“Samsung’s AI technology goes beyond everyday convenience to help users care for themselves and their families with greater peace of mind,” said Jaeyeon Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of the SmartThings Team, AI Platform Center, Samsung Electronics. “SmartThings will continue to strengthen its role as a platform that seamlessly connects customers’ daily lives with AI, and it will keep expanding differentiated services on an ongoing basis.”

Enhanced Family Care Makes It Easier To Check In on Loved Ones

Family Care connects SmartThings with a range of home appliances and mobile devices to provide notifications regarding the activities of users’ aging parents and reminders for medication and hospital visits — as well as location-based alerts. With this update, the service enables even more thoughtful care.

Additionally, Samsung’s new Care on Call¹ feature allows users to more closely check on the status of the care recipient through a simple phone call. When a caregiver using the service calls the care recipient, a floating pop-up that displays key information like the time of the first activity of the day, the most recent activity time and the local weather — all at a glance — appears before the call begins. This helps caregivers ask more meaningful check-in questions and respond accordingly.

SmartThings can also continuously monitor devices like air conditioners, air purifiers, dehumidifiers and humidifiers for indoor temperature, humidity and air quality. If unusual usage patterns are detected, the caregiver is immediately notified and can remotely control the relevant device.²

Family Care has made the Safety Patrol feature — which utilizes SmartThings to send a new Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra to check various areas around the house — even more convenient. If the care recipient’s activity is not detected for a specified period of time, users receive a notification and the feature can be remotely activated if the caregiver needs to take action.³ Using a camera built into the robot vacuum, caregivers can view issues that might occur — such as a person lying incapacitated — and two-way communication through the built-in speaker and microphone allows them to act.

To further enhance the level of care provided to loved ones, the Care Insight feature been enhanced to provide even more actionable, long-term data within the Family Care service. It analyzes factors like temperature and humidity levels, paying attention to whether they deviate from optimal ranges. It also tracks significant changes in activity levels and connected device usage compared to the previous week.

Expansion of Now Brief to TVs and Family Hub

Now Brief delivers a rich AI experience by integrating a broad range of key SmartThings services that help users stay informed about their daily lives, their family members and conditions inside and outside the home.

With the launch of the Galaxy S26 series, Now Brief will support Home Security, Family Care and Pet Care, in addition to existing features that include Home Insight, Energy and the Sleep Environment Report. Through Now Brief, users can access the useful information needed to care for themselves, their families and their homes at a glance.

 Now Brief is set to deliver a consistent customized experience throughout the home,⁴ and will soon roll out in phases to TVs launched in 2024 or later, as well as Family Hub refrigerators launched in 2021 or later.

For added convenience, users will not need to manually launch Now Brief. If the feature is set up in advance, it will be automatically activated when they approach the TV, touch the Family Hub refrigerator screen or open and close the refrigerator door.

And now, whether at home or on the go, the expanded Now Brief helps users stay up to date by providing information such as home device status and energy usage, as well as the sleep status of the previous night, Home Security updates based on door locks, door sensors, and security mode, parents’ daily activity updates and dog-walking information.⁵

1. Care on Call is available on Galaxy smartphones running One UI 8.5 or later. Internet calls are not supported. ︎
2. Remote control is available when the caregiver has been set up to remotely control the care recipient’s devices. ︎
3. Remote control is available when the caregiver has been set up to remotely control the care recipient’s devices. Availability may vary depending on product, model and region. ︎
4. Availability may vary depending on product, model, region, and each product’s Over The Network (OTN) software update schedule. ︎
5. The relevant devices should be registered in SmartThings, and the service must be activated in the Life tab. ︎

By connecting Samsung’s global connected living platform SmartThings with TVs and home appliances, SmartThings Family Care provides activity notifications, medication and appointment reminders, as well as location-based alerts.² This service offers practical support for caregivers and care recipients living apart, granting peace of mind while empowering daily independence.

