If you are still using an older iPhone to run your smart home, Samsung is about to make things a bit harder.
The company is ending SmartThings app support for iPhones stuck on iOS 16 or earlier, which includes the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and everything older.
From December 23, those devices will no longer get SmartThings updates, and there will be a big catch if you ever delete the app.
Samsung has started notifying users inside the SmartThings iOS app about the change, as per SamMobile. On iPhones running iOS 16 or below, SmartThings will keep working in its current state, and you will still be able to control your devices as usual.
However, if you uninstall the app after that cut-off date, you will not be able to download it again unless you upgrade your phone to iOS 17 or a newer version.
That is where the real problem kicks in for some owners. iPhone X and iPhone 8 models are capped at iOS 16, so they cannot move up to iOS 17 at all. If you are using one of those as a dedicated SmartThings remote, you are effectively stuck on the current app version with no path to reinstall or get future features.
In contrast, newer models like the iPhone XR and second-gen iPhone SE support iOS 17 and beyond, so you can keep using and reinstalling SmartThings normally as long as you update iOS.
Samsung is not fully pulling the plug on older phones yet, but this is clearly a step toward focusing support on more recent hardware and software. You will still be able to open the app, tweak routines, and control devices on an old iPhone after December 23, as long as you leave the app installed. You just lose the safety net of reinstalling if something goes wrong or you reset the phone.
If your SmartThings setup leans heavily on an iPhone X or iPhone 8, this is a good time to think about your next move. That might mean updating to a newer iPhone like the iPhone Air, shifting SmartThings control to an Android phone or tablet, or relying more on speakers and hubs. Either way, the days of using truly old iPhones as worry-free SmartThings controllers are numbered.
