Samsung SmartThings Update Adds Siri Shortcuts and Live Activities

Samsung has announced a new update for its SmartThings app on Apple devices, which integrates it more deeply into the Apple ecosystem. The brand has revealed that a new update to SmartThings adds support for Siri Shortcuts .

Samsung enhances SmartThings on Apple devices

In a new press release, Samsung highlights that the SmartThings app will now support Siri Shortcuts, which will allow users to control their smart home using Apple's voice assistant. The feature lets user run their SmartThings routines with a simple Siri Command.

For example, if there's a routine for when you enter your house which adjusts lights, blinds and other things, you can trigger the routine by asking Siri directly, without even opening the SmartThings app.

Besides, Samsung also highlights that the update brings enhancements to other Apple devices. For starters, the SmartThings apps for Apple Watch will now allow users to see a full list of their devices, send commands and run routines right from their wrists.

Furthermore, the SmartThings on iOS is also adding support for Live Activities. This will enable users to view and control up to five of their most recently used smart home devices directly from their iPhone's lock screen.

This compatibility should enable Samsung and Apple devices to work seamlessly in home automation, bridging the gap between ecosystems and making it easier for users to stay connected.

Activating Siri shortcuts via SmartThings isn't inherently new, and has been possible with the IFTTT applet via the IFTTT app. For those unaware, IFTTT makes automation easier. And you can still do more using the same method than what you can do with the official method. 

However, the new official method from Samsung should solve the latency issues caused when using IFTTT. Also, it was more of a hobbyist solution and not something an average user would want to set up. Therefore, the new method is always going to be faster.