Samsung Prepares a Major Visual Overhaul for the SmartThings App

Your Galaxy’s SmartThings app looks set for its biggest redesign in years

An early look shared by SamMobile points to a floating navigation bar, dynamic backgrounds, new widgets, and a more structured Routines section, all designed to bring SmartThings closer to Samsung’s newer One UI style. There is still no confirmed release date, so this is a redesign to watch—not a reason to change your smart-home setup today.

A cleaner front door to the smart home

SmartThings is often the place where your connected home becomes either intuitive or exhausting. When you are trying to turn off lights, check a device, or run an automation before leaving the house, the app’s structure matters more than another buried feature.

The reported redesign replaces the familiar bottom navigation with a floating, pill-shaped bar. It will still lead to the same five main areas: Home, Devices, Life, Routines, and Menu. That means the update is not presenting an entirely new smart-home model; it is mainly changing how you move through the one you already have.

The Home tab is expected to receive the most noticeable visual change. Reports describe nine preloaded animated wallpapers that shift their appearance throughout the day, along with the option to use an image from your phone’s gallery or camera. Different SmartThings locations can also have different backgrounds, so the app could distinguish between your own home and another location without making you sort through identical screens.

That is a small detail, but it speaks to how smart-home apps are used in real life. A little visual separation can be useful when several locations, rooms, and device groups start creating clutter. It is also the sort of personalization that may make the app feel less like a control panel and more like a place you return to regularly.

More prompts, more control over your routines

Samsung is also reportedly adding a SmartThings Now card near the top of the Home tab. It will suggest features you have not tried, with an option to disable the card if you would rather not be repeatedly nudged toward unused tools.

That toggle is important. Smart-home software can easily become noisy, especially when an app keeps presenting new possibilities while the routines you actually depend on—such as lights, heating, or appliance-related automations—are already doing their job. A suggestion layer is useful only if it stays out of the way when you do not need it.

The redesign is expected to include three widget types: Device Control, Screen Device Control, and Routines. The reports do not establish every detail of how these widgets will behave, but their presence suggests Samsung is trying to reduce the number of taps needed for common actions.

The Routines tab is receiving a more meaningful organizational change. Existing automations will sit in a “My Routines” area, while a separate Discover section will show routines that are popular with other SmartThings users. For anyone who has accumulated automations over time, separating personal routines from suggestions should be more useful than simply adding another list to scroll through.

The Life section will continue to contain services such as Energy, Clothing Care, Food, Home Care, and Music Sync. These cards can reportedly be rearranged, giving you a way to push the services you use toward the front and move the rest out of your way.

What to check before you plan around it

The visual similarities suggest a connection to Samsung’s upcoming One UI 9, and the reported expectation is that the SmartThings update could arrive after the stable One UI 9 rollout begins for eligible Galaxy phones. But the timing remains unknown, and the available reports describe an early look rather than a finalized public release.

For now, I would treat the redesign as a reason to be cautious about promises based on screenshots. A new interface can make device control easier, but it does not automatically improve the reliability of your routines or change what your connected appliances can do. If you are choosing a Galaxy phone or Samsung appliance today, base that decision on the functions and compatibility you can confirm now—not on an update that has not yet been given a release date.

The more interesting question is whether Samsung can make SmartThings feel simpler without turning it into a stream of suggestions and decorative screens. The floating navigation bar and rearrangeable cards may help with everyday upkeep, while the optional SmartThings Now card gives users at least some control over the app’s enthusiasm.

That balance matters beyond individual households. As connected-home platforms compete for attention, private equity and venture capital perspectives can help explain why companies keep investing in ecosystem design, but the practical test is much simpler: can you reach the device or routine you need while carrying laundry, preparing dinner, or trying to leave the house on time?

Until Samsung confirms the rollout, the sensible approach is to watch how the final version handles those ordinary moments. The redesign could make SmartThings less dated and easier to navigate, but its real value will depend on whether it reduces friction rather than merely moving it into a prettier interface.