The way smart home devices were designed back in the day was annoying. Each company basically tried to use its own platform in hopes of market dominance. The reality was that this created a very fractured ecosystem, where you actually end up with fewer choices than you’d like because you have to find a smart home product that actually works with your other devices. That being said, there is some good news on the cross-platform front. It appears that Apple’s Siri Shortcuts will now work with Samsung SmartThings.
Siri Shortcuts finally supports Samsung SmartThings
In the latest update to Samsung SmartThings, it looks like it has finally gained support for Apple Siri Shortcuts. What does this mean for users? Basically, if you’re an iPhone user, you can actually include SmartThings as part of your routine. So, if you own an Apple device like the HomePod or HomePod mini, you can use your voice to control Samsung smart home devices.
In addition to supporting Siri Shortcuts, Samsung has updated its app. Now, the SmartThings app, like on the Apple Watch, will show users a full list of their devices. They can also use the app to send commands, perform routines, and more. There is even support for lock screen control via Live Activities.
According to Samsung, “The new release gives users the ability to access device groups created in the SmartThings app. When devices are grouped together, a user can now see and control those groups right from their wrist. Apple Watch owners with SmartThings can now view their full device list, send commands, and execute routines on the go.”
What are Siri Shortcuts?
For non-iPhone users, Siri Shortcuts are a set of customizable instructions to help automate certain things on your device. For instance, you can create a custom scenario where at a certain time of the day, you can set it so that your smart home activates or deactivates. You can also create a custom instruction so that when your phone battery drops to a certain percentage, low power mode automatically kicks in.
In fact, Google has its own take on Shortcuts for Android. It comes in the form of Google Assistant App Actions. So, if you’ve used that before, then you have a rough idea of how Siri Shortcuts work.
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