Samsung Adds SmartThings Now and Direct Hub Control

Home controls get personalized suggestions

Samsung today announced a SmartThings update that introduces SmartThings Now cards atop the Home tab and lets phones send commands directly to compatible hubs over shared Wi-Fi (opens in a new tab). Samsung says that local connection helps households retain device control when external internet service is disrupted.

SmartThings Now can suggest switching on air purifiers and lights as someone approaches a home location they have registered in the app. After the user follows a suggestion, it offers to turn those actions into an automatic routine. For caregivers, a Family Care card can offer calling or checking in when a member has gone an extended time without device activity.

Suggestions for Home tab Favorites draw on activity from the preceding week, including changes to which routines, services and devices appear there. The Routine Insight card opens a detailed activity view where users can review routines and remove unwanted ones. A new Floating Bar brings commonly used features to the screen’s lower edge.

Which devices support local control

Local control supports phones running the SmartThings app on iOS or Android, paired with SmartThings Station or SmartThings V2, V3 and V4 Hubs. Samsung Smart TVs and Family Hub models with hub functionality are also supported. SmartThings switches automatically between cloud-based remote control and local control according to whether the phone is away or at home.

Samsung reports approximately 30% faster responses with local control versus cloud-based control in its controlled tests, with actual performance depending on the user’s environment. Offline Device Diagnostics can apply changed network information to every registered device in one operation. The update also supports Matter 1.6, adding compatibility with Soil Sensors and Irrigation devices for gardens, plus Energy Meters and Closures for specialized gates and doors.