Your Samsung smart TV is more than a platform for watching shows and movies from the best value streaming services. Installing more apps lets you play games, check social media, listen to music, read the news, and more. Installing too many can make finding the apps you need quickly challenging.

We show you how to install and manage your Samsung smart TV apps. Samsung offers tight integration between all its hardware, so picking up the AI-powered Galaxy S24 lets you connect it with your smart TV via the SmartThings app.

How to download apps on your Samsung smart TV

Your Samsung TV has preinstalled apps, but you can download more from the app store. You need a Samsung account, and you can create one from your TV, smartphone, or PC. After creating an account, follow the steps below to download apps.

The steps used in this article may look different on your smart TV. If they don't work for you, consult your TV's manual for model-specific instructions.

  1. Turn on your Samsung smart TV.
  2. Press the Home button on the remote controller.
    Samsung Smart Remote with Home button highlighted
    Source: Wikimedia Commons
  3. Scroll left and select Apps from the home screen options. To select options, press the big circular button in the center of your remote.
    Apps option on Samsung TV
  4. Select the search icon in the upper-right corner to find an app. You can also explore the Editor's choice menu and other categories to get ideas.
  5. If you searched for an app, select it from the results page to view its information, screenshots, ratings, and more.
  6. Select Install to add the app to your TV.
    Bloomberg app information page on Samsung TV app store

How to move apps to the home screen on Samsung TVs

Apps don't automatically appear on your Samsung TV's home screen, so you must add them. Pinning your preferred apps this way gives you quicker access, so you don't always have to enter the Apps menu. You can move them around after you pinned them for better arrangement. Use the following steps to begin:

  1. Press the Home button on your remote.
  2. Select the Apps menu from the home screen options.
    Apps option on Samsung TV
  3. Scroll to the Downloaded apps section.
  4. Long press an app. Then select Add to Home. Repeat these steps for other apps you'd like to pin to the home screen.
    Add to Home option on Samsung TV
  5. Return to the home screen to see your available apps.
  6. To reorder them, long press an app. Then select Move.
    Move option for apps pinned to Samsung TV home screen
  7. Use the directional buttons on your TV remote to reposition apps.

How to lock apps on your Samsung smart TV

If you want to prevent people from messing with your apps or viewing sensitive content inside them, lock them. Locking apps on Samsung TVs requires you to enter a PIN as confirmation. To unlock the apps, re-enter the PIN. Use the following steps to block apps on your Samsung TV:

The default PIN for your Samsung Smart TV should be 0000. If you don't remember creating a PIN, try this first.

  1. Press the Home button on your remote controller. Then select Apps.
  2. Select the Settings gear in the upper-right corner.
    Settings icon on Samsung TV
  3. Use the directional buttons on your remote to switch between apps. A menu appears under every app you highlight.
  4. Select Lock.
    App Lock option on Samsung TV
  5. Enter your four-digit PIN to lock the app. You'll see a small lock icon beside blocked apps on your TV.
    PIN entry tab for locking apps on Samsung TV
  6. To unlock TV apps, repeat the steps mentioned above. Then select unlock and enter your PIN.

How to enable automatic app updates on your Samsung smart TV

Samsung app updates provide you with new features and fix issues on your devices. You can check for them, but activating automatic updates is a time-saver. However, auto-updates on Samsung TVs require an internet connection. Ensure that you're connected to a strong Wi-Fi network before using the following steps:

  1. Go to Apps > Settings.
  2. Select Auto-update in the upper-right corner and turn on the feature.
    Enabling Auto update feature on Samsung TV

How to delete apps from your Samsung TV

Like your smartphone, your smart TV has a storage capacity that can get filled up. Most Samsung smart TVs come with 8GB of storage. Out of it, Samsung reserves a significant chunk for Tizen OS and system apps. When it's filled up, the performance reduces significantly. Your options for freeing it are limited to clearing the cache and data and deleting existing apps.

CloudMe is the only storage service available for Samsung SmartTV, so you don't have as many cloud storage options as you do on your phone. On select TVs, you may be able to connect an external storage device and convert it to your internal memory. We don't recommend such procedures as they may not work or permanently alter your TV's settings.

Use the following steps to delete apps and create more space on your Samsung TV:

  1. Go to Apps > Settings.
  2. Long press or select an app. Then click Delete from the drop-down menu.
  3. Select Delete again from the pop-up confirmation message.

Unlock your Samsung smart TV's true potential

While you can't synchronize Android apps from your Samsung smartphone to your Samsung smart TV, there are still plenty of apps to choose from. Preinstalled on your Samsung smart TV is Samsung TV Plus, which is a free subscription-based live TV app that is an excellent alternative to other live TV services.