Experimental new functionality arrives for SmartThings Android app
Samsung has taken the covers off of SmartThings Labs – a new section within the SmartThings app where users will be able to tap into new features and functions before they are ready for a wider release.
The idea is that people looking to tinker with their SmartThings systems will have some nifty new options available and the engineer bods over in Korea will get some data on how any possible features perform before they roll them out to a wider audience.
“The SmartThings Labs provides a collection of experimental features, developed in-house by SmartThings, to test out user feedback on new service offerings” reads a mission statement on the new SmartThing Labs hub page. “It opens up various possibilities for users to expand their smart living experience.”
- Top picks: Best SmartThings compatible devices
There’s a bunch of new tools available for anyone looking to take SmartThings Labs right out of the gate, including:
Gentle wake-up: A feature that uses any smart lights you have connected to your SmartThings system to ease you into a new day – i.e. you can set a bedside lamp to slowly brighten at a certain time.
Universal Remote Control: Similar to a HomeKit Control Center, this looks to be a one-stop shop for all your favorite smart home controls.
Turn it off when I leave: Clue is in the name here but, strangely, isn’t powered by geolocation; instead it relies on motion sensors you have within your smart home to tell a certain device that you’re no longer home. This one might actually be more useful, then, for specific room scenarios – for example, turning off a lamp or a heater when no one is detected in a room.
TV quick control: A neat widget that allows for Samsung smart TV controls and also, like you get with an iPhone and Apple TV, the ability to use your phone’s keyboard to enter email addresses, passwords and the like on streaming apps.
The SmartThings Labs features are only available in the US and Korea to begin with and, as mentioned, it’s only Android smartphone users who get in on the action for now.
Read: SmartThings hardware is no more
To get involved tap SmartApps in the My home menu, then choose More and then just tap on the SmartThings Labs option.