Samsung Releases SmartThings Update With SmartThings Now
Samsung has released a new SmartThings platform update headlined by SmartThings Now, bringing interface layout adjustments and improved automation access.
Samsung has rolled out a new SmartThings platform update headlined by the introduction of SmartThings Now. The October 5, 2026 release brings several interface layout adjustments and expanded control capabilities to the platform.
What Happened
On October 5, 2026, Samsung released a platform update for SmartThings that reorganizes how users interact with their connected home ecosystem. According to the announcement, the centerpiece of the update is SmartThings Now, which relocates automation suggestions from deep menus and submenus to the very top of the Home tab.
Alongside SmartThings Now, Samsung redesigned the Home tab layout to reorganize dashboards, device cards, and service cards. The update also introduces a new Floating Bar designed to facilitate one-handed use of the app, and expands local hub-to-phone control features.
Key Details
- Key features and components included in the update:
- SmartThings Now: Displays cards at the top of the Home tab.
- Home Insight and Routine Insight: Features integrated into the SmartThings Now card system.
- Family Care card: An additional card feature included in the update.
- Floating Bar: Added to assist with one-handed use.
- Redesigned layout: Reorganizes dashboards, device cards, and service cards on the Home tab.
Why It Matters
Jaeyeon Jung noted that the update represents another step in ongoing efforts to transition SmartThings away from an experience where users have to actively search for and launch features. By bringing automation suggestions directly to the top of the Home tab, the platform aims to streamline user interaction.
What We Know So Far
Confirmed facts include the release date of October 5, 2026, and the inclusion of SmartThings Now, the Floating Bar, expanded local hub-to-phone control, and the Home tab redesign.
Uncertain information includes a lack of details regarding a required app version or a country-by-country rollout timeline. Samsung has also not specified whether features like Family Care require a specific plan or particular hardware, nor has the company published details on what constitutes "extended" inactivity for the Family Care card, how sensitive its detection is, or how false alerts are handled.
