6 Samsung Home Appliances You Can Control With Your Galaxy Phone

Whether you've finished decking out your living space with must-have smart home devices or are just getting started with a few, you've probably already noticed how much easier your day-to-day life became thanks to your connected devices. Now, you don't have to get up from the bed to turn off your lights or worry that you didn't unplug the blow dryer before leaving for work. You can simply press a couple of buttons on your phone, and your smart bulb or smart plug will switch off — just like that.

If you have a Galaxy phone, things can be even easier. Several recent Galaxy devices come pre-installed with SmartThings, Samsung's smart home platform that integrates the control of Matter devices into one app. SmartThings work with various brands and gadgets, from a JBL AV receiver to an IKEA window treatment. Naturally, the platform works with Samsung appliances too. Here are six Samsung home appliances you can control from SmartThings on your Galaxy phone.

It's a lot more convenient to use the phone that's always glued to your hand than to go hunting for the TV remote that's probably been swallowed by the couch. SmartThings is compatible with a host of Samsung TVs – from the 2018 32" Class N5300 Smart Full HD TV to the 2024 65" Neo QLED 8K – allowing you to use your Galaxy phone as a replacement for your TV remote.

Once you've added your TV to SmartThings, the app will display a virtual remote similar to your physical one. You can use this for basic controls just as you would your physical remote. However, SmartThings' virtual remote comes complete with some other nifty functionalities for your convenience. You can search for content you want to watch, and there's also a customizable bottom grid for functions like app shortcuts, mute, and guidelines. Aside from offering a virtual remote, SmartThings lets you access other Samsung TV features, such as the TV's ambient mode, a variety of apps and personalized content, and TV calibration on later models.

You probably misplace your air conditioner remote more often than you'd like too, but unlike with your TV, you can't simply walk up to your unit and adjust it if it's mounted high up. 

With the SmartThings app, you can easily turn on or off the unit with a press of a button, and can also change its settings to your liking. There's a slider for adjusting the temperature manually; a Mode option for switching between several operation modes like Auto, Cool, Dry, Purify, and Heat; a Wind strength menu for setting the wind strength from Auto to Low, Medium, High, or Turbo; and a Wind direction section where you can select between Fixed, Horizontal, Vertical, or All for the direction of the airflow. 

On top of these basic controls, SmartThings allows you to create up to ten schedules for turning the unit on or off. The schedules are saved into the air conditioner and will be followed even after the unit has been turned off or unplugged. Some models also include motion detection and welcome cooling functionalities. When turned on, motion detection automatically blows air towards the area where motion is present. Meanwhile, welcome cooling reads your phone's location and turns on the unit to your preferred temperature once your location enters a specified zone.

Another Samsung appliance you can control remotely with SmartThings is the washer. But you're probably thinking why you would even bother using an app when doing laundry is more of a hands-on chore — you're already there in the laundry room, just a foot away from pressing the physical buttons yourself.

One reason is that you can monitor the washer's current cycle, rinse frequency, spin speed, water level, and washing time right from the app and easily configure the wash cycle to your desired settings. You can pick from a variety of cycle types, such as Normal, Quick Wash, Delicates, and Energy Saving, some of which are only available from the app. Each cycle option comes with an energy usage label, indicating how much energy it will use. Before sending the configuration straight to the washer to begin the wash, you can also set your preferred temperature and spin speed. Once the cycle finishes, SmartThings sends you a notification, so you won't forget to take your clothes out of the washer.

SmartThings also includes a Laundry Recipe feature, where you're asked questions like the type of clothes you're washing, the colors, and their soil level. You'll then be presented with the best cycle types and wash settings for your clothes. There's also a Laundry Planner feature in the app for setting the time you want your wash to finish.

While cooking, you might not always be in the kitchen the entire time, and that's why a smart cooking range is one of the best smart devices to have in your kitchen – you can keep an eye on things from your phone and make sure you won't be having burned chicken for dinner.

Most of Samsung's Wi-Fi-enabled ranges can be monitored remotely via SmartThings. The app provides a visual of your range and shows you which burners are turned on and whether the oven is running — along with its temperature and remaining cooking time. Some range models even come with a camera for you to watch your cooking and create time lapse clips. You'll also get notifications on your phone about any ongoing oven operations.

SmartThings also lets you access a host of other features, including basic controls like switching the oven on and off, preheating it, and changing the time and temperature. If you're not sure what times and temperatures to use and the recipe you're following doesn't mention such specifics, you can simply set a cooking mode, including pizza, brownie, baked potato, and grilled chicken, in SmartThings. The modes have a pre-programmed temperature and time, so you won't need to bother setting them up manually.

Sometimes, you're just too busy to clean your room, so it's a good thing that robot vacuums can keep your floor clean with minimal effort on your part. All three of Samsung's current line of robot vacuums support SmartThings, allowing you to access several features and functionalities.

From the SmartThings app, you can set your vacuum's cleaning mode, driving mode, suction power, and schedule. There are also basic control options for starting and pausing the cleaning session, sending the vacuum back to its station, emptying the vacuum's bin manually, and having the vacuum repeat your previous cleaning instructions. While the Jet Bot vacuum is actively cleaning, you can view a map of where the vacuum is currently cleaning, along with what room it has already finished, how long it has been cleaning, and how large an area it has already vacuumed.

But more than a cleaner, the AI version of Jet Bot doubles as a pet camera too. It can take pictures of your pet and even send you notifications.

SmartThings is compatible with several of Samsung's three-door, four-door, and side-by-side fridges, allowing you to adjust the fridge and freezer temperatures, and individually switch on or off the ice cube and ice bite makers. You can also control the fridge's special functions, like Power Cool, which briefly drops the fridge temperature to 1°C and Power Freeze that shortens the ice-making process. If you have a FlexZone compartment, the app lets you change its mode remotely too. Another fancy control you'll find in SmartThings is for setting the fridge's lighting and sounds: adjusting the brightness between high, medium, and low; making the lights brighten gradually; enabling the night light; setting the door alarm sound; and muting the fridge.

With some Samsung fridge models, you can use SmartThings to see inside the fridge, which is handy for when you're shopping and forgot what pasta ingredients you already have at home. If you leave any of your fridge doors open for a specified time, SmartThings will notify you on your Galaxy phone to help you save energy. There's even a page in the app for the energy usage, so you have a better understanding of your fridge's consumption.