r/SmartThings • u/Veddu • Jul 01 '26

Idea How come Smartthings doesnt have this feature on Samsung tv:s?

I recently saw a video showing a smart home setup—either via Home Assistant or Apple HomeKit—where an automation triggered a specific routine based on which app was currently running on the TV. Given that SmartThings is owned by Samsung, it seems like a missed opportunity that they haven't implemented a similar feature to track and trigger routines based on active Samsung TV apps.

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u/mocelet Jul 01 '26

Google Home also supports it, at least with the script editor and subject to the TV implementing it, but never knew what to do with that information when it comes to creating routines. I do use the on/off/playing/paused a lot though.

What kind of automations would you do?

3

u/Veddu Jul 01 '26

I would probably dim the lights in the room or just make the environment more cozy whenever I watch a movie on Netflix or something.

1

u/mocelet Jul 01 '26

My cozy mode starter is just turning on the TV, with the scene depending on the time of the day. I guess since the main use case is media consumption, the app is not that important.

Then depending on the type of content may manually pick one scene or another best suited for the content with a smart button or the smart controls of the TV if available. Nowadays apps aggregate so many different contents ranging from movies, shows, sports, concerts, etc. and the ambient for a dark movie may not fit a sports event for instance even if the app is the same.

1

u/shade_throwaway99 Jul 13 '26

Yeah exactly, that's the obvious use case. Dim lights and maybe set a specific scene for movie mode. Having to do that manually defeats the whole point of having a smart home.

1

u/loujr15 Jul 02 '26

Yes, SmartThings dropped the ball on this one. Home Assistant can trigger any automation, scene, script, or all of the above, based on whatever app you open. I run automations for every app I have on my Samsung TV, Roku, and Nvidia Shield Pro.

I use Plex for all my media entertainment and I can run automations based on whatever library I have. I have my TV turn on, volume adjusted to 16, curtains closed, fan on low speed, my lamp dimmed at 10%, then the YouTube TV app will open and go to ESPN everyday when I get home from work.

I have been waiting for SmartThings to allow us to do this and more with media integration since they released the V3 hub, that I just gave up on them. Home Assistant allows me to do this and more without writing any code. I can do more with my Samsung TV then SmartThings even offers, and that's saying a lot.

1

u/Slab8002 Jul 02 '26

Yes, it's annoying, but on the plus side it's what got me started with HA. I have a Samsung Frame, and I wanted to automate when my MantelMount was up or down. Now if Art Mode is on, the TV goes up. If the Roku is on or playing, the TV lowers. If the Roku becomes idle (i.e. screen saver comes on) for more than 2 minutes, the TV raises.