Now Short is a feature that Samsung introduced with the Galaxy S25 series in early 2025, and it was improved with the One UI 8 update in the second half of the year and again with One UI 8.5 a few weeks ago. Now, the feature is also being developed through integration with Samsung’s SmartThings platform. The improved Now Brief will be available on all phones, appliances, and TVs.
Now Brief will display relevant information from your smart home
Samsung announced today that it will help users take better care of themselves and their families through the SmartThings platform. Now Brief will use data from SmartThings-enabled devices to provide you with relevant information on your Galaxy phone and Samsung smart home products.
Key updates from Family Care, Home Security, and Pet Care will help you keep up with the elderly, children, and pets in your home.
Samsung
Now short widgets with SmartThings Family Care and Pet Care updates – Source: Samsung
The interface will show device status, dog walking information, home security updates from door locks and sensors, energy usage, parents’ daily activity, and last night’s sleep statistics. Now Short will be introduced on Samsung TVs launched in 2024 or later and Family Hub refrigerators launched in 2021 or later.
If the feature is fixed in advance, you don’t even need to activate it by making a Now Brief. It will automatically appear when you approach your TV or open or close the door of the compatible refrigerator.
SmartThings helps you take care of pets and elderly parents or family members
Family Care, a SmartThings feature that provides important notifications about elderly parents or family members, now provides reminders about hospital visits and medications to caregivers.
Samsung
Updates related to SmartThings Family Care on Samsung phone dialer – Source: Samsung
The Care on Call service allows you to check the status of a care recipient nearby over the phone. When you call a family member who needs care, a popup pops up on your Galaxy phone screen. It shows important information like their first job of the day, the local weather, and the time of their last job. This allows you or another caregiver to ask about the most relevant information during the call.
SmartThings can continuously monitor humidity and temperature in the home with air conditioners, air purifiers, and heaters. With the new update, the system can use that data to alert you when it sees something unusual. This allows you to check on your parents or remotely control your electronics to make sure the settings are correct.
The existing Safety Patrol feature in SmartThings allows you to use the camera on a robot vacuum cleaner, such as the Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra, to monitor various parts of the house. This feature can now be used to check older family members. For example, a vacuum cleaner can detect when a person is lying down and needs help. You can also use the robot vacuum’s built-in camera, microphone, and speaker on the phone with a caring receptionist.
Finally, the Care Insight feature now tracks significant changes in activity levels and device usage compared to the previous week, providing a clearer picture of your family’s well-being.