in connecting customers' daily lives with AI, according to Samsung's official announcement. Samsung is building this around long-distance caregiving as part of a wider push to weave AI across its television, appliance, and mobile lines, rather than as a standalone product. These updates apply that strategy specifically to caregiving, an area that is continuing to grow globally. For ongoing company announcements beyond this feature, please visit the Samsung Newsroom. Where Is Family Care Headed After This Update? Reading the two additions together, a pattern emerges: each one replaces a manual caregiving habit with a passive one. Care on Call replaces the cold check-in call with a pre-loaded summary. Safety Patrol gives caregivers a way to investigate prolonged inactivity remotely. Neither requires the care recipient to do anything different day to day.  SmartThings Family Care: Compatibility and Limitations Care on Call device requirements. Care on Call requires the caregiver's device to be a Galaxy smartphone running One UI 8.5 or later. It works over a standard cellular call between two linked SmartThings accounts, not an internet or VoIP call, and Samsung's source material doesn't describe a way to enable it for calls placed through a messaging app. Regional and model-year availability. Now Brief's expansion to Samsung TVs and Family Hub refrigerators requires a 2024-or-later TV or a 2021-or-later Family Hub refrigerator. Samsung hasn't given exact regional rollout dates for that expansion. Family Care itself has been available in more than 200 countries since September 2025. Now Brief device compatibility. The expanded version of Now Brief, including Home Security, Family Care, and Pet Care content, arrives with the Galaxy S26 series. This feature will be rolled out to TVs, Refrigerators and Appliances in 2026.  Want the fuller picture? Read our companion article about how Family Care works day to day, then open the Life tab in the SmartThings app to set it up. Do the SmartThings for the people you're looking out for.

SmartThings Now leads a redesigned Home tab experience by delivering personalized information and controls at the right time Local control keeps connected devices responsive, even during network disruptions SEOUL, Korea – Oct. 6, 2026 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced the latest update to SmartThings, its global connected living platform now serving 470 million registered users and supporting 430+ Works with SmartThings (WWST)-certified brands worldwide. The update introduces SmartThings Now at the top of the Home tab, refreshes the app’s Home tab experience, and expands local control capabilities — helping users access relevant information, take action more easily, and manage connected devices with greater reliability. “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. “By delivering relevant information and controls at the right time, SmartThings is pushing the boundaries of more intelligent home experiences and empowering users to manage their everyday lives more naturally.” A Redesigned Home Tab Experience, Led by SmartThings Now SmartThings Now appears as cards at the top of the Home tab, building on Home Insight to offer greater personalization by combining relevant information with actions users can take right away. It suggests the right information and immediately actionable controls based on the user’s current situation, delivering an experience that is easier and more intuitive. If a Family Care member, such as an older parent, shows no device activity for an extended period, SmartThings Now surfaces a care card for the caregiver with options to check in or call. When the user arrives near a home location pre-registered in the SmartThings app, SmartThings Now suggests turning on lights and air purifiers in advance. Once the user acts, it prompts them to create a routine so the same actions can run automatically going forward. This is all part of an experience designed to naturally guide users to the next relevant step based on their choices and context, making it easier to discover and use the features they need. SmartThings Now also supports personalized optimization based on usage patterns. It analyzes the past week's activity to suggest updates to Home tab Favorites, including devices, services, and routines. For example, it may recommend removing an air conditioner card as usage drops heading into cooler months, or adding an AirDresser card as the user’s air dresser becomes more frequently used during the change of seasons. Users can manage their routines through the Routine Insight card in SmartThings Now,[1] as well, by navigating to a detailed view of their routine activity over the past week to review and delete routines they no longer need. The updated Home tab reorganizes key information into a more streamlined view, covering dashboards, device cards, and service cards, with each type displayed in a format optimized for easier browsing.[2] Service cards use a more space-efficient design to clearly display more services on a single screen and present information like device status and numerical readings. Additionally, Live Wallpaper changes naturally throughout the day, adding a more dynamic visual touch to the experience. The update also introduces a Floating Bar that places frequently used features within easier reach at the bottom of the screen, improving one-handed use on larger smartphones and reflecting the latest One UI design direction. Enhanced Local Control Helps Keep Devices Responsive, Even When Offline SmartThings is now introducing local control technology that helps users continue to operate connected devices more reliably when there are changes to the home network environment or disruptions to external internet service.[3] When a mobile device and a SmartThings Hub are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, the mobile device can communicate directly with the hub rather than routing controls through the cloud. Compared to cloud-based control, local control can improve response times by approximately 30%. This helps enable continued control of connected devices during temporary network fluctuations.[4] SmartThings automatically switches between local and cloud-based remote control based on whether the user’s mobile device is at home or away. The updated Offline Device Diagnostics page helps users restore devices that have gone offline by updating new network information across all registered devices at once. Samsung has also added support for Matter 1.6, the latest smart home connectivity standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), enhancing stability and Group Control performance. The update adds support for four new device categories, as well: Energy Meters for real-time power monitoring Closures for specialized door and gate types Irrigation devices such as sprinkler systems Soil Sensors for measuring ground conditions. ### About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, digital signage, smartphones, wearables, tablets, home appliances and network systems, as well as memory, system LSI and foundry. Samsung is also advancing medical imaging technologies, HVAC solutions and robotics, while creating innovative automotive and audio products through Harman. With its SmartThings ecosystem, open collaboration with partners, and integration of AI across its portfolio, Samsung delivers a seamless and intelligent connected experience. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.

