SmartThings quietly became a much more useful smart home app by turning Samsung TVs, Galaxy phones, and other everyday devices into the brain of your house. With built-in hubs on many Samsung TVs from 2024 and newer, and Galaxy phones acting as universal keys for locks from brands like Aqara and Schlage, smart home control now feels more normal and less like a hobby. If you tried SmartThings years ago and moved on, it may be time to look again.
SmartThings became useful because Samsung turned devices people already own into the main way to run their smart home
Many Samsung TVs already double as SmartThings hubs
SmartThings became useful for a lot of people once many Samsung TVs from 2024 and later started shipping with a SmartThings hub built in. The TV in your living room might already be your smart home brain without you realizing it. If you bought a mid-range or higher Samsung TV in 2024 or 2025, there is a good chance it has Thread, Matter, and Zigbee support with no extra box. Models like the 2024 Neo QLED 4K and OLED S90D have this built into the TV, so you can pair lights, sensors, and plugs straight to your TV and control them from the SmartThings app or the TV remote.
This setup removes one of the biggest pain points of smart homes: needing a separate $50 to $150 hub box that plugs into your router. If your TV is already on and connected to Wi‑Fi, SmartThings can reach most of your devices from that single spot. You can also use the TV screen as a dashboard to see cameras, check who rang the doorbell, or change the thermostat without pulling out your phone. For a lot of homes, the “hub” is something they already own and were using every day anyway.
Galaxy phones turned into universal keys for smart locks
SmartThings also became more useful because Galaxy phones now act like universal keys with Aliro support and Samsung Wallet integration for smart locks. Recent Galaxy S and Galaxy Z models can use Aliro (the new CSA standard for phone-as-key access that pairs with Matter onboarding) to talk directly to supported locks over NFC and ultra wideband. Brands like Aqara, Nuki, ULTRALOQ, and Schlage have announced Aliro‑ready or Aliro‑upgradable locks that can be added to SmartThings and stored in Samsung Wallet. That turns your phone into a secure key that works at your front door, apartment gate, or office.
Once a lock is in Samsung Wallet, you can tap your phone or Galaxy Watch to unlock, even if the SmartThings cloud is down. You can share digital keys with family or guests, set time limits, and revoke access from the same place you manage credit cards and transit passes. Since these locks also connect to the SmartThings app, you can run automations like turning on entryway lights or turning off a security mode when the door unlocks. With TVs acting as hubs and phones acting as keys, SmartThings shifted onto hardware people already carry or look at every day, instead of one more box by the router.
SmartThings caught up by getting easier, cheaper, and broader
IKEA’s 25 Matter-ready devices made cheap smart homes much simpler
SmartThings now talks to all 25 of IKEA’s Matter-ready smart home devices without weird workarounds, so you can build a cheap setup that actually feels polished. That means stuff like TRÅDFRI bulbs, FYRTUR blinds, and smart plugs show up in SmartThings as normal devices with native controls. You don’t have to juggle the IKEA Home Smart app just to change a bulb color or schedule blinds. For anyone on a budget, IKEA prices plus one SmartThings app is a big shift from the old “cheap but clunky” experience.
Because Matter runs locally when it can, those IKEA lights and plugs respond faster in SmartThings than older cloud-to-cloud links. A starter setup with four TRÅDFRI bulbs and a smart plug or two now drops straight into SmartThings scenes and Routines. You can put an IKEA button in the hallway and have it control a Samsung TV, Philips Hue lights, and a robot vacuum in one tap. That kind of mix-and-match used to mean a bunch of bridges and odd integrations; now it mostly just means scanning a Matter QR code.
Family Care, Pet Care, and Home Security tightened into one view
The latest SmartThings update tightened the integration of Family Care, Pet Care, and Home Security inside SmartThings. Family Care now shows phone location pings, presence status, and connected wearables under one tab. Pet Care connects to compatible cameras, feeders, and motion sensors so you can check on pets with the same Routines that control lights and temperature. Home Security brings armed modes, sensor alerts, and camera clips into that same view.
This merge means one automation can handle real-life combos like “Away” mode that arms security, turns on Pet Care notifications, and tracks when kids get home. You do not need separate logins or apps just to switch security modes or silence a pet alert when someone walks in the door. It also cuts down on notification spam because SmartThings groups alerts from those three features by event. Instead of acting like three different products, the app now behaves like one brain for people, pets, and protection together.
