Remove unwanted apps from Samsung TVS
Smartphones usually come with apps that you have no use for and which are locked to prevent you from deleting them. The same is true with smart TVS. While you’ll be happy to have BBC iplayer, ITV Hub and Youtube apps ready to use, you may have much less interest in CHILI, Rakuten TV, Hayu and Tiktok. Removing these will help to declutter your TV’S interface, making it easier to find what you want.
Samsung (like other manufacturers) lets you remove apps you install yourself – look for a delete option in the Apps menu. But unlike other manufacturers it also lets you delete apps that are built in using its Developer Mode (it doesn’t work on all models, but it’s worth trying).
Press the Home button on your remote control and select Apps. On the virtual keyboard type 12345. If it works, on your TV you’ll see the ‘Developer mode’ box open in the centre of the screen. Select On ( 1 in our screenshot below), then OK 2 and a box will appear saying ‘Developer mode is in On status’.
Next, turn your TV off and back on again. Go back into the Apps screen, and you should see ‘Apps (Developer Mode)’ at the top. Click the cog top right to open Settings, then choose an app to remove. The Delete button will still be greyed out, but if you scroll all the way down you’ll see a new button called Deep Link Test. Click this and a new window will appear asking for a payload and content ID. Ignore this and click Cancel. The Delete button for the app should now be active, and you’ll be able to click it and remove that item.
If Delete remains greyed out, the solution is to reset the Smart Hub on the TV. This is a bit extreme as it means you’ll need to reinstall any apps you’ve downloaded as well as any accounts stored on your TV, so think carefully before proceeding. If you want to go ahead, open Settings, select Support, go to Self Diagnosis and click Reset Smart Hub. Enter the PIN you entered when you first set up your TV.