How to use Device Control on a Galaxy phone to control your smart home

Galaxy phones have a shortcut called Device Control that makes it easy to control smart home devices connected to SmartThings or Google Home.

Samsung‘s Galaxy devices include a useful feature called ‘Device Control’ which allows users to control smart home devices directly from the Quick Settings panel. Samsung’s SmartThings app already serves as a way to manage smart home devices, and now even supports the Matter protocol, meaning users can control multiple devices from a single app. But Samsung smartphones offer an easier way to quickly control smart devices around a home.

The Device Control feature is available on Samsung Galaxy phones running Android 10 or later. Users can swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers to open Quick Settings and then tap ‘Device control‘ to access the feature. Users can choose between Samsung SmartThings and Google Home devices. Then tap on the three dots icon at the top right and tap on ‘Manage apps.Select either SmartThings or Google Home by pressing the button next to it. Then tap on one of the smart-home platforms and select the connected smart devices to be added. The selected devices are displayed in the device control panel and can be rearranged. Tap the small circle in the box to turn it on/off, or tap the tile to open the Google Home app.

Related: What is Matter? The Smart Home Compatibility Standard, explained

Easy control for Smart Home devices

It is important to note that the products must be configured in the SmartThings or Google Home app before adding smarthome devices to the device control panel. Once a smart home device is configured and visible in both apps, it can be added to the device control panel. For homes that have multiple smart devices, it can be difficult to find out the status of each. The Device Control Panel makes it easy to access all smart home devices in one place without having to open a separate app.

From the device control panel, users can perform basic controls such as turning lights on or off, changing the brightness or color of lights, opening or closing blinds, turning smart plugs on or off, or checking the status of a door lock. If users want access to additional controls, they must open the SmartThings or Google Home app.

Given that Samsung now supports the Matter smart home standard, Device Control becomes even more convenient. Matter-enabled smart devices include smart lights, smart switches, smart plugs, smart motion sensors, smart door locks, smart thermostats, smart blinds/curtains and smart home appliances. While many existing products are being updated to support Matter, new products with Matter support are also expected to flood the market. To Samsung smartphone users who have a Matter controller in their home, controlling multiple smart home devices is about to become much easier thanks to Device Control.

More: How to set up Multi Control on a Samsung smartphone

Source: Samsung