Can SmartThings work without the Internet?

Currently the Samsung SmartThings Hub relies on executing many of its commands in the cloud. This means that at the time of this article, automations will not execute absent an internet connection. Even with an internet connection, carry out commands in the cloud sometimes results in latency issues. When this happens, smart home devices are slow to respond.

However, Samsung is evolving its SmartThings platform with a new SmartThings Edge framework. This new framework will allow smart devices to work faster, more securely, and more reliably by taking the Internet out of the equation.

SmartThings Edge is a new architecture development framework for developers of smart home products. It is being implemented to take advantage of the new edge computing movement. It will allow all automations to be executed locally, within the SmartThings Hub, rather than sending commands to the cloud. This will result in faster processing of commands for devices on your home network. This means that smart homes can function even when there’s no Internet connection available.

Developers are beginning to create automations that will work on local networks only, or connect via local wireless communication protocols. When launched, SmartThings Edge will support ZigBee, Z-Wave, and LAN-based integrations.

There are also plans to support Matter, previously known as Project CHIP. Matter is the name of a unifying connectivity standard that will be supported by a majority of smart home devices in the near future. According to the Matter website created by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, Matter is essentially a "seal of approval" that means smart devices work reliably together.