Samsung TV Plus can be exited permanently by disabling its auto-run setting and hiding the app, which stops it from loading at startup and interrupting your viewing.
That free TV channel app that came with your Samsung Smart TV has a habit of taking over. You turn on the TV, and suddenly you’re watching infomercials instead of your last HDMI input. The app has no standard “close” button, and most people’s first attempt at getting rid of it just hides the icon while it keeps running in the background. The exit method that actually works involves two separate steps: turning off the auto-loading behavior, and then disabling the app itself so it stays stopped.
Why Samsung TV Plus Won’t Just Go Away
The app is baked into the Tizen operating system on every Samsung Smart TV released since 2016. You cannot fully delete it — it’s a core system app, like the Settings menu. The TV manufacturer wants it available, so the “Remove” option you see only strips the icon from your home screen. The underlying app remains active and ready to serve ads.
Removing the icon without disabling the app is why it keeps coming back. The workaround requires a specific sequence: remove the icon from view, then tell the TV to disable the app entirely. That second step is what most users miss.
Does Closing Background Apps Save iPhone Battery?
The quickest way to shut down a currently playing stream is by force-closing the app through a remote shortcut. This stops the channel playing now, but it does NOT prevent Samsung TV Plus from reloading when you power up the TV again tomorrow.
Press the Home button on your remote, then navigate to the Samsung TV Plus app icon. Press and hold the Return button (the curved arrow) for about five seconds. The screen should flash briefly as the app closes and drops you back to the home screen. If your remote doesn’t have a dedicated Return button, try pressing the Home button repeatedly instead — this can force active apps to release their hold on the screen. Use this for a quick exit mid-watch, but combine it with the permanent fix below.
Permanent Fix: Disable Auto-Play and the App Itself
Stopping Samsung TV Plus permanently takes two actions that complement each other. Turning off the auto-run setting stops the app from launching at startup, while disabling the app removes its ability to run in the background at all.
Step 1: Switch Off Auto-Run in Settings
Press Home on your remote, then go to Settings > All Settings (on some models this appears as just General). Navigate to General > Smart Features. Find the option labeled Autorun Samsung TV Plus and toggle it to OFF.
While you are here, also switch off Autorun Last App and Autorun SmartHub. These settings can cause other apps to launch on their own, which can conflict with the fix. After changing these, hold the power button on your remote until the TV shuts down completely, then turn it back on. This power cycle makes sure the new settings are actually applied.
Step 2: Remove and Disable the App
From the home screen, highlight the Samsung TV Plus app icon. Press and hold the Enter/OK button on your remote until a popup menu appears. Select Remove. The TV will then ask what you want to do next — this is the critical part. Choose Disable, not just “Remove.” A confirmation message reading “Deleted successfully” means the app is now hidden and blocked from running.
If you ever change your mind, go to Settings > Connected Devices > Samsung TV Plus, select the disabled app, and choose Add to Home.
Common Mistakes That Keep TV Plus Running
| What Users Do | Why It Fails | What Actually Works |
|---|---|---|
| Only press “Remove” on the icon | The app stays active in the background and can still auto-play | Select “Disable” after removing the icon |
| Turn off the TV normally (one press of power) | A standard shutdown doesn’t fully reset app states | Hold the power button until the TV shuts down, then restart |
| Disable auto-run but leave the app enabled | The app can still be triggered by the Home button or voice commands | Disable the app itself AND turn off auto-run |
| Re-add the app to the home screen later | Re-adding it reactivates the app automatically | Leave it hidden and use the Settings menu if you need it |
| Use the wrong remote button for force-close | Remote layouts vary; the button might do nothing | Try the Return button first, then the Home button repeatedly |
Dealing With Older TV Firmware
Some older Samsung TVs have firmware bugs that make the Disable option not appear, or the settings menu looks different from the steps above. Run a software update first: go to Settings > Support > Software Update and choose Update Now. If the interface still doesn’t match, look for the Smart Features menu under General instead of All Settings. The label “Autorun TV Plus” may also appear without the Samsung brand name on earlier models.
What Running The Disable Steps Looks Like On Screen
When you successfully disable the app, the TV will show a brief “Deleted successfully” message. After this, the Samsung TV Plus icon vanishes from your home screen. When you turn the TV on or press the Home button, you’ll land on your chosen HDMI input or the standard smart hub without any channel app launching. You can verify the app is fully stopped by pressing and holding the Return button — nothing will happen because there is no app running to close.
References & Sources
- Tom’s Guide. “How to stop Samsung TV Plus from playing automatically.” Detailed steps on disabling auto-run and the app.
- ControlMeister. “How to Close Apps on Samsung Smart TV (The Right Way).” Covers force-closing and returning to home screen methods.