Samsung has updated the SmartThings app for iPhone with a redesigned Home tab, faster local device control and a new Routine Insights panel. Apple’s App Store listing puts the release at version 1.7.51 on September 29. A matching Android update has not shipped as of September 29.
What the update changes
Samsung’s own release notes list three changes. The redesigned Home tab puts frequently used features and key information on the first screen. Devices connected to a SmartThings hub respond more quickly when the phone and the hub share a Wi-Fi network. Routine Insights surfaces your three most-used routines and their recent activity.
SamMobile, which covered the rollout, adds visual detail those notes skip. The navigation bar is now a compact floating strip with pill-shaped outlines. Device and routine cards are more compact and can be resized. A dynamic summary card sits at the top of the Home tab, covering energy usage, TV access, alerts and automation suggestions.
The TV remote picks up Light Mode support and can be resized or moved to a screen corner. The TV hub page moves to a floating tab bar with For You, Featured and Settings sections. Deeper device-plugin and sub-menu screens have not been redesigned yet. This is a phased change rather than a full overhaul.
What about Android?
The floating tab bar largely follows Apple’s current system design, which apps pick up when they build against the new SDK. The feature work is the part Galaxy owners are still waiting on.
The SmartThings app on Google Play was last updated on September 17. That release carried only a generic note about improved features, with no mention of a redesigned Home tab. Samsung has not given a date for the Android version as of September 29.
We covered Samsung’s SmartThings API fee, which starts in October, separately.
Source: Apple App Store, SamMobile