SmartThings Family Care is a caregiving feature within the SmartThings app that helps caregivers remotely monitor a care recipient's activity, location, medication schedules, and appointments. It connects information from compatible Samsung and SmartThings devices and lets the care recipient control what gets shared. Family Care works in more than 200 countries. For the newest additions to this feature, see our companion article, SmartThings Family Care Adds Care on Call and Now Brief, covering the April 2026 update. SmartThings Family Care at a Glance CapabilityWhat It DoesPrimary UseActivity notificationsFlags when a care recipient starts their dayPassive daily check-inMedication and appointment remindersDisplays scheduled reminders on Galaxy phones or Samsung TVsAdherence trackingLocation-based alertsNotifies a caregiver on arrival at or departure from a set placeConfirming errands or appointmentsSamsung Health integrationPulls in wake-up times and  step countsHealth-driven activity pictureRole-based sharingLets a care recipient choose what data is sharedPrivacy and autonomy Who Is SmartThings Family Care Built For? One in three adults in the United States provide some form of care to a loved one, according to the Mayo Clinic. Family Care targets that group directly: caregivers managing a parent's medication schedule, checking in during the day, or coordinating doctor visits from a distance. The Mayo Clinic's research on caregiver stress also links unmanaged caregiving to higher rates of burnout, sleep disruption, and anxiety among caregivers themselves. That's part of the reason why SmartThings built Family Care to support the caregiver's peace of mind, not just the care recipient's safety. How Does SmartThings Family Care Protect a Care Recipient's Privacy? Family Care runs in two modes. A caregiver can monitor device activity, get alerts, track location, and manage reminders, but only for what the care recipient has chosen to share. Activities, locations, and events live in separate tabs, so sharing is granular rather than all-or-nothing. A fully independent parent might share only appointment reminders, while a parent in early cognitive decline might share a fuller activity picture. Family Care doesn't force every user into the same level of disclosure, and control stays with the care recipient, whether that's an aging parent or another loved one. How Do You Set Up Family Care for Someone Who Isn't Comfortable With Apps? The caregiver sends a single invitation link with guided onboarding. That link works even if the care recipient has never used a smart home app before. How Does Family Care Help Check on Aging Parents Remotely? Family Care watches for activity signals, like a TV or appliance turning on, and lets a caregiver set custom inactivity thresholds. The April 2026 update added Safety Patrol, which can dispatch a camera-equipped robot vacuum to check the home; see our companion article, SmartThings Family Care Adds Care on Call and Now Brief, for how that works. Family Care also has an optional integration with Samsung Health, adding wake-up times,  and step counts on top of the activity signal Family Care already picks up from everyday phone and appliance use, like unlocking a Galaxy phone or moving around the house. Connecting Samsung Health isn't required to see basic activity; it simply adds more precise step count and sleep data. Combining appliance-based activity signals with phone-based activity means a caregiver isn't relying on a single signal type: a parent who's active on their phone but hasn't opened the refrigerator by mid-morning presents a different picture than one where both signals are quiet. Why Combine Health Data With Home-Device Data? Either signal alone has a weakness. Home-device activity alone can miss a parent who's awake and fine but simply had a quiet morning at home. Phone-based activity alone can miss a parent who's moving around the house but left their phone charging in another room. Family Care combines both signals to answer that weakness directly. A caregiver gets a fuller picture by cross-referencing appliance use with phone-based activity signals, rather than trusting either source alone. Connecting Samsung Health adds even more precise step count and sleep data on top of that, though it isn't required for the basic picture. What Tools Help Caregivers Monitor Medication Adherence Remotely? SmartThings Family Care lets caregivers schedule reminders for medications and appointments, with room to add a note for things like a blood pressure or glucose check Reminders display directly on Galaxy smartphones or Samsung TVs, so nothing important gets missed. Family Care also sends location-based alerts when a care recipient arrives at or leaves a specific place, like a doctor's office or pharmacy, so a caregiver can confirm an appointment happened without a phone call. A newer "Not Present at Time" notification also alerts a caregiver if a care recipient hasn't arrived at a scheduled location by a set time, catching a missed appointment rather than just confirming a completed one. Is SmartThings Family