If you own one of the best Samsung TVs, you should know that you're not actually limited to the default app selection shown on the dashboard when you turn on your smart TV. In fact, there's a huge range of apps available on Samsung smart TVs, and you can install them all with just a little bit of navigation with your remote control.
And with the South Korean brand now preparing its 2022 line-up of Samsung TVs, it's good to know how to install and manage new apps, especially if you're planning on buying a brand new Samsung TV this year.
So if you fancy a change from the usual selection of the best streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus, read on to discover how you can increase your Samsung TV's repertoire of installed apps, ensuring you'll always have something to watch when you feel like the Netflix well has dried up.
Initial setup
Before you can install new apps to your Samsung smart TV, you'll first need to make sure the TV is connected to the internet. To do so, open up your TV's settings menu, then navigate to Network. Then open Network Settings, and follow the steps to choosing your home's router.
Choose your router, enter the password (usually located on the router itself, or on a card provided in the router's packaging), and wait for the TV to connect to the internet. Once that's done, you'll be ready to install apps immediately.
How to install apps on your Samsung smart TV
Firstly, press the Smart Hub or Guide button on your Samsung TV remote. The location of this button will vary depending on which TV remote you have, but if you own a Samsung smart TV, either option will bring up the Smart Hub dashboard.
Next, use the arrows on your remote to navigate to the Apps option, and select that. You'll be taken to your Samsung TV's apps hub, which is where you'll want to go anytime you're interested in downloading and installing new apps.
There are two main ways to search for new apps on your Samsung smart TVs. You can either navigate through the Apps hub through the provided submenus. There are options to view different genres of apps, as well as types of apps (music or entertainment, for example) and an Editor's Choice section that highlights popular apps you might be interested in.
You can also manually search for apps by highlighting the magnifying glass icon at the top of the screen. This will let you type in the name of an app to immediately be taken to its page.
You'll find that many apps are already installed to your Samsung TV, and these will be highlighted with an "Installed" label on the app. If that's not there, you'll need to install the app to be able to view its content.
To do so, simply select the app you're interested in, and on the next menu, select "Install." Next, you just need to wait for the app to install to your TV. Wait times will vary depending on the app's file size and your internet's download speed, but in most cases it shouldn't take too long as app sizes tend to be quite small.
Once your app is installed, you'll see a notification pop up on your smart TV. Next, you can choose to open the app right there, or add it to your Home screen which makes it easily accessible from your Smart Hub home menu at anytime.
