[NEEDS UPDATING] SmartThings Beginner’s Guide (2020)

The SmartThings platform is currently in transition to a new hub (V3), new app (“SmartThings (Samsung connect)“) new Alexa skill, and a new cloud platform ( The old one used the groovy programming language, the new one doesn’t).

This means that a lot of the information you will find in both this forum and the official knowledge base may be a little confusing.

The Mobile Apps ( yes, there are two right now)

FAQ: how to tell which version of the SmartThings mobile app that you have

The classic app has now officially been discontinued, but some members continue to use an old version of it and you will see references to both in the forum.

Official SmartThings Tutorials for New Customers

If you just want to learn more about using smartthings, there’s a decent get started section in the official knowledge base:

The SmartThings/ADT Hub Model

If you’re looking for information on the SmartThings ADT hub model, there is also an official FAQ, but people seem to still have questions after they read that:

https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005074883-ADT-Security-Hub-FAQ

You can find community discussion threads on the ADT model features on the following list:

And you might want to initially look at the following FAQ, which explains the differences between the ADT model hub and the other models:

Samsung Smart Appliances, Vacuums, and TVs

If you’re looking for help with Samsung brand appliances, vacuums, or televisions, including how they work with the “SmartThings (Samsung Connect)” app, see the official support forum, which includes assistance from Samsung staff:

At the time of this writing you had to go to the landing page, and then click on the “get help“ link in the upper left. That would then take you to the page where you could select the forum for appliances or for televisions.

Creating Rules (And what is this “Webcore” people keep talking about)

Unlike many home automation systems, SmartThings has many different ways to create automation rules, even within the official app. No one knows why: it’s just always been that way. The following FAQ gives an overview of the different methods and why you might use them. :thinking:

How to Get Started Creating Complex Rules in SmartThings

Where’s the Dashboard?

As you browse through the forum, you may see screenshots of highly customized dashboards/control panels.

image
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You will also see references to “actiontiles“ and “sharptools.“These are not a part of the standard app. They are third-party projects, some offered for a license fee, some for free. You can read all about those in the following thread:

FAQ: Sharptools , actiontiles or native ST app for your wall panel? (2020)

Inspiration and Ideas

If you’re looking for inspiration or project reports from other customers, you can find those by looking in the community – created wiki on the quick browse lists, looking down near the bottom of that page for the “project reports” section, and then choosing the first list, called “get started.” That has discussion topics on everything from “the 10 best things to do with smartthings” to “ what device should I buy next?“

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Quick_Browse_the_Community-Created_SmartApps_Forum_Section

And if you’re just feeling overwhelmed with the whole smart home idea, before you jump into researching individual devices you might find the following topic helpful. It’s the questions I ask someone who asked me to recommend “the best“ home automation solution. It’s very detailed, so Don’t get bogged down in it, but just skimming it should give you some ideas and if you have any further questions about why I’m bringing up those particular points, you can ask in that thread. :sunglasses:

Top Level Priorities Checklist: what to consider before you start selecting smart home devices (2019)

Former Iris Customers

If you were previously an Iris customer, you can find threads from other fellow Iris refugees on the following list:

Former Wink Customers

similarly, if you were previously a Wink customer, you can find threads from other fellow Wink exiles on the following list:

The Wink Migration Guide

A large number of former wink customers migrated to SmartThings over the last year or so. @Rboy has put together an excellent guide to introduce those community members to smartthings concepts and procedures. Other people may find it helpful as well, particularly if you previously had Z wave/Zigbee a hub from another brand.

FAQ: How to migrate from Wink to SmartThings

Developers

If you’re interested in using smartthings as a development platform, see the developer section of the forum

https://community.smartthings.com/c/developers

And the developers website at Samsung:

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Very nice!

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Just the information I was looking for.

Thanks!

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@JDRoberts…This is a very helpful guide and compilation of information. Thank you for putting this together.

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I would also add for those interested that SmartThings’ github repo is here: SmartThings Community · GitHub

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