Samsung is teaming up with Hyundai Motor Group-which includes Hyundai and Kia-to roll out a new Car-to-Home feature that lets drivers control smart home devices directly from their vehicle.
This builds on the companies’ previous Home-to-Car function, which allowed smart home gadgets to interact with car features. Now, the integration works both ways, creating a two-way smart ecosystem.
With Car-to-Home, drivers can manage devices connected to Samsung’s SmartThings platform through their car’s infotainment system. Supported gadgets include air conditioners, air purifiers, robot vacuums, and lighting.
Connecting devices is done by scanning a QR code for the SmartThings app within the vehicle’s system. Once linked, users can create automation routines-for example:
- Setting the air conditioner to turn off
- Starting the robot vacuum to clean as you leave home
Currently, this feature is available on select Hyundai Motor Group cars in South Korea. Samsung plans to broaden its partnerships with other automakers and bring this capability to global markets.
Samsung SmartThings platform integration with Hyundai cars
Samsung’s SmartThings platform competes with Apple’s HomeKit and Google’s Home ecosystem but uniquely offers this deep integration directly through car infotainment systems. As vehicles become smart hubs themselves, more automakers are expected to team up with home tech companies to blur the lines between your commute and your connected home.
The future of connected car and smart home ecosystems
Looking ahead, the key question is how these cross-device ecosystems will evolve globally with standards and privacy in mind-and how quickly more cars will adopt embedded smart home controls as a standard feature.