Samsung SmartThings App: What It Is and How to Use It

The SmartThings app is Samsung's attempt to become the central app for controlling all of the smart home devices you have installed in your home. It also isn't limited to Samsung device users, since anyone with an Android device or an iOS device can install it.

What Is the SmartThings App

The SmartThings app lets you control a large family of devices from an ever-growing library. Regardless of the brand of your smart device, you can add it to the SmartThings app and control everything in your home from a single app.

This is especially useful since almost every smart device includes its own app, making it frustrating and annoying to find the right app to control each device individually. Note you do need to have a SmartThings Wi-Fi hub to connect with many SmartThings devices.

How to Set Up SmartThings App

You'll get the most use out of the SmartThings app if you've purchased and installed the SmartThings Hub. Unless you only own Samsung smart home devices, you won't be able to connect with most of your smart home devices without the hub. Samsung also sells a combination SmartThings Wi-Fi mesh router and smart hub which will accomplish the same job.

Once you've set up your SmartThings hub, you can install the SmartThings app and start controlling your smart home devices. You can get the SmartThings App for Android from Google Play, or you can get SmartThings for iOS on the App Store. Once installed, you can start adding the devices you own to the app.

How to Use the SmartThings App

With your SmartThings Hub configured and your SmartThings app installed, you're ready to start controlling everything in your home. Once you launch the app, you can add a new device by tapping the + symbol at the upper right. You'll see the following categories.

• Devices: Add Samsung or third-party smart devices.
• Rooms: Configure rooms in the app to organize your devices.
• Voice assistant: Connect your app to Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Bixby voice assistant.
• Scene: Set up multiple automated actions with your smart devices whenever you select a scene.
• Automation: Connect smart home devices by trigging actions on one device whenever triggers occur on another device.
• SmartApp: Install preconfigured Smart Home automations offered by Samsung.
• Member: Add new members by Samsung account, email, or QR code so others in your home can also control your smart devices.

When you choose Devices, you'll need to choose the Brand and then choose your device.

Once you add new devices, you'll see them on your home screen. When you tap each device you'll see all of the ways you can control or get information from that device. These controls depend on the type and brand of device you're connecting to.

What Devices Work with SmartThings App?

If you're using the SmartThings hub, you won't need to purchase hubs for other devices like Philips Hue bulbs. Instead, you can purchase individual bulbs. So long as the smart home devices you purchase work with ZigBee, Z-Wave, Cloud-to-Cloud, LAN, and ZigBee3 protocols, they should work with the SmartThings hub (and the app). You can also connect many major smart home hubs to your SmartThings hub.

if you want to be certain you can use the SmartThings app to control a new smart home device, make sure the packaging reads "Works with SmartThings." Samsung offers a full list of brands that work with SmartThings.

Some of the most popular brands that work with SmartThings, and you can control from the app, include:

• Ecobee
• Google Nest
• Honeywell
• Philips Hue, Belkin, Ecosmart, Sylvania, and LIFX smart lights
• Alexa, Google Assistant, and Bixby
• Arlo, Google Nest, and Ring cameras
• Belkin, Ecolink, and Leviton smart switches
• Honeywell, Leviton, and Miro fans or vents
• Eaton, Honeywell, iHome, Leviton, and Kasa outlets
• Many other sensors, smart locks, smoke and fire alarms, speakers, thermostats, and much more

If you're starting your smart home from scratch, then you're best situated to craft your smart home purchases around the SmartThings hub. Focus on purchasing only compatible brands and products and you'll be able to control every device in your home using the SmartThings app.