"Your Smartphone Notifies You First About Your Parents' Well-Being"... Samsung SmartThings Enhances 'Family Care' Features

Samsung Electronics has significantly enhanced its ability to monitor the daily lives of family members, such as parents living apart, in real time through an update to its smart home platform, SmartThings.

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On April 16, Samsung Electronics announced that it has added new features to its "Family Care" service with this update. Family Care is a service that connects various home appliances and mobile devices through SmartThings to provide activity notifications for family members living separately, medication and hospital visit reminders, schedule notifications, and location-based alerts.

One of the key additions is the "Care on Call" feature, which provides information about the family member’s status on a pop-up screen before a call is connected when the user calls a family member living apart. By previewing details such as the first activity time, most recent activity time, step count, and weather information, users can check on their loved ones and respond quickly if any problems arise. The Care on Call feature is available on Galaxy smartphones running One UI 8.5 or higher.

Another newly added feature allows constant monitoring of devices installed in the family member’s home, such as air conditioners, air purifiers, dehumidifiers, and humidifiers. This enables users to check indoor temperature, humidity, air quality, and device usage patterns. If any abnormalities are detected, guardians are immediately notified and can remotely control the relevant devices.

The 2026 model robot vacuum, Bespoke AI Steam Ultra, also makes the "Safety Patrol" feature more useful when used together with Family Care. If no signs of activity are detected for a certain period, users are notified and the Safety Patrol activation button becomes available, allowing for quick response. The robot vacuum's built-in camera can be used to locate someone who has fallen, and two-way communication is possible via its speaker and microphone.

The remote control feature can be used only if the guardian has been granted permission to remotely control the family member’s devices. In addition, the "Care Insight" feature analyzes and alerts users if the home’s temperature or humidity falls outside the optimal range, or if there are significant changes in activity levels or connected device usage compared to the previous week.

Samsung Electronics has also enhanced convenience by integrating SmartThings information into its personalized briefing service, Now Brief. In addition to the existing Home Insight and Sleep Environment Report, new features such as Home Security, Family Care, and Pet Care have been added. Samsung Electronics plans to sequentially roll out Now Brief to TVs released after 2024 and Family Hub refrigerators released after 2021 within this year, providing a consistent personalized experience throughout the home.

Jae-Yeon Chung, Vice President and Head of the SmartThings Team at Samsung Electronics’ AI Platform Center, said, "Samsung Electronics’ AI technology not only enhances everyday convenience but also allows people to care for themselves and their families with peace of mind." He added, "We will continue to expand differentiated services through SmartThings."

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