Samsung has launched a significant redesign of its SmartThings app for Android, aligning it with the refreshed iPhone version to offer faster device access, personalised routines, and a centralised home dashboard, signalling a shift towards more intelligent connected home management.
Samsung has started rolling out a substantial redesign of SmartThings, its control app for connected homes, bringing Android into line with a refreshed iPhone version that arrived first. According to Android Authority, the update focuses on a denser Home view, quicker access to devices and routines, and a more prominent role for the most used controls. The timing is notable: Galaxy owners are receiving the overhaul only after iPhone users had already seen it, despite SmartThings being one of Samsung’s core software platforms. The move reflects how much the quality of the app now matters in a market where the home ecosystem is increasingly shaped by software rather than hardware alone.
The new layout gives SmartThings a more compact structure, with smaller cards for devices and automations, plus a floating navigation bar that sits above the content. Android Authority and Android Central both report that Samsung has also added support for moving and resizing those cards, allowing users to prioritise the devices and routines they rely on most. That is a practical change for households with a growing number of connected products, where a single app may now manage lighting, plugs, televisions, robot vacuums and other appliances. Samsung’s own ecosystem has expanded over time as well, including native support for a wide range of IKEA products, which makes better organisation more than a cosmetic improvement.
The updated Home tab now includes a weather banner and routine suggestions at the top of the screen, while a separate Favourites area gives pinned devices and automations quicker access. Android Authority says Samsung has also introduced Routine Insights, which surfaces the three most frequently used routines and their recent activity. The TV remote built into SmartThings has been redesigned too, with a lighter appearance and controls to adjust its size and position. Those additions point to Samsung trying to make the app act less like a simple device list and more like a central dashboard for the entire connected home.
The rollout is happening in stages through the Google Play Store and the Galaxy Store, so not every Android user will see the update immediately. AndroidPure reported that the matching iPhone release appeared on 29 September 2026, with version 1.7.51 bringing the refreshed Home tab and faster local device control. The staggered release underlines Samsung’s current strategy: keep SmartThings visually consistent across platforms, but let the company’s mobile software set the pace for how connected-home controls are organised. In a home automation market shaped by standards such as Matter 1.6, that software layer is becoming as important as the devices themselves.
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