Quick Access: SmartThings Adds Remote Control to Home Screen
Samsung’s SmartThings platform, known for supporting a wide range of smart home devices, continues to enhance its capabilities. One of its notable features is remote control functionality for compatible smart TVs and monitors. However, accessing this feature through the app has been somewhat cumbersome—until now. A recent update introduces a home screen widget that simplifies remote control access.
Previously, users could control their TVs by selecting the connected device within the SmartThings app and launching the Remote tool. Alternatively, the Quick Remote feature on the lock screen provided limited functionality and was restricted to basic shortcuts.
A Faster Way to Control Your Samsung TV
With the latest SmartThings update (as reported by Android Authority), Samsung now allows users to add a home screen widget for remote control.
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The new widget, labeled Screen Remote, comes in a 4×2 rectangle layout. It includes essential controls for volume, channel selection, power, home, and mute, along with a directional wheel for basic navigation.
However, this widget is limited to TVs or monitors designated as “Living Room TV” or “My TV.” It remains unclear if users will be able to customize the widget to work with other devices in future updates.
Customization and Compatibility of SmartThings Remote Control
Unlike the in-app remote control, the Screen Remote widget lacks customization options, and there are no alternative widget sizes. Despite these limitations, the widget significantly improves usability by eliminating the need to open the SmartThings app each time.
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The widget is currently available for Samsung smart TVs and monitors manufactured in 2022 and later.
This feature was included in the December update for both Android and iOS versions of the SmartThings app. However, its rollout appears to be gradual, with availability varying by region.
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Have you tried the remote control function in the SmartThings app on your Android or iPhone? Share your experience in the comments below!
