Newcomers' guide to setting up a Smart Home in Canada

Read our newcomers’ guide to learn the benefits of a smart home in Canada and how to set it up with the SmartThings app

Setting up your Smart Home

Smart homes are equipped with innovative home electronics, appliances and devices that can be personalized with customizable settings, automated routines and remote control.

Trying a new technology can seem intimidating. That’s why we’ve simplified smart homes with a single app, SmartThings. SmartThings lets you view, connect and control all your supported Samsung and third-party electronics, devices and appliances. 1

Benefits of SmartThings for newcomers to Canada

Whether you are an international student sharing household responsibilities with other students, a parent working multiple jobs, or a professional living independently, SmartThings can help you improve the efficiency of your everyday routine and overcome common challenges. Take advantage of SmartThings features to increase your home’s:
● Convenience through interconnectivity of compatible digital devices, appliances and accessories.
● Customizability by manually or automatically adjusting settings based on your lifestyle, routine and needs.
● Optimization by helping complete common household chores with ease.

Which products are compatible with SmartThings?

From everyday mobile devices to your home’s appliances, SmartThings supports a variety of different smart products you interact with daily, including the following:
• TVs and monitors
• Thermostats and lighting
• Ovens and ranges
• Vacuums
• Soundbars and more
To see if any of your current devices are compatible with SmartThings, or to plan your future purchases, look for the "Works with Samsung SmartThings" or "Matter” badge on product packaging, or search for your model on the Samsung Canada website.

Ways to use SmartThings in your daily life

1. Help with cooking, laundry and other household chores.
 

Streamline your cooking process: Samsung’s Bespoke refrigerators use AI functionality2 to automatically identify and provide a list of what is inside the refrigerator3.The Samsung Food app can also recommend recipes, create shopping lists and remotely transfer the cooking settings you specify on SmartThings to your oven.4 

  • Streamline the laundry process: SmartThings Clothing Care analyzes your usage patterns and external factors to make recommendations. It also creates customized clothing care cycles to suit your lifestyle.5
  • Control your appliances remotely: Even when you’re out of the house, your compatible Samsung and third-party smart appliances6 can be controlled through SmartThings.

 

2. Keep track of life. 

 

Home security systems: By installing compatible video cameras and alarms, watch who rang your home’s doorbell, track your deliveries and get alerts on movements outside the house - all in real-time, and remotely through SmartThings.7

  • Convenient reminders for parents. Parents can set reminders for their children’s meal times, homework and extracurricular activities through the Bixby voice assistant.8
  • Tracking capabilities: To keep an eye on your loved ones’ locations or track down commonly-lost items, a Galaxy SmartTag2 can be attached to clothes and accessories.9

 

3. Fitness and wellness

 

Save time and skip your commute to the nearby gym. Enjoy better home workouts by wirelessly connecting your stationary bike or treadmill to a smart TV via Bluetooth to watch videos of coaches10 while using your Galaxy Watch7 to monitor your heart rate and calories.11

  • Be proud of your progress. Save workout results, set goals and share your fitness accomplishments on your Samsung Health app.12
  • Set up reminders. If you struggle to stay consistent with working out, tracking your meals or other fitness goals, you can ask Samsung’s voice assistant Bixby to send recurring reminders.

 

4. Work and school productivity

 

Reduce daily challenges as a new student or parent. SmartThings can recommend automations based on your daily routine to save time with recurring chores.

  • Share photos, videos and files on the go. Use Samsung Quick Share to transfer files[i] to supported Windows, Samsung PCs and Galaxy devices.14,15
  • Seamlessly work with multiple devices. Work-from-home employees can utilize the second screen feature to join a virtual meeting by laptop, and view files on another connected device such as a tablet.16

 

5. Entertainment and lighting solutions

 

Make your home movie night even better. Link your TV, multiple Soundbars and lights17 to immerse yourself in binge-watching a TV drama, premiering a new movie or cheering on your city’s sports team.

  • Save energy automatically. You no longer have to manually check each room and physically turn the lights on and off. You can now preset your lights to turn on and off at specific times throughout the day.18
  • Support your sleep routine. When the sun rises late and sets early during Canadian winters, you can program compatible third-party motorized blinds to open at your desired times.19

SmartThings and your new life in Canada

It’s an exciting time for you. A new world awaits with new opportunities and new challenges. There are many questions to answer, and many needs to address, but you’re not alone. Whether you’re settling in with your family, setting up a home office for remote work, or just making yourself comfortable in a new environment, SmartThings can help you equip a smarter space with fewer steps.

How Samsung can help you

Samsung SmartStarts is an exclusive program for newcomers like you. It has Samsung’s latest resources and offers, including bundles, a trade-in program and Samsung Care+ (an after-sales service for products). After joining Samsung SmartStarts, new Canadians can receive a welcome voucher worth $50 and special offers on Samsung smartphones, laptops, tablets and accessories.2 Sign up today to discover the potential of innovative technology and empower yourself for a better future.

