Delete apps directly from your Samsung TV's home screen
The fastest way to remove an app from your Samsung TV is to find it on the home screen, press and hold the select button on your remote, and choose delete or remove from the menu that appears. The exact wording depends on your TV model and software version, but the process is the same across recent Samsung TVs.
Start by navigating to the app you want to remove. Use your remote's arrow buttons to highlight it, then press and hold the center select button (the round button in the middle of the directional pad). A small menu will pop up with options. Look for "Delete," "Remove," or "Uninstall" — select that option and confirm when prompted.
The app disappears from your home screen when ready. If you change your mind later, you can reinstall it from the Samsung App Store or the Google Play Store, depending on which store the app came from originally.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold the select button on your remote while highlighting an app to bring up the delete option.
- Deleting an app from the home screen removes it from view but does not free up significant storage space on most Samsung TVs.
- You can reinstall deleted apps later from the Samsung App Store or Google Play Store without paying again.
- Some pre-installed apps cannot be deleted, only hidden or disabled through your TV's settings menu.
- If the delete option does not appear, the app may be a system app that your TV does not allow you to remove.
Remove apps through your TV's settings menu
If the press-and-hold method does not work, or if you want to see all installed apps at once, go through your TV's settings instead. Press the Home button on your remote, then navigate to Settings. Look for "Apps" or "Applications" — the exact name varies by model year.
Once you are in the Apps section, you will see a list of everything installed on your TV. Highlight the app you want to remove and select it. A details screen will appear with options including "Uninstall" or "Remove." Select that option and confirm. Some apps will show "Disable" instead of "Uninstall" — this hides the app but does not remove it completely.
This method works for apps that may not appear on your home screen or that you installed from the Google Play Store. It also shows you how much storage each app uses, which is helpful if your TV is running slowly or running out of space.
Understand which apps you cannot delete
Samsung TVs come with built-in apps like Samsung TV Plus, SmartThings, and the Samsung Health app. These are system apps, and most Samsung TVs do not allow you to delete them. If you select one and see only a "Disable" option instead of "Uninstall," that means the app is protected.
Disabling a system app hides it from your home screen and stops it from running in the background, which is usually enough if you do not want to see it. The app still takes up storage space, but disabling it frees up some memory. If you later want to use the app again, go back to Settings, find it in the Apps list, and select "Enable."
Apps you downloaded yourself from the Google Play Store or Samsung App Store can almost always be deleted completely. If you cannot delete an app you installed, restart your TV and try again — sometimes a temporary glitch prevents the delete option from appearing.
Free up storage space by removing unused apps
Samsung TVs do not have as much storage as phones or computers, so removing apps you no longer use can help your TV run faster. If your TV is sluggish, freezes when switching apps, or takes a long time to turn on, deleting unused apps may improve performance.
Go to Settings, then Apps, and look at the storage size listed next to each app. Streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Plex can use several hundred megabytes each. If you have multiple streaming apps installed that you rarely use, removing them can reclaim meaningful space. Delete the largest apps first if you need to free up the most storage quickly.
After deleting apps, restart your TV to clear its memory completely. Press the power button on your remote to turn it off, wait 30 seconds, then turn it back on. This gives your TV a chance to reorganize its storage and can noticeably improve speed.
Reinstall an app you deleted
If you delete an app and later want it back, you can reinstall it from the same store where you got it originally. Most apps come from the Google Play Store, though some Samsung apps come from the Samsung App Store.
Press Home on your remote and look for the app store icon on your home screen — it usually says "Google Play Store" or "Samsung App Store." Open it, search for the app by name, and select "Install." The app will read and install automatically. You do not have to pay again if the app was free the first time.
Your login information and any saved settings may or may not come back with the reinstalled app, depending on how the app stores data. Streaming apps like Netflix usually remember your account, but games and utility apps may start fresh.
Manage app updates and permissions
If you want to keep an app but prevent it from updating automatically, you can turn off auto-updates in the Google Play Store. Open the Play Store, go to Settings, and look for "Auto-update apps." You can set it to update only on Wi-Fi, or turn off auto-updates entirely and update apps manually when you choose.
Some apps request permission to access your TV's microphone, camera, or personal data. You can review and change these permissions in Settings under "Apps" or "Privacy." Highlight an app and look for "Permissions" — you can deny access to features the app does not need to function.
Disabling permissions does not delete the app, but it may prevent certain features from working. For example, if you deny a voice assistant app access to the microphone, voice commands will not work, but the app itself will still be installed.
Troubleshoot when delete is not working
If the delete option does not appear when you press and hold an app, the app may be a system app that Samsung does not allow you to remove. Try disabling it instead — this hides it from your home screen and stops it from running.
If you are trying to delete an app you downloaded and the delete option still does not show up, restart your TV. Turn it off completely, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. Then try deleting the app again. A temporary software glitch sometimes prevents the delete menu from appearing.
If restarting does not work, check that you have enough free storage space. If your TV is almost full, it may not let you make changes to apps. Delete a few large apps first, restart, and then try deleting the app you wanted to remove.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting an app free up a lot of storage space on my Samsung TV?
It depends on the app. Streaming apps like Netflix or Plex can use 200 to 500 megabytes each, so deleting several of them makes a real difference. Smaller utility apps use only 10 to 50 megabytes. If your TV is running slowly, deleting the largest unused apps will help more than deleting small ones.
Can I delete the Samsung TV Plus app?
No, Samsung TV Plus is a system app that cannot be deleted on most models. You can disable it to hide it from your home screen, which stops it from running in the background. If you want to use it again later, go to Settings, find it in the Apps list, and select Enable.
What happens if I delete an app by accident?
You can reinstall it from the Google Play Store or Samsung App Store at no cost. Open the app store, search for the app by name, and select Install. Your login information may or may not return depending on the app, but you can sign back in if needed.
Why does my Samsung TV keep freezing after I delete apps?
Deleting apps should improve performance, not worsen it. If your TV freezes after deleting an app, restart it by turning it off completely, waiting 30 seconds, and turning it back on. If freezing continues, the problem may be unrelated to the deleted app — try restarting again or checking for software updates in Settings.
Can I delete multiple apps at once?
No, Samsung TVs require you to delete apps one at a time. Go to Settings, select Apps, highlight each app you want to remove, and delete them individually. This takes longer than deleting multiple apps at once, but it is the only method available on Samsung TVs.