Over the years Smart TVs have changed the way of watching movies and TV shows. Among them, Samsung Smart TVs are the most popular brand used across the world. For streaming media, it will give you access to download apps like Hulu, HBO Max, ESPN, Prime Video, and many more. Like your smartphone, you need to update apps on your Samsung Smart TV to watch the latest content.
Updating apps on Samsung Smart TV is not a difficult one. You can update them either manually or automatically.
Update Apps on Samsung Smart TV Automatically
The easiest way to update Samsung Smart TV apps is by enabling the automatic update feature. By doing so, the apps downloaded on Samsung TV will be updated automatically whenever the TV is connected to the internet.
(1) Switch on your Samsung Smart TV and press the Smart Hub button on your remote.
(2) Navigate to the Apps section.
(3) Select the Options menu located next to the search icon (top right corner of the screen).
(4) Turn on the Auto-Update feature if it is turned off.
The above-mentioned steps are applicable only to the Samsung Smart TV models released in 2016 and later. If you’re an owner of older Samsung Smart TV models, follow these steps to enable the automatic apps update:
2015 models: Press the menu button on your remote → navigate to Smart Hub → select App and Game Auto Update → Turn on the feature.
2014 models: Press the menu button on your remote → navigate to Smart Hub → click App Settings → select Auto Update.
Update Apps on Samsung Smart TV Manually
If you don’t want to update the apps automatically, turn off the feature and update them manually. If the app requires updating, a small white arrow mark will appear on the app icon.
(1) Turn on your Samsung TV and navigate to the app you want. For example, Netflix.
(2) Press and hold the Enter button on your Samsung TV remote.
(3) A sub-menu will appear on the screen. Click Update Apps.
(4) Click Select All and then Update to initiate the update process.
Like the apps, make sure to update your Samsung TV firmware to get the latest apps and security features.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to delete or uninstall apps on Samsung Smart TV?
>Press the home button on your remote.
>Go to Apps.
>Select the Settings icon on the top right corner.
>Select the app you want.
>Tap on Delete.
>Confirm your deletion.
How to restart apps on Samsung Smart TV?
The easiest way to do it is by rebooting your Samsung TV. Press and hold the power button on your remote until the TV restart. After restarting, launch the app you want.
Most Samsung Smart devices have automatic updates enabled by default. So long as your TV is on and connected, updates to the ITV Hub will automatically push to your device as they become available. We highly recommended that automatic updates are enabled to ensure that you always have the latest and greatest version of the app!Some users have reported issues when updating apps on their TV. Sometimes it can take a few goes before the app has fully downloaded and installed, so we recommend retrying after a few hours if you are not successful first time around.
If you decide not to enable automatic updates, you can still update manually.
To manually update the ITV Hub app on Samsung Smart TVs 2014 and later:
- Switch on the TV
- Navigate to the Samsung Smart Hub
- Navigate to the Apps area
- Press and hold the select button on the ITV Hub app and a sub-menu will appear
- Select “Update apps” and if an update for ITV Hub is available, select it
- Choose “Update” - this might take a few minutes
To manually update the ITV Hub app on 2012-2013 Samsung Smart devices:
- Switch on the TV
- Navigate to the Samsung Smart Hub
- Navigate to the Apps area
- Navigate to “More apps” at the bottom of the screen
- Select “Apps to update” from the top centre of the screen
- If an update for ITV Hub is available, select it
- Choose “Update” - this might take a few minutes
Samsung Smart TVs are a great addition to any home because they allow you to stream all your favorite shows and movies from a selection of streaming apps. In order to access the streaming content, you need to know how to install the apps and update them periodically so that they continue to work properly.
The easiest way to update the apps on a Samsung Smart TV is to start from the Smart Hub page, click on the app that needs to be updated, click Enter and then click Update.
You might be wondering exactly how to update the apps and how to know which apps need to be updated. We will go over all the exact steps in this article. We will also discuss troubleshooting steps if you start to have problems with your apps.
How to Update Apps Manually on a Samsung Smart TV
If you want to update your apps manually instead of putting them on an automatic schedule, you can follow these steps below:
- Press the Smart Hub button.
- Select Features.
- Search for the apps that need to be updated and then press and hold the Enter button.
- Wait until a sub-menu appears.
- Select Update apps.
- Choose Select All.
- Select Update.
The app that you select will begin updating. It might take a few minutes. The screen should show you a progress bar to show you how close the app is to be done.
You can tell which apps need to be updated because they will show a small white arrow in a blue circle above the app. For a full guide on updating and troubleshooting apps, check this guide by Samsung.
Automatically Updating Apps
In some cases, you might find that putting your apps to automatically update is easier. This means you don’t have to constantly check for updates or wonder if the app is having a problem because it needs to be updated.
You can put your apps on an automatic update schedule by following the steps below:
- Press the home button on the remote control.
- Select Apps.
- Use your cursor to select the Settings icon.
- Press Enter.
- Keep the cursor on Auto-update.
- Press Enter to enable the function.
If you would like to learn more about Samsung TVs, check out this article. You can use the same steps above to disable the function, just choose to disable in the last step instead of enabling.
When Should I Update My Apps?
Apps should be updated as soon as you see there is an update available. Prolonging the updates can cause bugs in the software or cause issues when running or using the apps. If you want too long, the app may even stop working completely.
Updating apps regularly also has many advantages including:
- Updated Security. Apps updates improve the security of your device. When an app is outdated, it’s much easier for a hacker to use the outdated design to get personal information.
- Bug Fixes. Updating an app will get rid of any bugs you might be experiencing. Most of the time you will see that the bug is fixed right after the update.
- Better Performance. Outdated apps are often very slow and won’t perform at all.
Updating also doesn’t cause too much time or effort, so you should be able to do it for just a few minutes. Setting your apps to automatically update will also remove the stress of having to check if your apps need to be updated.
How Do I Know When My Apps Need to be Updated?
The easiest way to tell if your apps need to be updated is to check. If you use the smart hub button to go to the main app page, you should see a white arrow and a blue circle on any apps that need to be updated. You might also get an alert the next time you open the app that says it needs to be updated. You can either choose Update Now or Remind me Later.
You might also need to update your apps if you are having the following problems:
- An app keeps crashing or won’t open.
- Your regular content isn’t showing when you open the app.
- You recently updated the TV software and now some of the apps you have aren’t working.
- An app is working much slower than normal.
All of these issues could signal a problem occurring in the app. Updating it will almost always fix the problem.
Final Thoughts
Updating your Samsung Smart TV apps is a simple process to follow and only takes a few minutes. You should always keep your apps updated to ensure they are working properly and that they won’t crash. Just find the apps that need to be updated, choose Update, and then click the enter button from your TV remote.