Samsung announced a SmartThings platform update on October 6, 2026. It adds SmartThings Now cards that combine contextual information with immediate controls at the top of the Home tab, along with local hub control and Matter 1.6 support. Source
SmartThings Now suggests the next action on the Home tab
SmartThings Now presents information and controls that match the user’s current situation. If a person enrolled in Family Care shows no device activity for an extended period, for example, a caregiver may see a card with options to check in or call. Near a home location already registered in SmartThings, the app may suggest turning on lights or an air purifier and then offer to turn that action into a routine. Source
The feature also reviews the previous week’s activity to suggest adding or removing devices, services, and routines from Home tab Favorites. A Routine Insight card shows recent routine activity and lets the user remove routines that are no longer useful. These are prompts for the user to review and act on; Samsung does not say every suggestion runs automatically. Source
The redesigned Home tab reorganizes dashboards and device and service cards, while a Floating Bar puts frequently used features near the bottom for easier one-handed use. Samsung says the updated Home experience, including SmartThings Now, is available across supported mobile devices, Samsung Smart TVs, Family Hub refrigerators, Samsung appliances with 7-inch or 9-inch screens, and Windows devices. Source
Offline operation means local control on the same home network
Local control requires the phone and a supported SmartThings Hub to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Commands can then travel directly from the phone to the hub instead of going through the external cloud. Samsung reports an approximately 30% response-time improvement in controlled tests, but says actual performance can vary with the user’s environment. Source
Support covers the Android and iOS SmartThings apps with SmartThings Station, SmartThings V2, V3, and V4 Hubs, plus hub-enabled Samsung Smart TVs and Family Hub. Away from home, SmartThings uses cloud-based remote control and switches between local and cloud paths according to whether the phone is home or away. The announcement therefore does not promise control when the home Wi-Fi itself is unavailable or when the phone and hub are not on the same network. Source
An updated Offline Device Diagnostics page can apply new network information across registered devices to help restore devices that dropped offline. That is most useful when Wi-Fi details changed; it is not a promise to diagnose or repair every device failure. Source
Matter 1.6 adds four device categories
The update adds Matter 1.6 support. Samsung specifically lists Energy Meters for real-time power monitoring, Closures for specialized doors and gates, Irrigation devices such as sprinklers, and Soil Sensors. It also says stability and multi-device Group Control performance improve with the update. Source
Matter 1.6 support does not establish compatibility with every product in those categories. Before adding a device, check its Matter version, SmartThings certification or support listing, and hub requirements. Samsung’s announcement does not give a country-by-country rollout date or app-version number, so availability should be confirmed in the latest SmartThings app and the current firmware for each device.