Care Available Outside of the USA? Yes. Since 2025, Family Care has expanded to more than 200 countries. It isn't limited to the United States, which matters for families where the caregiver and care recipient live in different states, a pattern that's grown more common as adult children increasingly move away from aging parents. (Because a caregiver and care recipient must share the same Samsung Account region, this pairing works across states within a country, not across countries.) How Can Caregivers Reduce Burnout While Managing a Busy Household? Family Care can reduce some of the manual checking caregiving requires by consolidating activity, medication, location, and reminder information in one place. Instead of relying on memory or separate check-ins across medication, safety, and daily contact, caregivers get a single set of notifications and can check a recipient's status at a glance rather than relying only on incoming alerts, cutting down on the mental load of tracking several things at once. This reduces the constant checking rather than adding another task to a caregiver's list. How Do You Set Up SmartThings Family Care? The setup takes a caregiver only a few minutes and front-loads the technical steps onto the caregiver rather than the care recipient: The caregiver opens the SmartThings app and goes to the Life tab, where Family Care lives alongside other lifestyle services. The caregiver creates an invitation link for the care recipient and selects their role (care recipient) at this step. The care recipient opens the link on their own phone, which walks them through guided setup. If they don't already have the SmartThings app, the link takes them straight to download it, which is simpler than a typical app-store search, and if they don't have a Samsung Account, as is often the case for iPhone users, a quick account-creation step is included. Most Galaxy users skip both steps entirely, since they already meet the requirements. Once linked, the care recipient chooses what activity, location, and health data to share, and the caregiver's app populates with whatever's enabled. From this point on, the caregiver can add shared reminders for medications, appointments, and family events, which the care recipient can view on their own device. Notification timing varies by feature. Activity notifications, like a loved one starting their day, and location-based alerts arrive immediately. Longer-term trend comparisons are also available; see our companion article on that update for how they work. Can IKEA Matter Sensors Work With SmartThings Family Care? Yes. Family Care can also draw activity signals from compatible third-party Matter devices, not just Samsung hardware. Compatible devices include mobile phones and tablets; Samsung TVs, water purifiers, robot vacuums, refrigerators, washers, dryers, cooktops, and ovens; and multipurpose, contact, motion, and door lock sensors, including IKEA versions of those sensors where they're available in SmartThings. For example, an IKEA door sensor attached to a frequently used door can flag when a care recipient starts their day; see our companion article on IKEA's Matter-over-Thread devices and SmartThings for the full list of compatible sensors. What Everyday Tools Are Inside Family Care? Alongside the features already described, Family Care includes a few standing tools built for daily use rather than a single crisis moment: Activity notifications that flag when a loved one starts their day, using signals like a Galaxy phone unlock, without a constant check-in call. Medication and appointment reminders that display directly on Galaxy smartphones or Samsung TVs. Location-based alerts that notify a caregiver when a care recipient arrives at, leaves, or fails to arrive at a specific place by a set time, such as a doctor's office or pharmacy. Reminders for family gatherings, special events, and routine check-ins that the caregiver can set and both sides can see. How Do Family Care's Two Roles Compare? CapabilityCaregiver ViewCare Recipient ViewActivity monitoringCan see shared activity signalsChooses what activity data is sharedLocation trackingCan see shared location and alertsChooses whether to share location dataRemindersCan set medication and appointment remindersReceives reminders on their own deviceData controlSees only what's been sharedControls what gets shared with caregivers Family Care is available for download through the Life tab in the SmartThings app. This is a great way to integrate technology so that it supports, not replaces, the human connection at the center of caregiving.  