“Smart Home” is a perfect system for organizing the microclimate and many processes in the house. Samsung corporation keeps up in its efforts to make this available to every user, offering a program for Samsung smartphones – SmartThings.
Here is about the Samsung SmartThings and how to use it.
What is Samsung SmartThings
SmartThings is an application that many smartphones have had as a standard app since the purchase of the device. However, on some devices, it is not available for download. If you will try to install the software on an unsupported device, it may say “Not supported on your device”. If your Samsung phone originally had SmartThings installed, then you have become the owner of a smart home control app. The software is needed to manage the hub (a special device that optimizes the operation of most smart devices in a living room or office).
Only devices that are supported can be controlled. And it’s up to you to decide whether you need such software on your smartphone. If you are going to use smart technology, then you can leave the software, but if not, then you don’t need such a program at all. By the way, if you remove the program from the device, then after a while it may return again after the update, so it is easiest to simply disable it in the application settings.
What devices does SmartThings support
Using Smart Things, you can connect Samsung smart devices and combine their controls. To see if the device is suitable, look at the box – it should be labeled Works with SmartThings. Here is the list of the devices, which Samsung SmartThings usually supports:
- Smart TVs.
- Home movie theaters.
- Washing machines and dryers.
- The refrigerating appliances.
- Security equipment – alarms, motion detectors, etc.
- Cameras.
- Robot vacuums.
- Air conditioners.
- Water leakage, presence detectors, multifunctional sensors.
- Lighting devices, etc.
Is it possible to connect devices that aren’t officially compatible with Smart Things? Although there is some information on the web, it’s not recommended, because incorrect operation and malfunctions are unavoidable.
Voice assistant support
In addition to the app, SmartThings is also compatible with major voice assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. This means you can use Nest Hub or Amazon Echo to control SmartThings if you connect them. Bixby also supports SmartThings, and you can use voice control through those routes.
However, keep in mind that many of the devices and services that SmartThings will control, such as Arlo, can also be controlled directly through Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Apple HomeKit. So if you are a user of any of these platforms, you may not need to use SmartThings at all.
How to set up automations in the Samsung SmartThings app
You can set up automation in the SmartThings app to have IF and THEN control functions. The process allows you to select the time or trigger of the device. For example, it can also be a motion or camera sensor, location, location mode (home, away, night), weather. This will be the side of the IF equation.
After that, you can decide what happens in the THEN options. This could be controlling devices (turning on the camera, alarm, lights, opening the garage), sending a message or notification to someone, changing the location mode, or starting a scene. The automation process makes it easy to turn on the lights at certain times, activate the security system when you leave the house, open the garage when you come home, and much more.
Benefits and setup of SmartThings
To understand how to use SmartThings, you don’t have to own a Samsung smartphone or tablet. There are versions for new iOS and Android devices. In fact, it can be any brand of smartphone, but preferably the latest versions. After downloading the program to set it up, go into the application and follow the simple, intuitive instructions to create a user account.
Then a search for all available devices will begin, after which the devices will be grouped by parameters. You don’t need any special knowledge and complicated instructions. All you need from the user is a clear understanding of why he/she needs such a system. In this case, its use will not cause any questions or confusion. After setting up your account, you can invite family and friends in a couple of clicks.
