Samsung has rolled out a major redesign of its SmartThings app — now live for Android and iOS, with Matter 1.6 support, local control upgrades, and a new ‘Now’ dashboard that surfaces real-time actions and insights. It’s the first smart home platform globally to ship with Matter 1.6 compatibility, according to Samsung’s official announcement via SamMobile on 6 October 2026. The update is not tied to any new hardware launch. It’s a software-only release, available now to all existing SmartThings users worldwide. No regional restrictions or phased rollout are mentioned. The app supports over 430 Works with SmartThings–certified brands and serves more than 470 million registered users. That number includes users who’ve ever signed up. Not just active monthly users, so it reflects scale, not engagement. The redesign brings SmartThings closer in visual language to One UI 9.0: refreshed colors, resizable device cards, dynamic Live Wallpapers that shift hue across the day, and a compact floating bottom bar for Home, Devices, Life, Routines, and Menu. SmartThings Now sits at the top of the app as a dedicated section. It uses large, tappable cards. Like “Turn on lights + air purifier when you arrive home” or “Check-in reminder for elderly family member”, and adds contextual alerts: unusual appliance power draw, or automation suggestions based on weekly usage patterns. Local control has been upgraded. When your phone and SmartThings Hub share the same Wi-Fi network, commands bypass the cloud entirely. Samsung claims this makes actions up to 30% faster. And keeps devices controllable during internet outages. A new Offline Device Diagnostics page lets users push updated Wi-Fi credentials to all registered devices at once, solving a long-standing pain point when switching routers or changing passwords. Matter 1.6 support unlocks three new device categories: energy meters (for real-time power tracking), closures (curtains, gates, windows), and irrigation gear (sprinklers, soil sensors). Stability improvements and enhanced group controls are also included. This is not a preview or beta. It’s the production version, live in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store as of 6 October 2026. There is no mention of pricing changes, subscription tiers, or hardware requirements beyond what’s already supported by the current SmartThings ecosystem. The update arrives ahead of Samsung’s expected November 2026 launch of the Galaxy S26 series, and just as Amazon Prime Big Deal Days and Flipkart’s Great Indian Festival wrap up. Next: expect Matter 1.6–certified accessories from third-party brands to start appearing in India and the US within weeks, now that the platform layer is live.