Samsung just announced their newest SmartThings feature, Family Care. SmartThings Family Care is a service built into the SmartThings app for Galaxy smartphones. It is designed to help people who provide care to loved ones. Many adults in the United States take care of family members or friends, and keeping up with medication, appointments, and daily routines can be stressful. SmartThings Family Care aims to make these tasks easier by using smart devices and simple tools that work together.
The latest update to SmartThings Family Care brings several changes. The service is now available in over 200 countries, so more people can use it. There are new role-based features, which means there are separate modes for caregivers and for those who are receiving care. Caregivers can monitor daily routines, get alerts, track locations, and manage schedules. People who receive care have control over what information is shared, which helps protect their privacy while still allowing support from caregivers.
Setting up the service and inviting family members has been made easier. Caregivers can send a single invitation link to their loved ones. Even people who are not familiar with smart devices or apps can join with guided steps. This helps families connect without a complicated process. Information sharing is also more flexible. Users can choose not to share certain data if they want more privacy. Activities, locations, and schedules are organized into separate tabs in the app, which makes it simple for caregivers to find what they need quickly.
SmartThings Family Care now supports real-time monitoring of household activity. For example, caregivers can check if a television or appliance has been turned on. They can set custom intervals for checking in if there has been no activity. The service also allows remote use of Samsung robot vacuums with cameras, so caregivers can visually check on loved ones at home when needed. This adds another way to make sure everything is okay without being intrusive.
Integration with Samsung Health is another key addition. This feature lets caregivers see health information such as when someone wakes up, their sleep patterns, and step counts. Having this data in one place helps caregivers notice changes and support healthy routines. Reminders for medication, health checks, and appointments can be set up and shown on Galaxy phones or Samsung TVs, so important tasks are less likely to be forgotten. The app can also send location-based alerts. For example, caregivers can get a message when a loved one arrives at or leaves a doctor’s office or pharmacy.
SmartThings Family Care also includes tools to help families stay in touch. Shared reminders for family gatherings, special events, or regular check-ins can be set up in the app. This helps everyone feel more connected, even if they do not live in the same place. The service is available through the Life tab in the SmartThings app. As more families take on caregiving roles, SmartThings Family Care is designed to support them by making daily care tasks simpler, safer, and less stressful.
View the original press release.
