Did you know that Samsung has a smart home platform called SmartThings? Do you know that it allows you to set up multiple sensors and automate your house, rendering your life easier? The odds are that you do! However, there are numerous SmartThings fun tricks you may not have heard yet, and we are delighted to share a few of them with you.
Ideally, if you are like most individuals, the idea of leaving your home without your smartphone is like leaving a limb behind. In fact, the Pew Research Center outlines that about 77% of Americans have a smartphone. Also, they spend approximately five hours every day on their digital devices.
Even so, despite spending such a significant amount of time on our smartphones, there is an extensive number of useful activities that you can do with your smartphone (and in particular SmartThings)-tricks that even the most ardent techies don’t know.
So, whether you want to tame an elusive pet, safeguard valuable possessions in your home, or automate your home lighting, here are ten surprising things you probably didn’t know SmartThings could do.
Read on, and learn how you can improve your life immediately.
What is SmartThings?
In a simple definition, SmartThings represents an innovative smart home platform from global tech giant Samsung. This platform allows you to connect sensors and multiple other devices to automate various tasks and secure your house. Moreover, SmartThings will enable you to manage all attuned smart home gadgets within the SmartThings app- much more organized, easy to use, and interactive hub than related individual apps.
SmartThings offers a wide array of sensors, although the most popular ones are the Arrival Sensor, Multipurpose Sensor, and Motion Sensor. While all have unique applications, you are probably not fully exploiting their capacities. However, with a little creativity and information, you can perform some pretty incredible tasks with them.
Here are ten brilliant things you can do with SmartThings that you likely didn’t know to help you out.
10 Clever Tips and Tricks You Didn’t Know SmartThings Can Do:
Get Alerts When the Mail Arrives
Generally, our mail doesn’t usually arrive at a precise time every day, and therefore it is hard to know when it will come. However, by installing a SmartThings sensor in your mailbox, you can get notifications every time the mail arrives.
Whether you have a typical side of the road mailbox (or a relatively small mailbox in your apartment), all you need is to set up an open/close sensor inside it with the magnet piece attached to its door.
Alternatively, if you reside in a locality where the mailbox is by the front door near your house, you have limited options. Even so, you can squeeze a motion sensor at the bottom part of the mailbox.
Unquestionably, understand that this may not work in every situation, particularly if your home has a relatively long driveway and the mailbox is down by the road. In this circumstance, the motion sensors would be way too far from the SmartThings hub.
Get Alerted If and when Your Dog Sneaks Out
Does your pup have an annoying pattern of bolting every time he sees the door open? Or has your dog become smarter when it comes to your backyard fence? You can resolve this by attaching an Arrival Sensor on his collar.
By doing so, you will continually get notifications whenever your furry friend runs away! From here, you can take the necessary steps to locate his whereabouts.
Auto-Activating Your Closet Lights
If your closet features a light you flip on with a switch, it is easy to fumble around to locate it. This is especially so if it is a pull-string lights version where you somewhat never seem to find its pull string. Nonetheless, your job can be much easier if you use an open/close sensor or motion sensor.
Regrettably, you must have a smart light bulb. As such, if you are yet to purchase a Phillips Hue model or any other smart light brand, then this might not be worth the added cost. Nevertheless, you can purchase a distinctive starter kit (Philips Hue) for just $79 and boost it for an affordably low price of $15 for every bulb.
Auto-Activating Your Attic Lights
Attic lights like your closet lights share a similar operational mechanism. However, unlike the latter, attic lights are relatively more annoying and stubborn, although it depends on your particular setup.
Suppose you own a pull-down latter spruced with pull-string lights. In that case, you are familiar with how annoying it gets when trying to locate the lights in a hot, dark place that nobody likes being in.
Fortunately, you can set up a close/open sensor or motion sensor on your pull-down attic ladder that can trigger a smart bulb that goes on/off automatically.
