Skip to main content

How to update apps on a Samsung smart TV

Man watching a 2020 Samsung smart TV in a living room.
Samsung

The last thing anyone wants to be thinking about when you're halfway through Moon Knight is making sure the apps on your smart TV are up-to-date so there are no interruptions. To keep things working in tip-top shape, we're going to show you how to update the apps on a Samsung smart TV to take advantage of the latest features and even security updates.

A little TV app maintenance is good from time to time, and while your TV will likely send you notifications when new versions of apps are available to install as well, we're going to show you how to set your Samsung TV to update apps automatically and manually.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Samsung smart TV

  • Smart TV remote

  • Internet connection

One thing to note before we get started is that depending on the year and model of your Samsung TV and the Menu and/or Smart Hub version it's running, there are some slight variations on how they look and function, as well as how you navigate to the settings and app menus. But honestly, it's all really easy to figure out. We're going to cover the newer TV models here, but please refer to your Samsung smart TV's manual or online resources if things get confusing.

how to update apps on samsung smart tv man watchinig 2020
Samsung

How to manually update apps on a Samsung smart TV

We'll get into how to set your TV to automatically update apps below, but assuming you haven't already set that feature up (or else why would you be here?), here's how to manually navigate to your app, as well as check and install available updates.

Step 1: From your Samsung TVs home screen, locate and select your TV's Apps menu. This is where you'll find all of your TV's installed apps, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and others.

how to update apps on samsung smart tv menu screen
Samsung

Step 2: Select one of the apps you want to check and click it. When the window opens with the app's information, there will be a button that will say Open if the app is up-to-date. If there's an update available, the button will say, you guessed it, Update. Select it and the update will download and install itself.

From this menu, you can also add or remove apps from the home screen menu.

How to set your Samsung TVs apps to automatically update

As much fun as updating your apps is, we recommend setting up your Samsung smart TV to check for and update apps automatically. It's simple, too. Here's how.

Step 1: From your Samsung TVs home screen, locate and select your TV's Apps menu, and then in the top right corner of the screen, select the Settings gear icon.

how to delete apps on samsung smart tv setting menu screen
Samsung

Step 2: Next, you'll see the Auto Update button in the top right-hand corner. Make sure it's switched to the On position — it will be a blue color. When there's a new update available, your apps will update automatically, so you can focus on that Yellowjackets finale instead.

how to update apps on samsung smart tv auto
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm is a contributing editor and evergreen lead for the A/V and Home Theater section of Digital Trends. Derek…
This 65-inch Samsung TV deal drops the price below $400
The Samsung 75-inch DU6900 4K TV on a white background.

Why should you spend thousands of dollars on a flagship TV when you can score a great deal on a Samsung 65-inch 4K LED? Picture quality is one of the biggest sacrifices you make when opting for a lesser-priced set, but today, Best Buy is offering a fantastic sale on a big Samsung:

For a limited time, when you purchase the Samsung 65-inch DU6900 Series 4K LED at Best Buy, you’ll only wind up paying $380. The full MSRP on this model is $470.

Read more
Sonos updates its app with Zones as it rolls out the Era 100 Pro
A Sonos Five speaker.

Sonos says the Era 100 Pro -- its first speaker aimed specifically at the professional installation market -- is officially available for order and shipping today. The speaker, which gets both its power and network connection via an Ethernet cable, is only sold in pairs and has to be purchased through select Sonos partners specializing in professional installation.

Pricing on the Era 100 Pro is at the discretion of these partners. I spoke to Jeff Gosselin of Cloud 9 AV in Toronto and he says he expects to sell the Era 100 Pro for $409 CAD each (about $284), or $499 CAD ($346) with the available wall mount. Gosselin points out that you'll also need a powered (PoE) Ethernet connection for each speaker, since the Era 100 Pro isn't compatible with typical wired home networks.

Read more
Score this 65-inch Walmart house brand TV for under $300
The onn. 75” Class 4K UHD (2160P) LED Frameless Roku Smart TV is a living room with orange walls.

TVs have come a long way in the last several years, especially when it comes to pricing. Buying a flatscreen used to be a $3,000+ investment, at the bare minimum. Nowadays, you can get a 65-inch TV for just a few hundred bucks, and that’s before any sales or promos! Actually, we came across a terrific offer on a big 4K TV earlier today:

For a limited time, when you purchase the Onn 65-inch 4K LED Roku Smart TV at Walmart, you’ll only pay $298. The full MSRP on this set is $348.

Read more