Samsung SmartThings Family Care Update Adds New Safety Features, Simplifies Setup Process

Samsung is rolling out a new update for SmartThings Family Care. The South Korean tech giant introduced the service last year, which allows users to link TVs and home appliances through its global SmartThings platform to provide activity updates, medication and appointment reminders, and location-based alerts. The SmartThings Family Care service offers practical support for caregivers and care recipients who do not live together. The latest update to the service is said to streamline the process. Users can now customise settings more precisely to suit their family's lifestyle and needs. 

Samsung SmartThings Family Care Update

The latest SmartThings Family Care update makes it easy for inexperienced family members to install and set up Family Care independently, the company revealed on Thursday. Caregivers can share an invitation link containing step-by-step guidance to help others join the platform. The update is available for Samsung Galaxy smartphones running Android 11 or higher, and it requires a device with at least 3GB of RAM.

SmartThings Family Care balances convenience for caregivers with privacy for care recipients. Users can control what information they share, while caregivers can easily access relevant details within those limits. Samsung says the latest update also lets families define caregiver and care recipient roles more clearly, tailoring the experience to individual preferences and needs.

Family Care alerts caregivers if a care recipient hasn't used appliances like the fridge or TV for a while. Caregivers can then call or use a connected robot vacuum with a camera to check on them. If the care recipient uses Samsung Health, caregivers can also see wake-up times, bedtimes, and daily step counts. The inactivity alert timing can be customised as well. 

With a family member's permission, caregivers can register key locations like hospitals, pharmacies, and schools to track visit history, real-time routes, and current location on the Samsung SmartThings Family Care app, ensuring safety outside the home. This feature is also useful for monitoring children's travel to and from school, the company adds. 

The Samsung SmartThings Family Care also allows caregivers to set reminders for health check-ups, hospital visits, medications, and family events, sending alerts to both the caregiver and care recipient at the scheduled time, according to the company.