Can SmartThings Family Care Replace a Medical Alert System? No. SmartThings Family Care is designed for caregiving awareness and remote monitoring, not as a replacement for emergency medical monitoring. A traditional medical alert system is typically a standalone wearable built around a single emergency button or fall sensor. Family Care instead layers activity, location, health, and reminder data across devices a family may already own. SmartThings Family Care: Compatibility and Limitations Account and hub requirements. Family Care is a free feature inside the SmartThings app, available from the app's Life tab. It doesn't require a separate hub purchase to use its core reminder and notification features, though a hub can extend which devices' activity it draws on. Data sharing controls. See the privacy section above for how sharing is structured. Non-Samsung phone limitation. Family Care is available across both Android and iOS operating systems, opening the opportunity to all families, though feature precision can vary by device: activity detection is most precise on a Galaxy phone, so some alerts may be limited on other phones. Curious to see it in action? Open the Life tab in the SmartThings app and give Family Care a try. That's how you “Do the SmartThings” for the people who matter most.

Did you know that Samsung SmartThings supports all IKEA Matter-over-Thread devices, including smart bulbs, plugs, remotes, and sensors that connect directly to a compatible SmartThings? Integrating these devices into an existing SmartThings ecosystem gives users a simple, cost-effective way to grow their smart home for family care, sleep optimization, environmental monitoring, leak detection and alerts, smart lighting control, and other practical automation solutions.  Can Users Add Affordable IKEA Matter Products to an Existing SmartThings System? Yes. IKEA's Matter-compatible products lets SmartThings users add affordable, compatible smart lights, smart plugs, sensors, and controls to enhance their current SmartThings setup as needed, rather than replacing compatible, previously purchased products. Do IKEA Matter Devices Require a DIRIGERA Hub with SmartThings? No. New IKEA Matter-over-Thread devices connect directly to a compatible SmartThings hub.. That means one less piece of hardware to buy, set up, and manage. Do IKEA Matter Products Work in a Mixed-Brand Smart Home? Yes. Supported IKEA Matter products integrate with compatible Samsung devices and other supported products using the SmartThings app. For example, users can connect an IKEA light, plug, control, or sensor and incorporate it into a SmartThings routine using a compatible Samsung appliance or device. Most homes run more than one brand. SmartThings lets users mix and match compatible products by category, lighting, sensors, appliances, plugs, and controls, and manage all of it from one app, instead of buying every device from a single brand. Do Door Sensors Work With SmartThings Family Care? Yes. A supported IKEA door sensor serves as an input, providing activity data alongside SmartThings Family Care. For example, a caregiver might place a sensor on a door a parent uses often, then use the resulting open-and-close activity, alongside Family Care, to get a sense of whether that parent’s day is off to a normal start. Can IKEA Air-Quality Sensors Support the SmartThings Sleep Environment Report? Yes. Compatible IKEA air-quality sensors provide data on bedroom conditions, i.e., temperature, humidity, and lighting levels, that SmartThings uses to generate the Sleep Environment Report. IKEA air-quality and temperature-and-humidity sensors measure parameters including temperature, humidity, CO₂ levels, and light intensity. SmartThings compares these readings against recommended sleep conditions and offers suggestions based on what it finds.   Do IKEA Sensors Trigger SmartThings Routines? Yes. Supported IKEA sensors provide conditions that trigger SmartThings routines involving doors, motion, moisture, temperature, humidity, and other environmental changes. For example, an IKEA humidity sensor detects rising humidity and activates dehumidifier mode on a compatible connected air-conditioning unit. A  water-leak sensor detects moisture and notifies the user of a possible water leak. Additionally, door and motion sensors generate activity signals for compatible monitoring and automation routines. The sensor spots the event; SmartThings handles the alert, notification, or next action.   Which IKEA Matter Devices Are Supported by SmartThings? IKEA Matter-compatible devices span multiple smart home product categories. Below is a breakdown of some examples: IKEA Product CategoryExampleHow to Use It With SmartThingsSmart bulbKAJPLATSLighting control and compatible routinesSmart LampVARMBLIXTLighting adjustment with color and temperatureSmart plugGRILLPLATS/TOFSMYGGAConnected-device control and compatible routinesSmart remote controlBILRESASupported lighting controlTemperature/humidity sensorTIMMERFLOTTEEnvironmental monitoring and humidity-based routinesAir-quality sensorALPSTUGAEnvironmental monitoring Open/closed sensor (door)MYGGBETTDoor activity and compatible monitoring routinesMoisture/water-leak sensorKLIPPBOKMoisture detection and alertsMotion sensorMYGGSPRAYMotion detection and compatible routines This range covers smart lighting, environmental monitoring, motion and activity detection, open/closed status, and connected-device control, so users can pick what fits their home. Does the IKEA BILRESA Scroll Wheel Remote Work With SmartThings? Yes. The IKEA BILRESA scroll wheel remote control supports