Review smart-home privacy and household access

Inventory the service and installed version

Samsung's settings help applies to the SmartThings app, not each connected device or third-party app. Its About SmartThings entry shows the software version. Keep those scopes separate during the review. Samsung: app settings and their limits

1. In SmartThings, open Menu, then Settings. Inspect About SmartThings, Privacy Notice, Permissions and Linked services. Compare the displayed labels with the current help for the installed version before making a change. Samsung: app settings and their limits

Inspect SmartThings location membership

Samsung documents membership for an entire location and says only its owner can remove members. Confirm the location before reviewing people. Samsung: location membership and owner powers

1. Select the intended location in SmartThings. From Favorites, open More options, Manage location/members, then Members. Inspect who has access. Review the current owner instructions before choosing a removal action. Samsung: location membership and owner powers

Read Google Home roles and history permission separately

Current Google Home help distinguishes Admin and Member roles, with separate Activity and Settings permissions. Unmigrated Nest accounts use a different management route. Google: home roles, history and basic control

1. Open Google Home and inspect the signed-in account through the profile picture or initial. Choose the intended home, open Home settings, and inspect its people. Compare each role with the official permission table, including the distinction between history and basic controls. Google: home roles, history and basic control

Inspect the sources used for presence sensing

Google distinguishes home-wide phone-location use, an individual phone's setting and selected home-device signals. Turning off a source can change automations or other presence-based features. Google: presence sources and separate controls

1. In Google Home, open the profile picture or initial, Home settings, then Presence sensing under Home features. Inspect the home-wide phone choice, individual phone and device sources. Read each feature's consequences before choosing whether to change it. Google: presence sources and separate controls

Inspect Apple Home permissions and other control apps

Apple's 03-31-2026 help describes residents and supported security-accessory guests. The available role depends on the accessories. Apple: residents, guests and separate app access

1. In Home on iPhone, iPad or Mac, choose More, then Home Settings for the intended home. Under People, inspect the person's permission settings, including remote control and adding or editing accessories. Check separate accessory apps too. Apple: residents, guests and separate app access

Inspect support access without enabling it

SmartThings' 03-31-2025 support page places Account Data Access in SmartThings Web under Menu and Settings. Enabling it grants optional troubleshooting access for a chosen duration. SmartThings: optional support data access

1. If reviewing this permission, inspect its current state and the official explanation. Do not enable support access merely to find out what it means. Read its duration and scope before deciding whether to grant it. SmartThings: optional support data access

Review collection purposes in the matching regional notice

The current U.S. SmartThings notice separates optional personalized-advertising consent and independently operated linked services. Review the regional notice and feature-specific consent rather than treating an app permission as the only collection control. Samsung: current U.S. SmartThings disclosure

Maintain security as a separate task

Microsoft's connected-device guidance recommends supported firmware updates, encrypted connections, strong credentials and considering a separate network. Network separation is a security measure; by itself it does not establish that a device has stopped sending authorized data to its provider. Check the router and device instructions for what isolation actually does. Microsoft: connected-device security review

Read removal and deletion consequences first

Google warns that removing a person can affect devices and permanently delete associated data in some circumstances. It also says removed people are notified. Review those consequences before changing access, especially in a shared home. This guide does not call for deleting the home. Google: home roles, history and basic control