1To use SmartThings, download the app from the Galaxy Store, Play Store, or App Store. The app requires Android OS 9↑ with a minimum of 3GB RAM space or iOS 14↑.All devices should be connected to Wi-Fi or other wireless network, and registered with a single Samsung Account. Availability may vary by country, region, service provider, network environment, or device, and may change without notice. The maximum number of devices that can be connected to SmartThings is 200 per location. However, the maximum number of devices that can be connected may be limited depending on the user's network environment. Up to 10 locations per account can be used, up to 20 rooms per location, and up to 20 members can be invited per account by the administrator who registered the location.

2Samsung Account login may be required to use certain Samsung AI features. Samsung does not make any promises, assurances or guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the output provided by AI features.

 

3As of March 2024, AI Vision Inside can recognize 33 food items like fresh fruits and veggies. Recognizable food items will be regularly added and updated. If the food is covered or otherwise obstructed from view by AI Vision Inside technology, and therefore not recognizable, it may be listed as an unknown item, but the user can always revise the item title through the Family Hub or SmartThings.

4Only supported on Samsung ovens with SmartThings connectivity. Feature may be unavailable on certain models.

5Stores user data, preferences and usage patterns to suggest the most useful options. The user will be solely responsible for any consequence(s) that may result, including but not limited to any damage or harm caused by incorrect information provided by the user.

6Devices compatible with the SmartThings app can be checked on the SmartThings website at www.samsung.com/smartthings

7Compatible IP camera required. Users may need to set up the IP camera in the manufacturer’s app first, then register it in the SmartThings App.

8Available services may vary depending on your country and device.

9IoT devices need to be registered within the SmartThings app for features to properly function. SmartTag2 must be connected to the user’s mobile device. Devices compatible with the SmartThings app can be checked on the SmartThings website at www.samsung.com/smartthings

10Samsung Health's Smart Trainer feature is currently available in the United States, Canada, South Korea and the United Kingdom. Availability of content service providers and subsequent fitness content may vary by country and region. The Smart Trainer feature is available from Q70B series and above. To mirror posture in the screen, a compatible Slim Fit Cam is required, which is sold separately.

11Requires Samsung Galaxy Smartphone with Android 9.0 or later, and Samsung Health Monitor app (available only at the Samsung Galaxy app store).

12Intended for general wellness and fitness purposes only. Not intended for use in detection, diagnosis, treatment of any medical condition or disease. The measurements are for your personal reference only. Please consult a medical professional for advice.

13For file sharing with nearby devices, there is no limitation on the number and size of files that can be shared. For file sharing with QR codes and contacts, a maximum of 1,000 files can be transferred at a time. There is a size limitation of 3GB per file and 5GB per day that can be transferred.

With Private sharing, you can transfer up to 20 files and 200MB of data at a time.

14Available on devices with One UI 2.1 or above and Android OS 10 (Q OS) version or higher installed. Supported PCs include Galaxy Books, including Qualcomm-based PCs released in 2020 or later, and Windows PCs from other manufacturers with Intel Bluetooth/Wi-Fi drivers (OS: Windows 10 2004 version or higher, Bluetooth driver: Intel version 22.50.02 or higher, Wi-Fi driver: Intel version 22.50.07 or higher). Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection are required for Quick Share. The number of devices Quick Share can share to at the same time may vary depending on the Wi-Fi chip hardware of the sharing device. Actual speed may vary depending on device, network condition and user environment.

15[Smartphone/Tablet]

·        Galaxy device with Android OS 10 (Q OS) or later One UI 2.1 or later

[PC]
Supported Specifications

·        OS: Windows 10 2004 (build number 19041) or higher

·        Bluetooth driver: Intel version 22.50.02 or higher

·        Wi-Fi driver: Intel version 22.50.07 or higher

Supported Devices

·        Samsung Galaxy Books (including Qualcomm-based PCs released in 2020 and later)

·        Windows PCs from other manufacturers with Intel Bluetooth/Wi-Fi chipset

·        Please keep the Windows OS and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi drivers updated to the latest version for smooth performance.

·        Depending on the manufacturer and model, there may be restrictions on some or all of the functions of this feature.

16The second screen feature is only available on Galaxy Tab S8 & S7 series running One UI 3.1 and later and select PCs with Wireless Display running Windows 10 v.2004 or higher.

17Only available on Galaxy devices. Philips Hue color-capable smart lights, Philips Hue Bridge, Philips Hue Sync App (requires in-app purchase on Samsung TV series released after 2022, Samsung QLED TV or higher) or Philips Hue Sync Box (regions where in-app purchases are not available on TV, a Philips Hue Sync Box purchase may be required for proper functionality), and a Samsung account are required. Sold separately. The availability of the Philips Hue Sync app on Samsung TV may vary by country, region, or device. A paid subscription is required to use the Philips Hue Sync app on Samsung TV for up to five years. After this period, the app can be used as long as the app provider supports it with updates.

18Requires a compatible third-party product, which is sold separately. The availability of this feature may vary depending on the product and country.

19Requires a compatible third-party product, which is sold separately. The availability of this feature may vary depending on the product and country.

20Some conditions apply. Learn more at https://www.samsung.com/ca/campaign/newcomers/