Samsung makes some of the best screens in the world, including screens for other TV manufacturers. But their smart apps and entire smart TV ecosystem leave a lot to be desired. I know this because I have owned a Samsung smart TV for a few years now, which is why I have been assigned the task of writing this guide for updating apps on Samsung smart TV.
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Smart TVs have changed the way we consume media for the better. We no longer need third party set top boxes and media servers or dongles, they have become purely optional. If we can get Netflix or Hulu directly from our TV, why do we have to buy more hardware?
However, a smart TV is only smart when those apps work properly and are kept up to date. Along with a good internet connection, these are the fundamentals of using your smart TV.
With Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, PLEX, HBO Now, YouTube, Spotify, and other services offering Samsung smart TV apps, you really don't need anything else.
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UPDATING THE APPS ON YOUR SAMSUNG SMART TV
The easiest way to keep your apps up to date on a Samsung smart TV is to set them to update automatically.
Just like your phone, computer or tablet, the Samsung operating system can check for updates every time you turn on the TV or at certain times. That way you don't even have to think about updating them.
- Press the Smart Hub button on the TV remote control.
- Select Apps from the menu.
- Select My apps and options from the following menu.
- Set Auto Update to On.
This should set your apps to keep up to date and you can get on with more important things. The downside of setting up automatic update is that there is usually a short delay in accessing the Smart Hub when you turn on the TV for the first time.
You will see a message saying “Your Smart Hub is currently updating and is not available” or in other words, but that is the sense. Give it a minute and that message stops.
If you want to manually update your apps, open My Apps as above and search in the top menu. You should see an update box with a couple of options. Select it and you will see a list of apps that require updates. Select one or select them all and allow them to update.
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UPDATING YOUR SAMSUNG SMART TV
Sometimes it may be necessary to update the TV itself to get a new version of the Smart Hub and thus new updates for the apps. If you're lucky, you should be able to perform a TV update from the Settings menu.
If you're not that lucky, you'll need to manually download the latest software from Samsung, load it onto a USB drive, and tell the TV to update.
Internet update:
- Turn on the TV and select Settings.
- Select Support and Software Update.
- Select Update now if an update is available.
There won't always be an update to install or it may be that your TV won't find it even if it is there. You should see an Auto Update setting under Software Update. You can set it to ON if you like to keep everything up to date.
If you need to update your TV via USB, that's simple enough but takes some time.
- Go to the Samsung support website
- Enter your TV model number in the search box.
- Select Manuals & Downloads, TV & AV.
- Select your TV model from the list.
- Select Download and download the latest software on your device.
- Load that software onto an empty USB stick.
- Connect the USB stick to the TV and let it be detected.
- Select Settings and Support from the TV menu.
- Select Software Update and Update Now.
- Point the TV at the USB drive and allow the TV update.
This can take some time depending on how outdated your TV is. I had to do this when I first bought my TV and it took fifteen minutes.
You'll see a progress bar appear on the screen, but sometimes it freezes and then skips. If you see progress stop, leave the TV on for a while before stopping or doing something.
The Samsung smart TV is a top kit with a great screen and decent sound but the smart look still needs improvement.
If you need to update your apps, I recommend setting everything to automatic and leaving the TV. It's much easier and you don't have to worry about doing it manually anymore.
