Smarthings App/Alexa/Adding devices

I hope this is the correct forum. I have z-wave switched on an old (non-Samsung) hub and want to eventually move them over to Smartthing Hub and Alexa. I have the hub already installed on the new Smarthings app. But now I am confused. My switches aren’t listed in the new App. Isn’t there a way to manually pair them with the Hub? They are z-wave compliant.

Also, do I actually have to pair with the Hub or can I skip this step and go right to pairing with Alexa. I believe I need the Hub for Alexa but thought I would ask.

Thanks.

Do you plan to keep the old non-Samsung hub, or disconnect it and only use SmartThings?

If you don’t see the z-wave devices listed in SmartThings Classic, then you need to solve that before solving for Alexa.

Assuming you bought an ST2 to replace the old nonST hub, you probably need to reinitialize all the z-wave devices to be discovered by SmartThings as if you’d just bought them. Sorry, don’t know how to do that, but it should be googleable, as this is the point of a protocol like z-wave. Hub dies or goes EOL, replace it and rejoin devices to your new hub.

Approach the problem without the old hub in play, as laying out a new network.

Once you get ST Classic and your ST2 hub to show all the devices, then go to Alexa mobile app, add the SmartThings skill and authorize it and Alexa can discover all your ST devices. Then you’ll be set.

Yes. I plan to unpair them from the old z-wave hub. I think you are saying that I need to use the Classic app and not the new app first? Pair it that way? I thought I would try the new app.

I will figure out on the pairing for the switches at some point. Just wanted to confirm that I need to use the Classic app and not the newer version.

Thanks!

since you’re new, you could technically use either one, but i’d use Classic. You’ll want to exclude each z-wave device, which resets it. You can do this with your exiting hub or SmartThings. You can then add them to SmartThings.

So, if I already put the Hub on the “new” smartthings app, I should unpair it and use the classic for the whole thing? I just don’t see a way to pair a z-wave device with the new app since it doesn’t have a manual type add like the classic. It has specific brands only unless I am missing something.

You choose a specific brand/model, but in my experience is still does a general inclusion and finds any device. Either way, you don’t need to reset anything to use the Classic app. Just login as an existing user.