lighting products through SmartThings. Rotating the wheel enables precise adjustments to brightness and color temperature. SmartThings and IKEA conducted multiple rounds of connectivity validation before market release to test pairing and operation through the SmartThings app. Currently, BILRESA supports lighting control and blind control (via Matter and Zigbee), with plans for expansion to more types of blinds and more device types in the future. What SmartThings Hardware Do Users Need for IKEA Matter-over-Thread Products? Supported IKEA Matter-over-Thread devices require access to a compatible SmartThings hub with Thread support. Select Samsung TVs, refrigerators, and monitors can serve as that hub. SmartThings hub and Thread border router functionality depend on the individual Samsung model, not just the product type. Users without one of these models can add a dedicated SmartThings hub, like the Aeotec Smart Home Hub 2. What Are Matter and Thread? Matter is an industry smart home connectivity standard developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance to help compatible devices from different manufacturers work across supported ecosystems. Thread is a low-power wireless networking technology used by many Matter-compatible smart home devices. SmartThings supports Matter-over-Thread alongside other technologies such as Zigbee and Z-Wave, allowing compatible products using these technologies to operate through SmartThings. SmartThings was also the first to adopt Thread version 1.4, built  to increase interoperability between Thread networks from different manufacturers. SmartThings has supported Matter since the standard’s public launch and puts every certified device through rigorous, multi-round interoperability testing, reflecting its position as a quality leader in the Matter ecosystem. How Does IKEA Expand an Existing SmartThings Setup? With the addition of IKEA’s product lines to the list of options for customers of SmartThings that are compatible, SmartThings has given its customers additional options to select from when it comes to light control, sensor functionality, environmental monitoring, and automation. Today, users have more affordable Matter-based devices to meet their household needs, and SmartThings can help control them. These product integrations support SmartThings' strategy of growing its ecosystem through collaborations with other manufacturers, giving users more options to create a smart home system that meets their individual needs and preferences. Ready to add IKEA to your setup? Do the SmartThings — open the app and start connecting.

SmartThings Safe Premium is powered by Arlo, a third-party partner that operates the professional monitoring center and coordinates emergency dispatch on our behalf. Feeling safe, whether at home or on the go, shouldn’t take more than a tap. With SmartThings Safe Premium, users can instantly send help requests, from inside the SmartThings app, to Arlo-powered emergency response providers who can send police, fire, or medical help to their exact location. SmartThings Safe includes a Basic plan at no cost; the Premium plan adds 24/7 professional emergency dispatch through Arlo. How It Works When you press the Safe button, a 10-second countdown starts. After 10 seconds, a help request is automatically sent to a professional monitoring center. An Arlo monitoring agent will immediately call and text you to confirm what type of help (fire, police, or medical) is needed.  If they can’t reach you, they’ll request that local emergency responders (police by default) be dispatched to your current GPS location. At the same time, just like the basic plan, your Location Members will receive a push notification with a map of your location and options to call or text you directly. You can cancel your request at any time during the 10-second countdown. Once the alert is created, you can still cancel the request by responding to the monitoring center’s call or text. Setting Up SmartThings Safe Premium  Getting started takes just a few steps: Open the SmartThings app on your mobile device. Tap the Menu icon at the bottom right of the SmartThings app. Select Safe and complete setup, including agreeing to the terms agreement and completing identity verification. Go to My Plan and select Upgrade to Premium Plan. Follow the Samsung Checkout steps to activate your limited-time free access to SmartThings Safe Premium. Once activated, you’ll see your Safe button appear in the app, ready whenever you need it.  Share alerts with the people who matter. Add family or friends to any SmartThings location — home, office, wherever — and they'll stay in the loop automatically.  From the Home tab, tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner. Select Location Settings > Invite Members. Enter the Samsung account email addresses of the people you want to add. Added members will need the following to receive Safe alerts: Have the SmartThings app downloaded. Set up their own Samsung account. Tap the Menu icon at the bottom right of the SmartThings app. Tap the Safe icon and follow the prompts to get started. Review and agree to the Terms & Conditions and complete two-factor authentication.  