We’ve known for a while now that Samsung SmartThings planned to retire its old, “classic” app. Now we know when. On October 14, 2020, Samsung will officially sunset SmartThings Classic. That gives customers and developers just two months to move to the current SmartThings app. On October 14, SmartThings Classic will no longer work. Instead, it will present a notice and assist customers who have not yet moved to the newer app. If you’ve been holding out, you’ll want to (re?)download and make the switch soon.
But that’s not all that SmartThings is sunsetting. If you’re holding out on moving to the current app, you’ll find that some of its capabilities will stop functioning soon. As early as next week—on August 11—SmartThings Classic will stop showing your event history and Samsung product status information. Then next month, on September 8, Samsung will retire older versions of its Sonos drivers and its older Alexa skill and Google Assistant action.
Perhaps most disappointing to serious, hobbyist users, SmartThings will no longer support the popular Echo Speaks SmartApp. This doesn’t mean it won’t be eligible for customer support; it means it will stop functioning—even existing installations. Echo Speaks allowed your SmartThings hub to use Echo devices around your home for announcements and more.
Beyond the Sunset
Samsung is investing significantly in its upgraded infrastructure to make SmartThings more scalable, reliable, and approachable. While there may be some pain associated with this transition—particularly for the more hard-core tinkerers—it’s all to get consumers to the other side. Where we end up may not be right for all consumers, particularly if they lose access to custom, community SmartApps or device handlers. We’ll have to see how the development community takes to the new platform before we’ll know just how robust SmartThings will remain for hobbyists. What are your plans? Do you expect to stick with SmartThings, or are you considering a move to another hub or controller platform?
You can find more information about the sunset and transition process at the SmartThings Community.
