SmartThings App Not Working: How to Troubleshoot

ByNelson Morgan Last Updated on: Troubleshooting

Did your SmartThings app suddenly stop working? You’re not alone. In this article, we explain the reasons behind this issue and how to resolve it. Let’s get started.

SmartThings App Not Working

If the SmartThings app isn’t working for you, here are some reasons this might be happening:

  • Your Wi-Fi connection is unstable.
  • Your Wi-Fi network is congested.
  • The internet bandwidth on your Wi-Fi router has run low.
  • External gadgets are interfering with your Wi-Fi connection.
  • You are using an outdated version of the SmartThings App.
  • Your phone’s system is not up to date.
  • Your Wi-Fi router firmware is outdated.
  • You’ve turned on the battery saver on your phone.

Now let’s look at what you can do to fix this problem yourself.

SmartThings App Not Working: Try These Troubleshooting Tips

1. Take Your Phone Closer to Your Wi-Fi Router

If the SmartThings app is taking too long to load, your phone might be too far away from your Wi-Fi router. Your router needs to be placed near your phone for the SmartThings app to work properly.

What this means is, if your Wi-Fi router is too far away from your phone, the phone may not establish a stable connection with the router. Because of this unstable Wi-Fi connection, your SmartThings app may take a long time to load or save modified settings.

 Reduce the distance between these two devices to generate a stable Wi-Fi connection. Your SmartThings App may start loading quickly if your phone is near your router.

If you have to place your Wi-Fi router on an upper floor, ensure you stay directly below the router while using the SmartThings app.

2. Remove Other Devices from Your Wi-Fi Network

Is your SmartThings app still failing to work after you’ve placed your router near your phone? Then your Wi-Fi network may be congested. If there are many devices connected to your Wi-Fi network, it might be difficult for the SmartThings app to get an internet connection.

In addition, larger gadgets like laptops often take up more data than small devices like your phone. Since you are using your SmartThings app on your phone, you may not get sufficient data to use the app.

To fix this issue, remove some devices from your Wi-Fi network. This will enable your phone to obtain an internet connection quickly.

A quick way to remove devices from your Wi-Fi network is to reset your router.

Take the following steps to reset the router:

  • Look for the Reset button at the back of your Wi-Fi router.
  • Use a paperclip to press the Reset button.
  • Then wait for about 15 seconds.
  • Now, turn your Wi-Fi router back on.
  • You have finished resetting the router.

Once you reset your router, all the devices connected to the network will disappear. So, you have to re-add your phone to the Wi-Fi network to use the SmartThings app.

To re-add your phone to your Wi-Fi network, do the following:

  • Click on the Settings app on your phone.
  • Select Wi-Fi. Then, toggle the switch beside Turn on Wi-Fi to switch on your Wi-Fi.
  • Next, select SSID as your network.
  • Input your Wi-Fi network password and tap Join or Connect.
  • Now, wait for your phone to connect to the Wi-Fi network.

3. Monitor Your Data Usage

Your SmartThings App may fail to work if your internet bandwidth is low.

When you purchase a bandwidth, your Internet Service Provider sets a data limit on the bandwidth. If you exceed the limit, your ISP may throttle your Wi-Fi network and cause your internet connection to run slow. Slow internet speed can delay loading on your SmartThings App.

Once your bandwidth runs out, you have to buy a new one. But if you don’t want to use up your next bandwidth quickly, you need to learn how to manage your data usage.

You can manage your Wi-Fi bandwidth by setting daily streaming and social media limits. In addition, you may disconnect your phone from your Wi-Fi network when you are not using it.

4. Move Other Electronic Devices Away from Your Router

Some electronic gadgets around your router may interfere with your Wi-Fi connection, causing issues with the SmartThings app. Devices like thermostats and microwaves use a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band, just like your router. If these devices are placed near your router, they can interfere with your Wi-Fi network.

