Repurpose legacy Galaxy Smartphones into Smart Home Devices
Want to give new life to legacy Galaxy smartphones? Leveraging the power of SmartThings and repurposing built-in sensors within Galaxy devices, you can now turn old Galaxy phones into sound and light sensors. Here is how to start:
Onboard legacy phone
- Download the SmartThings app on your current phone.
- Tap the Menu (☰) and select “SmartApps”
- Select More Options (⋮) and choose SmartThings Labs* followed by Galaxy Upcycle
- Click on “Next” to generate a QR code.
- Scan the QR code with your legacy phone.
- Install the “Galaxy Upcycle” app on your legacy phone.
- Select either “Light sensor” or “Sound sensor” feature.
Set up a “Light sensor”
- Tap “Light sensor” to add your legacy phone as a light sensor.
- Go back to your current phone and open the SmartThings app. The new light sensor will now be available on your device list.
- Tap the light sensor device card to see the current brightness level, scored out of 7 levels of brightness.
- Using Automations, you can now adjust your lighting based on the brightness level detected by the sensor.
Set up a “Sound sensor”
- Tap “Sound sensor” to add your legacy phone as a sound sensor.
- Go back to your current phone and open the SmartThings app. The new sound sensor will now be available on your device list. The sensor detects 5 types of sounds including baby crying, dog barking, cat meowing, glass breaking, and knock on door.
- Using Automations, you can now control your devices using the sounds detected by the sensor.
*SmartThings Lab uses experimental features. Some features may only be available for certain devices, models, or countries. Some features may be removed or changed without notice.
