Evolving for the Better: SmartThings Ecosystem Gives Galaxy Users Better Control Over Their Connected Devices

SmartThings Find network reaches 70 million helper devices, introducing features for added convenience and privacy

SEOUL, KOREA – April 20, 2021 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd today announced that the company’s recently launched SmartThings Find ecosystem is continuing to grow rapidly, now comprising more than 70 million helper devices. The service also continues to evolve with enhanced privacy features and voice command updates. The updates, which include the ability to detect unknown Galaxy SmartTags in your vicinity and the use of Bixby to conveniently find your belongings, enable you to have more control of your connected items from the SmartThings app.

SmartThings Find Becomes One of the Fastest-Growing Location Services
SmartThings Find¹, one of the standout features of the SmartThings ecosystem, enables Galaxy users to locate registered Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and earbuds quickly and easily using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra-wideband (UWB) technologies. It can also help find personal items such as keys, bags and bicycles that have one of Samsung’s small, Bluetooth-powered Galaxy SmartTag devices attached.

SmartThings Find users can help others find lost or misplaced items by opting in via the SmartThings app². Since its launch in October 2020, more than 70 million devices have been registered and with a quick consent, 700 million Galaxy users can participate in the SmartThings Find network, making it one of the fastest-growing location services in the world.

SmartThings Find is Enhanced with New Safety and Convenience Features
In addition to its device expansion, people are increasingly using SmartThings Find to keep tabs on their most important possessions. In fact, over half of Galaxy SmartTag users attach it to their house keys or car keys, closely followed by backpacks, wallets and bicycles. Now, beginning next week, Galaxy users will benefit from two new SmartThings Find features that will not only make finding these items more convenient, but will also give them peace of mind when it comes to their safety³.

First, users will now be able to use Bixby⁴ for convenient hands-free, voice-activated Galaxy SmartTag searches. Users can easily and quickly find their belongings by calling out the SmartTag’s name to Bixby; for instance, if the user asks “Hi Bixby, where’s my bike?” Bixby will immediately find and share its exact location by ringing it.

In addition, the new Unknown Tag Search feature can detect a Galaxy SmartTag that doesn’t belong to you is moving along with you. With the press of a start button, Unknown Tag Search will scan for unknown SmartTags and provide a list to ensure nobody is secretly tracking your location.

As a reminder, all SmartThings Find user data is encrypted and securely protected through a randomized private ID, which changes every 15 minutes, ensuring that the device’s location is not revealed to anyone except its owner.

The SmartThings Ecosystem is Continuing to Evolve
SmartThings Find is just one feature of the ever-expanding, trusted SmartThings ecosystem, which has deepened its capabilities and evolved into an IoT service across Galaxy smartphones and tablets, Samsung TVs and home appliances.

In select markets, SmartThings has expanded beyond popular uses like Smart Home controls or Smart Car features, to analyze users’ electricity usage patterns and recommends more energy-efficient control options for connected devices⁵. In addition, SmartThings Air helps monitor the surrounding environments’ air quality by automatically recommending adequate settings for air purifiers⁶.

"Samsung is proud that SmartThings has become an industry-leading ecosystem,” said Jaeyeon Jung, Vice President and Head of SmartThings Team, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. "We are just beginning to scratch the surface of its potential and cannot wait to unveil more in the near future."

For more information about the SmartThings app and SmartThings Find service, please visit: www.samsung.com/smartthings.

¹ Requires initial setup on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone running Android 8.0 or higher & RAM of 2.0GB or above and opt-in for location tracking through the SmartThings Find service of the SmartThings app.
² Once you report your tag as missing in SmartThings Find, any nearby Galaxy device that has opted in will alert the SmartThings server about its location and you will receive a notification. All data in SmartThings Find is encrypted and protected, so the tag’s location isn’t revealed to anyone but you.
³ Requires the latest version of the SmartThings app, which will be released on a rolling basis via the Samsung Galaxy Store and Google Play Store, starting from next week.
⁴ Supported on Galaxy smartphones running Android 8.1 or higher.
⁵ Availability may vary by market. Please consult your device’s capabilities for more details.
⁶ Availability may vary by market. Please consult your device’s capabilities for more details.