Have notifications turned on to receive Safe alerts. These members will then become emergency contacts for dispatchers and the monitoring center. For even faster access, you can add the Safe button to your Galaxy home screen or Quick Panel by selecting Settings > Add to Home Screen from the device card. Make Sure Location Services Are On To share your real-time GPS location with the monitoring center and your added members using the Safe Premium plan, you’ll need to enable Location Services on your phone.  On Galaxy and Android devices: Go to Settings > Location > App permissions > SmartThings > Allow all the time. On iOS: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > SmartThings > Always and turn on Precise Location. Safe Premium is designed to work when your mobile device has a signal. The service is currently available in the U.S. for supported Galaxy, Android, and iOS devices. Both the Basic and Premium plans of SmartThings Safe are designed for manual, user-triggered help requests, making them a great complement to built-in SOS features on smartphones. While Safe Premium does not currently support automations, routines, or smartwatch-triggered requests, users can receive Safe notifications on Galaxy Watches and Apple Watches. Whether you’re checking in with loved ones or reaching out for help, SmartThings makes it simple to stay safe, connected, and in control. Activate your *limited-time free access to SmartThings Safe Premium in the SmartThings app today.  *SmartThings Safe Premium is currently available as a beta service. Free access may be changed or discontinued without notice.

Upcoming Changes to the SmartThings API  Over the last several years, the SmartThings platform has grown into one of the most robust orchestration layers in the smart home industry, with over 460M+ registered users and hundreds of WWST partner brands — and our API is the gateway that connects third party apps and platforms to the SmartThings ecosystem.  Today, our commercial partners use it to power everything from short-term rental platforms and energy management systems to API aggregators and custom smart home dashboards, while our developer community uses our API to optimize their personal smart homes. To ensure the SmartThings API remains capable, reliable, and secure at this scale, we are evolving our infrastructure. In the upcoming months, we will introduce dedicated, paid commercial API tiers as well as a $4.99 a month plan for non-commercial, individual developers. To note, this update does not affect the millions of SmartThings users who use the SmartThings App with thousands of WWST partner devices.   Why are we evolving the SmartThings API?  As our commercial partners and developer community continue to build integrations, they are asking and expecting more from our infrastructure. To support the next generation of smart home innovation at scale, we are transitioning to a structured API model. This evolution allows us to invest heavily in the enterprise-grade features our partners and users have been asking for: Platform Stability: Upgrading our platform to enhance our enterprise-grade reliability required for high-volume, commercial deployments. Optimized Integrations: Building upon our infrastructure to further support scalable integrations.   Expanded Capabilities: Continuing access to Samsung devices such as TVs, smart refrigerators, and more with device states, controls, and health parameters as well as future functionality to build richer integrations. Powering the Next Generation of Smart Home Services:  We’re building on the SmartThings platform, shaped by your feedback, to deliver even more powerful tools for creating premium IoT experiences. The SmartThings API offers different tiers that can support a high rate limit, gives access to our multi-protocol ecosystem (Matter, Cloud-to-Cloud, Zigbee, Z-Wave), and contains deep Samsung integration required to scale your business on our backend and power a variety of use cases, including: Short-Term Rentals, Hospitality, and Property Tech: Automate access control, optimize climate, and enable seamless property management across thousands of units at scale. Telecommunications: Enhance broadband and 5G subscriber apps with premium family care and security solutions. Security: Power smart alarms, access systems, and remote monitoring with our ecosystem of devices and consistent, real-time API data like device states. Senior Care: Enable non-intrusive wellness tracking, activity insights, and automated routines to safely support independent living and aging in place. Family Care: Deliver peace of mind with real-time sensor data, keeping families connected and homes running smoothly. Insurance: Leverage real-time home state data and predictive analytics to proactively prevent damage, reduce risk, and lower claim costs. Energy Management: Build advanced tracking algorithms and cost-saving utility dashboards. With many more use cases and verticals.  