Available in over 200 countries worldwide,³ the service’s latest update simplifies the initial connection and setup process. Settings can now be customized with greater precision, tailored to fit each family’s lifestyle and needs. Additionally, integration with Samsung Health makes it easier to keep track of the well-being of loved ones.⁴

Samsung Newsroom took a closer look at the new and improved Family Care experience.

Easy Setup With Just One Link

▲ Care recipients can easily join Family Care by accessing an invitation link sent by their caregiver.

With this update, even people unfamiliar with using apps can install Family Care and complete the setup on their own. Caregivers can simply send an invitation link that includes easy-to-follow guided steps to join the service.

Personalized Experiences for Caregivers and Care Recipients Alike

▲ Care recipients can select what information to share with their caregivers — and stop sharing at any time.

SmartThings Family Care ensures convenience for caregivers and privacy for care recipients. Care recipients can choose what information to share, while caregivers can quickly and intuitively access the necessary details within those boundaries. This update allows families to define caregiver and care recipient roles more clearly, reflecting their individual preferences and circumstances.

Activity Monitoring and Inactivity Alerts: Peace of Mind Even When Apart

▲ Family Care provides a summary of the care recipient’s activities, and automatically sends an alert to the caregiver if no activity is detected for a set period of time.

If Family Care detects that a care recipient has not used certain appliances like the refrigerator or TV for an extended period, it sends an alert to caregivers to check in. Upon receiving the alert, they can respond immediately — either by calling the care recipient or by remotely activating a registered robot vacuum with a built-in camera to check the situation at home. The inactivity alert interval can also be adjusted to suit each family’s needs.

If care recipients use the Samsung Health app, caregivers can also view details such as wake-up times, bedtimes and daily step counts — enabling a more proactive approach to health management.⁵

From Daily Safety to Cherished Moments: Keeping Families Connected

▲ By registering places of interest and setting alert conditions, caregivers can ensure the care recipient remains safe wherever they go.

With the consent of the care recipient, caregivers  can register essential locations such as hospitals, pharmacies, supermarkets and cultural venues to monitor their visit histories, real-time routes and current whereabouts — helping to ensure their safety when out of the house. This feature is also invaluable for tracking children’s journeys to and from school.

▲ By registering important schedules, caregivers can receive reminders to help ensure the care recipient never misses them.

Caregivers can also use Family Care to help loved ones remember important events such as regular health check-ups, hospital appointments, medication schedules and family gatherings. Once set up, reminders are sent to the caregiver and care recipient at the scheduled time.

Even when families live apart and daily life grows hectic, caring for those who matter most remains at the heart of what people do. SmartThings Family Care embraces this belief by offering a smarter, more connected way to support and look after one another.

Stay closer to your family than ever before with SmartThings Family Care.

¹ Available on Samsung Galaxy smartphones with Android OS 11 or later and at least 3GB of RAM
² Applicable to Samsung smartphones, tablets, TVs, refrigerators, washers, dryers, ovens, cooktops and robot vacuum cleaners connected to SmartThings
³ Product and service availability may vary by country, region, service provider, network environment or device, and may change without notice.
⁴ Not intended for medical purposes
⁵ “Sleep and wake-up events” and “Step count” permissions under Connect with Samsung Health app in SmartThings settings must be enabled. After entering the care recipient’s profile in Family Care, Samsung Health usage must be activated from the More options menu at the top of the screen.

Samsung SmartThings began as Samsung Electronics’ Internet of Things (IoT) platform, connecting not only Samsung products but also a wide array of devices from partner companies. This integration has evolved into a seamless, connected experience tailored to fit diverse lifestyles.

Growing from 100 million subscribers in 2019 to over 350 million by August 2024, SmartThings has established Samsung as a leader in the smart home market. The platform continues to expand its influence in the IoT industry by enhancing its AI-driven capabilities and even extending its reach into the B2B space.

Check out the infographic below to explore Samsung SmartThings’ 10-year journey of innovation.