Shop E Store Samsung is preparing to end SmartThings app updates for older iPhones, and if you still have an iPhone X, iPhone 8, or any older model, you’re about to feel the effects.
A new notice in the app confirms that SmartThings will stop receiving updates on iPhones running iOS 16 or lower starting December 23, 2025. The app will still work on those devices for now, but there’s a catch. If you ever delete it, you won’t be able to reinstall it unless your phone can be updated to iOS 17 or higher.
The iPhone SmartThings will continue to work in its current state, but new features, improved device integrations, and bug fixes will be out of reach in the future.
Newer models, including the iPhone
Samsung doesn’t consider this a shutdown: Users of older iPhones can continue to control lights, sensors, hubs, and other connected devices just as they do today. But the platform will continue to evolve, and over time some newer features may begin to not work correctly on outdated versions of the app. And the inability to reinstall the app makes things fragile: an accidental deletion or factory reset could mean losing access to SmartThings entirely unless you update your phone.
The change comes shortly after SmartThings for iPhone and Apple Watch gained new features, making this limit especially notable for users of older hardware.
If you’re still using a pre-XR iPhone as a smart home controller, the bottom line is simple: SmartThings will still work, but the clock is officially ticking.
