Samsung’s SmartThings is cutting experimental iPhone features

According to SamMobile, Samsung’s SmartThings app will soon lose all experimental features on iPhones, with the company quietly removing the entire Labs section from iOS devices. The change appears to be rolling out in the coming weeks, though Samsung hasn’t provided any official explanation or specific timeline for the removal. These Labs features have traditionally allowed users to test experimental smart home automations and customizations before they become official features. The removal affects all iPhone users regardless of which Samsung devices they own or how extensively they use the SmartThings ecosystem. Interestingly, Android users don’t appear to be affected by this change, creating a platform disparity that’s unusual for cross-platform apps.

What this means for users

Here’s the thing: Labs features have always been the playground where Samsung tested new ideas before committing to them. Things like custom device handlers, experimental automations, and beta integrations often started here. Now iPhone users won’t have access to that testing ground at all. And honestly, that’s a pretty significant limitation for people who’ve invested in Samsung’s smart home ecosystem but prefer Apple’s mobile platform.

So what happens to people who already have Labs features active in their routines? That’s the million-dollar question Samsung hasn’t answered. Will those automations just stop working? Will they get migrated to the main Routines section? The lack of communication here is frustrating for users who’ve built complex smart home setups around these experimental features.

The bigger picture

Look, this feels like part of a broader trend where companies are streamlining their apps and cutting features that don’t get massive usage. But here’s my question: when you’re dealing with smart home automation, isn’t the power user community exactly the audience you want to keep happy? These are the people who evangelize your platform, create complex setups, and convince their friends to buy into your ecosystem.

Basically, Samsung might be shooting themselves in the foot here. By removing these advanced features from iPhones, they’re essentially telling a significant portion of their user base that they’re second-class citizens. And in the competitive smart home space, that’s a risky move. Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem is looking more attractive by the day for iPhone users who want deep integration and advanced automation capabilities.

The timing is also interesting. With Matter gaining traction as a universal smart home standard, you’d think Samsung would want to make SmartThings as appealing as possible across all platforms. Instead, they’re creating platform-specific limitations that might push users toward more platform-agnostic solutions. It’s a strange strategic decision, to say the least.