New Tools:  Upgraded Developer Experience: We will deliver a new Developer Center experience and refreshed documentation for API users to make the API as easy to use and implement as possible. The API Usage Dashboard: In the new Developer Center, we will be launching a new API Dashboard. This dashboard will allow partners and individual developers to track API call volume with flexible time-series data. The dashboard will give you current usage and data points to optimize your code and determine which pricing tier fits your needs. These updates will make onboarding faster and API management more intuitive.  Next Steps & Timeline: We are targeting availability for the new commercial tiers and personal plan offering in October 2026 – stay tuned for additional details.  Please note: Your current API usage will not be interrupted today. We are announcing this now to give our API users ample time to prepare for the transition.  Free access will remain available through Q3. We will not begin applying the new usage limits or phasing out free access until October 2026. For Current Commercial Partners: Please reach out to us at partners@smartthings.com to ensure a seamless transition.   For Current Personal Users: We will share more information detailing the full timeline, transition guidelines, and paid plan.  New to the SmartThings API? Are you evaluating SmartThings as the backend for your business? We are currently onboarding new partners to discuss SmartThings API capabilities, pricing, and scalability. Please fill out our form to learn more. Thank you for building with SmartThings. Our investment in our API and transition to a paid model are efforts to provide an incredible service that will continue to support your needs.     — The Samsung SmartThings Team

The Easy Steps for Partners to Update Brand and Product Pages We’re happy to share an exciting new feature that lets Works with SmartThings (WWST) partners manage their brand and certified product pages, seen by millions of SmartThings users. Partner brand pages, found on Partners.SmartThings.com and in the SmartThings app, are some of the most frequently visited resources. These pages are often the first place users go to discover new brands and confirm product compatibility before making a purchase. Additionally, because they are visible to everyone across the entire web, they expand partner’s reach and strengthen search engine optimization (SEO) for their brand and products. Now, partners can manage their brand and product pages to showcase offerings and encourage user purchases. Partners can follow these simple steps to update brand and product pages. An Easy Way to Showcase Brands and Certified Products This new feature is a key benefit of the Works with SmartThings (WWST) program. It enables partners to easily keep their brand and product information current, including the latest purchase links, for SmartThings users. The WWST program offers many benefits, such as: Opportunities to promote products to 450 million global SmartThings users Brand and product placement on the SmartThings website and within the app Use of the WWST badge Co-marketing opportunities Access to user engagement analytics Increased discoverability and trust from SmartThings users What Partners Can Update For Brands: Brand Name Brand URL Brand Description  Logo Customer Support Information  Company Contact Information  Contact Name For Products: Product Name Product Description  Model Number Product Images Product Category Purchase Links Product Distribution Locations How to Update: A Step-by-Step Guide For partners that already have an account linked to brands in the SmartThings Console, partners can start updating information immediately.  For partners without an account or if the brands are not linked, please contact the SmartThings team at partners@smartthings.com. 1. Access the SmartThings Console Access the Console by signing in to the SmartThings Developer Center. From the homepage, use the left-hand navigation to choose the path: Brands, for updating brand information, or Device Integrations for updating product information.  2. Refresh Brand Information Navigate: Click the Brands tab. Edit: Click the brand and select Edit Brand at the bottom right.  Make Updates: Update brand details, including logos, customer support information, and more. Submit: Update the details, check the permission box in the "Ready to submit?" section, and click Update Brand. 3. Update Product Information Navigate: Click the Device Integrations tab. Select: Click on the specific product name to edit. Refine: Update product details, including product names, model numbers, product images, purchase links, and more. Submit: Update the details, check the permission box in the "Ready to submit?" section, and click Update Product. 4. Review and Approval Once approved, the updated brand and product details will go live in the SmartThings app (please note a brief delay may occur due to caching). Updates will typically appear on the web-based partner brand page within 5-7 business days. Update Brand and Product Pages Today Partners can now make these updates in the SmartThings Developer Center today!