Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced an expanded partnership with Google to take smart home interoperability to the next level. In the coming months, Samsung Galaxy phone and tablet users will be able to easily onboard Matter-compatible devices to both the SmartThings and Google Home ecosystems.
Until now, smart homeowners have experienced challenges using their devices across multiple ecosystems. Connecting devices between ecosystems often involved many steps across multiple apps to link accounts, which did not always work in both directions. This meant users had to remember which apps and interfaces they could control or automate a particular device. The Matter standard's multi-admin capabilities provide the foundation for connecting devices directly to multiple apps and ecosystems, giving consumers more flexibility and choice. Samsung and Google are building on multi-admin, allowing users to seamlessly find, choose to connect and control Matter-enabled devices through SmartThings or Google Home apps on Android.
When users go into the SmartThings app, they will be made aware of Matter devices that have been set up with Google Home and will be given a choice to easily onboard those devices to SmartThings, and vice-versa. Now, whether users want to control their smart home on their SmartThings app or a Google Nest Hub, the devices will always be there. Users won't have to manually add each of their devices one at a time or worry about which ecosystem their device has been set up on first.
"As the largest Android developer, Samsung values its strong partnership with Google. Providing users with greater flexibility through this new multi-admin feature is a natural progression in our evolution as partners, allowing us to better support our massive existing and potential user base with both Samsung and Google products," said Jaeyeon Jung, Corporate Vice President and Head of SmartThings, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. "Both SmartThings and Google are committed to user choice and giving consumers the power to control their own devices. This collaboration furthers that commitment by enhancing the user experience and promoting transparency between ecosystems."
"With the launch of Matter, we understand there will be new expectations, when it comes to smart home connectivity. We are proud to partner with Samsung Electronics to offer new and existing smart home users their first glimpse into what the future of the smart home looks like and the ease of use that comes with it," said Matthew McCullough, Vice President, Product Management, Android Developer from Google.
Samsung and Google's Matter multi-admin feature will be rolled out in the coming weeks. For more information about SmartThings, please visit www.smartthings.com.
