SmartThings is slowly becoming one of the most important parts of the Galaxy ecosystem. 👀
I’ve been exploring the latest SmartThings update, and there’s actually a lot more going on here than just a new look.
The latest Android update v1.8.51.30 brings a redesigned Home experience with a cleaner layout, compact cards, a floating navigation bar and better ways to organise devices and routines. You can resize and rearrange cards, use quick controls directly from the Home screen, and organise your connected devices by room. There’s also the option to view your home in 2D or 3D.
But honestly, the part I find more interesting is how SmartThings is becoming increasingly connected with Galaxy AI.
🤖 Galaxy AI + SmartThings
Now Brief is probably one of the most interesting examples.
Instead of opening SmartThings every time just to check what's happening at home, Galaxy's personalised briefing can bring SmartThings information directly into your daily overview.
Depending on the supported setup, Now Brief can surface things like:
🏠 Home status
🔐 Home Security updates
👨👩👧 Family Care information
🐶 Pet Care updates
⚡ Energy information
😴 Sleep-related information
🌤️ Weather and other personalised information
Samsung has also announced that these SmartThings-powered Now Brief experiences are expanding beyond Galaxy phones to supported Samsung TVs and Family Hub refrigerators.
And this is where I think the whole idea gets interesting.
SmartThings isn't just about “turn my light on.”
It can increasingly understand what's happening across the connected home and present the information when it's actually useful.
🏠 Home Insight
Another feature I really like is Home Insight.
SmartThings can give you a broader view of what's happening at home rather than making you check every device individually. Samsung describes it as a way to get a bird's-eye view of your home, including recommendations and device information.
❤️ Family Care
Samsung is also pushing SmartThings into something much more meaningful with Family Care.
It can use connected devices and appliances to provide information about activity, environmental conditions and unusual patterns, with notifications for caregivers. Samsung has also introduced Care on Call, which can surface useful information about the person you're calling before the conversation starts.
🐶 Pet Care
And yes, SmartThings is getting smarter about pets too. 🐾
Samsung is bringing Pet Care into the broader SmartThings/Now Brief experience, allowing supported setups to provide information and reminders related to your pet.
🎛️ And the everyday stuff is better too
The redesigned app itself has some genuinely useful changes:
• Smaller, cleaner device cards
• Resize and rearrange cards
• Quick ON/OFF controls
• Faster access to routines
• Improved Favorites
• Better room organisation
• 2D and 3D home layouts
• Redesigned TV remote
• More controls brought directly into SmartThings
The TV remote has even gained options to change its size and position, which is one of those small changes that you probably don't appreciate until you actually use it. 😄
What I find interesting is that SmartThings is no longer feeling like a separate smart-home control app.
With Galaxy AI, Now Brief, Galaxy Wearables, Samsung Health, TVs and AI-powered appliances all feeding into the same ecosystem, SmartThings is starting to become the layer that connects everything together.
Your Galaxy phone knows your routine.
Your Galaxy Watch knows your activity and sleep.
Your appliances know what's happening at home.
And SmartThings brings all of that together.
That's probably the direction I'm most excited to see from Samsung next.
Have you received SmartThings v1.8.51.30 yet?
And more importantly — which Galaxy AI + SmartThings feature would you actually use every day? 👀
#Samsung #SmartThings #GalaxyAI #SamsungMembers #GalaxyEcosystem #GalaxyAI #SmartHome #SamsungGalaxy #NowBrief #SamsungIndia
