Smart home appliance competitors Samsung and LG, along with other members of the Home Connectivity Alliance are working together to give customers interoperability to control third-party smart appliances using the app of their choice.

The collaboration is the first commercial implementation of the HCA’s Specification 1.0, which is designed to enable cross-brand appliance connectivity. By the end of this year, consumers will be able to control appliances from diverse brands, such as Samsung, LG and Vestel, with the app from either manufacturer.

The HCA was founded in 2022 by Samsung, LG and other manufacturers with the goal of providing interoperable appliances in smart homes, with devices to include long-life appliances, HVAC systems and TVs. The alliance now includes member companies AEG, American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning, Arçelik, Beko, The Electrolux Group, Frigidaire, Haier, GE Appliances, Grundig, LG Electronics, Resideo Technologies, Inc., Samsung, Trane Residential, and Vestel.

Members adopting the HCA Interface Specification 1.0 essentially means that users can control smart appliances, regardless of the manufacturer, through existing appliance and HVAC apps such as the SmartThings app from Samsung, the ThinQ app from LG, or VeeZy from Vestel. Consumers will only need to update their mobile app of choice to enable management of the smart appliances in their homes.

The HCA announced on Monday that members will begin adopting the HCA Interface Specification 1.0 in the fourth quarter. Along with Samsung, LG and Vestel, other members included in the early phase include Turkish electronics manufacturer Arçelik, smart home device maker Resideo and HVAC provider Trane.

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According to the HCA, the collaboration provides a framework for cloud-to-cloud cross-control and will establish a strong foundation for home connectivity to provide meaningful benefits for consumers. It will start with legacy device integration and expand into energy savings.

“When HCA 1.0 interoperability enters the market, consumers will be able to control their smart appliances, regardless of the manufacturer, through their existing appliance and HVAC apps,” the association says in a news release. “No special hub is required, rather an update on a mobile app will enable most smart appliances in the home, dependent on manufacturer rollout by product, geography and market.”

The collaboration announcement is highlighted by Samsung and LG supporting control of their respective devices using each other’s apps, which marks the first such occurrence between the two competitors.

Chanwoo Park, executive vice president and head of the service business group, digital appliances at Samsung, hails the collaboration as a commitment of large device manufacturers to better serve consumers.

“By enabling consumers to control multiple brands of appliances and HVAC products through apps such as SmartThings, we expect the smart home market to achieve new levels of scale,” Park says. “Global leaders will be able to fuel enhanced digital services that provide consumers with new benefits, and Samsung is steadfast in its commitment to HCA and its vision.”

Likewise, LG’s Jung Ki-hyun, the executive vice president and head of platform business center, says the company will continue to expand compatibility.

“LG ThinQ enables a seamlessly interconnected home appliance ecosystem that will provide new smart home experiences to customers around the globe,” Ki-hyun says. “LG will continue to expand compatibility between ThinQ and other HCA members’ smart home platforms.”

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