And most of these gadgets are large devices that can quickly dominate your Wi-Fi network. Your smartphone won’t be able to compete with these large gadgets for the Wi-Fi connection. As a result, the SmartThings app, which runs on your smartphone, may not work.

Are there any electronic gadgets that require an internet connection near your Wi-Fi router? Move them away from the router to stop them from interfering with your phone’s Wi-Fi connection. Some of such devices include microwave ovens, antenna phones, wireless radios, and baby monitors.

5. Update Your SmartThings App

Your SmartThings App may fail to work if you’re using the outdated version. Old app versions may contain bugs and this usually causes some malfunctions.

In addition, you may not be able to use certain features on the SmartThings app because your current version doesn’t support them.

So if your SmartThings app isn’t working, chances are you’re using the outdated version of the app, and you’ll need to update it to fix the problem.

Take the following steps to update your SmartThings app:

  • Open the App Store on your phone. If you are using an Android phone, find the SmartThings app on Google Play Store.
  • Tap on the profile icon at the top of the screen.
  • Next, click on Manage Apps and Device.
  • Then select Updates Available.
  • If the SmartThings app is listed on the Updates list, tap on the Update button beside the SmartThings app.

However, if you can’t find the SmartThings app on the update list, it means you have the current version of the app. Keep reading for other troubleshooting tips to try.

6. Update Your Phone’s System

If your SmartThings app is not the only app malfunctioning on your phone, your system software might be outdated. An outdated phone software might not receive Wi-Fi signals or connect to the internet. As a result, you may not be able to use any app that needs an internet connection.

To resolve this problem, you’ll need to update your phone’s system.

Follow the steps below to update your phone’s operating system:

  • Tap on the Settings icon on your phone.
  • Navigate to Systems and Updates. Then, click on it.
  • Next, choose Software Update. The Software Update page will show you if you are using the latest version of your phone’s software.
  • If your phone’s software isn’t updated, you’ll see the button Update Now on the Software Update page. Tap on it to upgrade your phone’s system.

Note that the process may differ depending on your phone. Refer to your user manual for instructions.

7. Install the Latest Version of Your Wi-Fi Router’s Firmware

If you’ve tried connecting other devices (apart from your phone) to your Wi-Fi router without success, chances are your Wi-Fi router is running on an outdated firmware version.

In most cases, Wi-Fi routers update their firmware automatically. But sometimes, this automatic update may fail due to errors in the system. When none of your devices is connecting to the internet, you might need to update your router’s firmware manually.

Here’s how to update your Wi-Fi router’s firmware:

  • First, connect your router to your computer using an Ethernet cable.
  • Go to your router manufacturer’s website.
  • Next, search for the Firmware or Update tab on the Homepage and click on it. The Firmware or Update tab is usually located under the Advanced section.
  • Click on Downloads to download the latest firmware version.
  • Next, log in to the web management page and choose the file you’ve just downloaded.
  • Reboot your Wi-Fi router to complete the firmware update.

8. Disable Battery Saver on Your Phone

Did you turn on battery saver mode on your phone? Then it might be the reason your SmartThings App is not working properly.

The battery saver feature on your phone works by reducing the speed of applications. Slower apps may consume less battery life.

So try to turn off the battery saver mode on your phone to see if it solves the problem.

Wrapping Up

The troubleshooting steps in this post should help you fix the problem you’re having with the SmartThings app.

To recap, if the SmartThings app isn’t working for you, here’s are the steps to troubleshoot the problem:

  • Improve Wi-Fi signal strength on your phone by going closer to your router.
  • Reduce the number of devices connected to your router.
  • Check and update the SmartThings app.
  • Update your phone’s operating system.
  • Update the firmware version of your router.

However, if the problem persists after trying all the tips here, chances are the app server is down—probably because of ongoing maintenance or system failure. So you might just have to wait for some time and try using the app again.

You can also check Samsung Members Community to see if other users are having the same issues or contact Samsung Support for help.

You may also like to see how to troubleshoot the Smart Life app and issues with the Smart Life app and Alexa.