SmartThings for Android

SmartThings is a smart home control app by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. that connects and manages Samsung smart TVs, home appliances, and compatible devices from one place. It was first released on 17 April 2017 and has been updated regularly since, with the most recent build listed at version 1.8.51.30 on 4 October 2026. The app is free, carries no advertising, and reports no in-app purchases, which keeps the experience centered on device control rather than upsells. Its scale is considerable, with over a billion installs and a rating of 4.57 from more than five and a half million ratings, and the content rating is Everyone.

In practice, the app acts as a single hub for a household's connected gadgets. It works with hundreds of smart home brands, so Samsung televisions, speakers, and appliances can sit alongside products from names such as Ring, Nest, and Philips Hue. Voice assistants including Alexa, Bixby, and Google Assistant can be used to issue commands, and shared access lets other household members control the same setup. Automations can be built around time, weather, or the current status of a device, and automated notifications keep owners informed about what their devices are doing. The app is optimized for Samsung smartphones, and some functions may be limited on phones from other vendors, while availability of certain features varies by country. A companion experience exists for Wear OS watches, though it requires a paired phone.

The most recent update focuses on daily usability. The Home tab has been redesigned so frequently used features and key information appear on the first screen, and control of hub-connected devices is faster when the phone and hub share the same Wi-Fi network. A dedicated screen now handles offline device diagnostics, allowing users to check and recover devices that have dropped off, and Routine Insights surfaces the three most-used routines along with recent activity. The app requires Android 12 or later and a device with at least 3 GB of memory, and the download package is 227 MB.

From a privacy standpoint, nearly every sensitive permission is optional. Location is used to find devices, build location-based routines, and scan for nearby hardware over Wi-Fi, while the nearby devices permission on Android 12 and above supports Bluetooth Low Energy scanning. Notifications on Android 13 and up deliver device alerts. Camera access is for scanning QR codes when adding members or devices, and the microphone helps add certain devices using high-frequency sounds. Files, media, photos, videos, and audio permissions relate to saving data and playing content on connected devices, phone access enables calls on smart speakers, contacts are read to send text message notifications, and physical activity detection supports pet walk tracking. The app can run without granting the optional permissions, though some functions will be limited. The Wear OS version asks separately for nearby devices, notifications, and microphone access.

Key features

• Connect and control Samsung smart TVs, smart appliances, speakers, and devices from hundreds of compatible brands in one interface
• Monitor and check in on the home remotely from anywhere
• Build routines triggered by time, weather conditions, or the status of a device
• Share control with other users so household members can operate the same devices
• Receive automated status notifications about connected devices
• Issue commands through Alexa, Bixby, or Google Assistant
• Redesigned Home tab that puts frequently used features and key information up front
• Faster control of hub-connected devices when the phone and hub are on the same Wi-Fi
• Dedicated offline device diagnostics screen for checking and recovering disconnected devices
• Routine Insights showing the top three most-used routines and recent activity

How to install

1. Tap the download button on this page to get the 227 MB APK file.
2. If Android prompts you, allow your browser or file manager to install apps by enabling the Install unknown apps setting for that app.
3. Open the downloaded APK file from your notifications or file manager.
4. Tap Install and wait for the package to finish installing.
5. Open the app and sign in to begin adding devices; Android 12 or later and at least 3 GB of memory are required.

Recent updates

The latest update brings a redesigned Home tab, making it easier to reach frequently used features and key information right from the start. Devices connected to your hub now respond faster when your phone and hub share the same Wi-Fi network. A new offline device diagnostics screen lets you check and recover offline devices in one place, and Routine Insights shows your top three most-used routines along with recent activity.

Households already using Samsung televisions, appliances, or speakers who want one place to manage them; owners of mixed-brand smart homes who need a single control app; and privacy-conscious users who prefer to grant permissions selectively rather than all at once.

Review the optional permissions after installation and grant only what your setup needs. Location can be left off if you do not use location-based routines, and camera, microphone, contacts, and physical activity access can be enabled later when a specific feature calls for them.

SmartThings is a mature, widely used way to bring a mixed collection of smart home devices under one roof, and its free, ad-free model with no in-app purchases is a genuine plus. The main caveats are its Samsung-first optimization, country-dependent features, and a long list of optional permissions, though the app does function without most of them. For anyone with compatible hardware, it is a reasonable choice, provided you check the Android 12 requirement and 3 GB memory minimum before installing.