Samsung announced SmartThings Now on October 5, 2026, as part of a redesigned SmartThings Home tab. The card-based feature puts contextual updates and suggested actions at the top of Home, while the update also expands local-control options and adds support for four Matter 1.6 device categories.
What is SmartThings Now?
SmartThings Now builds on Home Insight to combine information about activity in and around a connected home with actions a user might take. Rather than requiring users to find and launch a feature, it presents contextual cards at the top of the redesigned Home tab. Samsung’s announcement describes examples, not guaranteed behavior for every account or setup.
Samsung’s October 5, 2026 US newsroom announcement reports 470 million registered SmartThings users and more than 430 Works with SmartThings-certified brands worldwide. Those are company-reported figures.
What can SmartThings Now suggest?
- Family Care: If a family member has had no device activity for an extended period, a card may prompt a caregiver to check in or call.
- Arrival-related actions: As a user approaches a home location registered in the app, SmartThings may suggest turning on lights and air purifiers.
- Routine creation: After a user performs an action, the app may prompt them to create a routine around it.
- Favorite cards: SmartThings can use the previous week’s activity to suggest changes, such as removing a less-used seasonal device card or adding one used more often.
Review routine activity
Routine Insight shows activity from the past week and lets users review or delete routines. It is available through SmartThings Now and through Automations > Suggestions in the SmartThings app.
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What changed in the Home tab?
The redesigned Home tab reorganizes dashboards, device cards, and service cards into formats Samsung says are optimized for browsing. SmartThings Now sits at the top, bringing its contextual cards and suggestions into the Home experience.
Does SmartThings Now work with your devices?
Samsung says the updated Home tab is available across SmartThings-supported devices, including mobile devices, Samsung Smart TVs, Family Hub refrigerators, Samsung appliances with 7-inch or 9-inch screens, and Windows devices. The announcement does not provide a complete model-by-model compatibility list or a country-specific rollout schedule, so availability on a particular device or account may vary.
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How does local control work?
Samsung describes local control for Android and iOS devices with the SmartThings app installed, when used with a SmartThings Station, SmartThings V2, V3, or V4 Hub, or a hub-enabled Samsung Smart TV or Family Hub device. SmartThings switches between local control and cloud-based remote control depending on whether the mobile device is at home or away. This is not a claim that every SmartThings device or feature works offline.
Samsung also describes an Offline Device Diagnostics page that can update network information across registered devices to help restore devices that have gone offline. The announcement does not establish that this will recover every device or resolve every connectivity problem.
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- LOCAL PROCESSING FOR INSTANT RESPONSE: The Hubitat Elevation C-8 Pro runs automations directly on the hub, not on remote servers, so lights, locks, thermostats, and routines keep working even when your internet goes down; this local-first architecture delivers near-instant response to every trigger without relying on remote servers to process commands; compatible with 1,000+ devices across 100+ brands, and device data stays at home for enhanced privacy
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Samsung says local control produced response times approximately 30% faster than cloud-based control in its controlled tests. The company notes that actual performance may vary by environment; this was not an independent test.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does Matter 1.6 add to SmartThings?
The update adds support for four Matter 1.6 device categories named by Samsung:
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- 【Easy Setup, One Control】With Matter, Skip the step of downloading and registering multiple manufacturers' apps every time you buy a new device. Instead, head straight to certified smart home platforms like Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, or AiDot to control all your Matter devices.【TIP】Matter-certified hub or controller (HomePod, Echo Dot, Nest, SmartThings Hub) is required for Apple Home/Alexa/Google Home/SmartThings platforms. Alternatively, the AiDot app can be used without hub
- 【Offline-Ready Control】Once you've set up your Matter-certified devices on your LAN, they'll be able to communicate with each other directly, using the Matter protocol. This means that if your home internet connection goes offline, your Matter-certified devices will still be able to communicate and be controlled within your LAN, without relying on the internet or cloud services.
- 【Remote Control from Anywhere】Use the app to turn electronics on before you arrive home and off after you leave, no matter where you are. Using the smart plug that work with alexa manage your power usage and save money.
- 【Hands-free Voice Control】Control linkind homekit plug using simple voice commands through Apple HomeKit, Siri, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and SmartThings, without the need for physical input such as buttons or switches.
- 【Flexible Scheduling & Timer】Effortlessly reduce energy usage with automatic device shutdown after a set time. For example Chrismas Tree, TV, Lamp, Fan, Humidifier,Blenders, Lightbulbs
| Category | What it can cover |
|---|---|
| Energy meters | Real-time power monitoring |
| Closures | Specialized doors and gates |
| Irrigation devices | Devices such as sprinklers |
| Soil sensors | Measurements of ground conditions |
Samsung says Matter 1.6 support enhances stability and Group Control performance. Support for a category does not guarantee compatibility with every product in it. Check the exact device and hub requirements before buying or connecting a product.
Quick Recap
What to check before relying on the update
- Confirm that your device is within Samsung’s stated supported-device scope; the announcement does not list every model or regional rollout date.
- For local control, verify that your setup includes one of the named hubs or hub-enabled Samsung devices.
- For Matter 1.6, confirm that both the desired category and the specific product are supported by your SmartThings setup.
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