Google Nest Devices Will Soon Be Compatible with Samsung SmartThings

Google and Samsung are connecting their respective smart home platforms to allow devices from one company to control those made by the other. The arrangement extends the list of Samsung productsGoogle Assistant can control while enabling the Samsung SmartThings platform to operate Google Nest devices.

Nesting SmartThings

To integrate Google’s smart home network into Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem, all Nest devices are now Works With SmartThings (WWST) certified. Google Nest devices will appear with any other smart home products on the SmartThings mobile app or the screen of a connected appliance, including Samsung smart TVs and refrigerators. The platforms have been streamlined from the other direction, too,  with simple Google Assistant links from several Samsung apps. Google Assistant can also control Samsung devices in half a dozen new languages that it couldn’t before. The partnership even augments Samsung Galaxy smartphones running Android by displaying all connected devices on a single screen.

“Previously, you could only do things like set the temperature remotely or view your camera feeds from your Nest devices from the Google Home app, but now you have more ways and more places to control your smart home from,” Google Nest director of product Michele Turner explained in a blog post. “Whether you’re starting the dishwasher or checking the porch for packages, Google, Samsung and SmartThings can make the increasingly connected home a little bit smarter.”

Bixby Buddy

The new partnership builds on the recent addition of Google Assistant to Samsung smart TVs, joining Samsung’s own Bixby as an option for controlling the television. And though any additional connections between Samsung and Google will bring up rumors from this summer that Samsung was dropping Bixby in favor of Google Assistant, this doesn’t seem related as Samsung has just started rolling out a big update to the voice assistant’s interface. Instead, the companies are pitching it as encouraging interoperability among different platforms so that consumers don’t have to decide which device to buy based on which brand is supported.

“SmartThings technology continues to enhance and improve the way we experience smart living. We’re pleased to further strengthen our partnership with Google and integrate Nest into our portfolio to offer users more ways to control and automate their home,” Samsung global vice president for IoT Ralf Elias said in a statement. “We are committed to creating a universal system where all smart home devices can work cohesively together.”

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