Build a ‘Panic Button’ That Turns On All Your Home Flood Lights
The SmartThings hub works well with numerous types of smart home devices. For this case, you need some smart light bulbs, although it can still work well in deterring burglars or act as an outdoor light when you go out at night.
By installing an open/close sensor designed to control all your outside floodlights, you can place it somewhere easy to access within your home. Afterward, you can activate it when necessary, instantly turning all your floodlights on.
Secure Your Valuable Outdoor Items &Your Shed, too
While most homeowners noticeably place open/close sensors on windows and doors within the house, many overlook their sheds and other outdoor structures. Although you may lock them up, this may not necessarily deter burglars.
A great solution you perhaps did not know about is the installation of motion sensors where you receive notifications once it goes off. You might also install a third-party alarm/siren to SmartThings to scare off any burglars even before they can move any closer.
What’s more, besides security on your property, using SmartThings motion sensor features can help you save on your insurance costs. This is especially since numerous home insurance companies are now partnering with smart device manufacturers to enhance security.
Receive Notifications When You Kid Returns Home
Not knowing whether your kid has safely returned home from school can disrupt your peace of mind for any parent. Luckily, you never have to worry anymore once you use an Arrival Sensor. It is quite simple: attach this sensor to your kid’s backpack/accessories, and when this sensor comes close to your SmartThings hub, you instantly get a notification.
You can also apply this to know when your child arrived home and whether it was after or before curfew/bedtime hours. It is quite simple: attach the Arrival sensor to his/her car keys and leave the rest to SmartThings. It gets easier for you to know when and if they sneak in or out of the house/room.
Receive Notifications of any Sudden Indoor Temperature Hikes
One astonishing thing you perhaps don’t know about SmartThings sensors is that they boast an internally-integrated temperature sensor. With this feature, they capture the space’s temperature and allow you to control your home temperature.
When you connect a motion sensor to your SmartThings outlet, you can get alerts when the temperature rises or falls above-average. Also, it can pinpoint a potentially faulty A/C or furnace.
What’s more, a SmartThings hub connected to motion sensors can trigger the outlet to turn the fan on/off. This happens automatically when the sensor detects temperature variations in the room.
Remarkably, this means that you can have your fan turning on/off in the house without you needing to stand up and do it yourself. Better yet, you needn’t worry about switching the fan off/on since it only operates when you are in the house. That’s super cool!
Monitoring and Tracking Your Elderly/Ailing Loved Ones
Do you have a grandparent or parent who lives alone, and you are always concerned about their well-being? Well, you can now keep tabs with them by using SmartThings automated sensors to know their whereabouts and activities.
Simply place a motion sensor in his or her bedroom to help you know if they got up. Furthermore, you can install these sensors in all their rooms so that if they fell or are unable to move, you will promptly know and react to it.
Securing Your Valuables Cabinet
If you have a unique storage cabinet packed with valuable possessions or a valued jewelry box, you don’t want any unauthorized access to it. While you could securely lock it up, this may not always be possible on some particular cabinets.
By installing motion or open/close sensors, you can continually track any unauthorized access and receive alerts once it is opened. Similarly, you can apply this approach for home cabinets forbidden to kids, although it may be wiser to install a child lock to prevent them from opening them.
SmartThings connects devices to help monitor your accessories and home. Whatever smart home device you install, whether smart door monitors or smoke detectors, among others, using various SmartThings-connected gadgets permit you to reduce the risk of filing costly claims through your insurance company.
Since insurance providers are now working closely with smart device makers, many insurers now offer you insurance discounts on your standard monthly premiums when you invest in smart home gadgets.
Summary
In summary, this is only a brief outline of the numerous creative things and tricks you probably never knew you could do with SmartThings. By connecting SmartThings with your other smart home accessories to work together, you can impressively automate your home to your particular preferences.
With these useful SmartThings tricks and tips, you may render your otherwise-distracting smart device into an all useful and convenient tool.