SmartThings is worth a second look for many people, but it still is not the best pick for everyone
SmartThings now works well for a lot of homes, but power users and strict privacy fans still have better choices.
SmartThings vs. Home Assistant for power users
If you want deep customization, local-first control, and heavy automation tinkering, Home Assistant still wins by a mile. Home Assistant lets you run everything on your own hardware, like a Raspberry Pi or a small Intel NUC, and you can keep most devices talking locally over Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, or Matter. You can build automations with YAML, Node-RED, and complex conditions that SmartThings’ Routine editor just cannot match.
SmartThings has made progress with things like Edge drivers, local processing for some devices, and advanced Routines, but you are still mostly living inside Samsung’s cloud and app rules. If you want per-room presence detection, custom dashboards on a Fire tablet, or 50+ condition automations that trigger based on multiple sensors and calendars, Home Assistant is still the better sandbox. SmartThings is great if you want “set it once and forget it,” but not if you like spending weekends tweaking automations and graphs.
SmartThings vs. Apple Home for privacy and simple Apple-only homes
If your top priority is privacy and you live inside the Apple world, Apple Home with HomeKit and Matter still has the cleaner story. Most HomeKit automations run locally on a HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K, or a HomePod as the hub, and Apple leans hard into on-device processing and minimal data collection. If you already have an iPhone, Apple Watch, and a couple of HomePods, staying with Apple Home keeps everything under one company’s privacy rules.
SmartThings makes more sense if you own Samsung gear or a mixed bag of devices and just want an easy setup. A Samsung TV, Galaxy phone, or SmartThings Station can act as a hub, and the app talks to Matter, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, and cloud devices from brands like Philips Hue, TP-Link Kasa, and Ecobee in one place. You trade some of Apple’s tight privacy stance for better support across Android and iOS, cheaper device options, and a simpler path if your family does not all use iPhones.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does SmartThings compare to Google Home and Apple Home in 2026 for device support?
SmartThings supports a wider mix of brands and device types than Google Home or Apple Home, especially for older Zigbee and Z-Wave gear. It works with Matter, Wi‑Fi, and many legacy hubs and sensors, while Google and Apple focus more on Wi‑Fi and Matter devices and have tighter limits on niche or regional brands.
What new features did the SmartThings app add in 2026 that made it more useful?
The SmartThings app became more useful by adding a unified multi‑hub dashboard, native Matter and Thread scene control, and deeper automation based on presence, energy use, and device status. Users can now mix Matter, Zigbee, Z‑Wave, Wi‑Fi, and Thread gadgets inside a single routine, and the new “Map” view makes it easier to see which device or automation failed when something doesn’t work.
Can SmartThings control Matter and Thread devices from different brands in one app?
Yes, SmartThings can control Matter and Thread devices from different brands in one app. You can add Matter-certified devices using a QR code or numeric setup code, and SmartThings will manage them alongside older Wi‑Fi, Zigbee, and Z‑Wave products in the same interface.
Do I still need a SmartThings hub in 2026, or can I just use the app and my existing devices?
You do not always need a SmartThings hub now, because many Wi‑Fi, Matter, and cloud‑connected devices can connect directly through the SmartThings app. You still need a hub (like the SmartThings Station, Aeotec Smart Home Hub, or a built‑in TV/fridge hub) if you want Zigbee or Z‑Wave devices, local automations, or more reliable control when your internet goes out.
Is SmartThings free to use in 2026, and are there any paid plans or subscription fees?
SmartThings is free to use, and there is no required subscription fee for the core app and basic device control. You can download the app, add compatible devices, and run automations without paying, though some third‑party services or advanced features from partner brands may have their own separate subscriptions.
Who should switch, who should stay, and who should just try it
SmartThings became the most useful smart home app this year because Samsung quietly turned TVs, Galaxy phones, and cheap Matter gear into a single, normal-feeling control system you might already own. If you have a Samsung TV from 2024 or newer or a recent Galaxy phone, open SmartThings and see what shows up before buying any new hub. When you add new gadgets, look for Matter support and confirmed SmartThings compatibility so everything drops into one app with fewer extra boxes. If you are a heavy tinkerer or care most about strict privacy, keep SmartThings in mind as a secondary option while you stick with Home Assistant or Apple Home as your main setup.
