Samsung is rolling out SmartThings Now, a set of context-aware cards for the SmartThings app. The cards sit at the top of the Home tab. Samsung announced the update from Korea on October 6, and says it is going out to all Android and iPhone users. The same release adds Matter 1.6 support and faster local device control when your phone and SmartThings Hub share a Wi-Fi network.
If some of this sounds familiar, it should. We covered a redesigned Home tab that reached iPhone first in late September, complete with a summary card and quicker local control. Today’s announcement is the official cross-platform version of that work. It adds branding, a specific speed figure, and several features the earlier build did not include.
SmartThings Now cards
The cards surface suggestions based on context rather than waiting for you to go looking for a control. Samsung’s examples are specific. A Family Care card can prompt a check-in if an older parent’s device shows no activity for an extended period. The card offers options to check in or place a call. Another card can offer to switch on lights or an air purifier as you approach a pre-registered home location.
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.
That is Jaeyeon Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of the SmartThings Team at Samsung Electronics’ AI Platform Center.
Local control, and the catch
When your phone and a SmartThings Hub are on the same Wi-Fi network, commands route locally instead of travelling through the cloud. Samsung says this can improve response times by approximately 30% versus cloud-based control. It also helps devices stay responsive through temporary network fluctuations. The app switches between local and cloud remote control depending on whether you are home or away.
Read the condition carefully, though. The speed-up depends on owning a SmartThings Hub and being on its network. If you run your smart home purely through the app and cloud-connected devices, this particular improvement is not something you will feel.
Matter 1.6 and what it unlocks
Matter 1.6 support widens the kinds of hardware SmartThings can speak to natively. The new device categories are:
- Energy meters
- Closures — curtains, gates and windows
- Irrigation equipment and soil sensors
Samsung says the platform now counts 470 million registered users and more than 430 Works with SmartThings certified brands worldwide.
The rest of it, in brief
- Offline Device Diagnostics: a new page that lets you update Wi-Fi credentials across all registered devices at once.
- Redesigned Home tab: dashboards, device cards and service cards reorganised.
- Floating Bar: a new element aimed at one-handed use.
- Live Wallpaper
- Routine Insight card
Samsung describes the rollout as reaching all Android and iPhone users. If your SmartThings app has not changed yet, check the Play Store or App Store for the latest version.
Source: Samsung Global Newsroom
