How to remove an app from your Samsung TV
To delete an app from a Samsung Smart TV, press the Home button on your remote, find the app you want to remove, press and hold the select button (or the center button) on the app tile, then choose Delete or Remove from the menu that appears. The exact wording and menu location depend on your TV model and the year it was made, but the press-and-hold method works on nearly all Samsung Smart TVs from the last decade.
The app disappears from your home screen when ready, though the TV may take a few seconds to process the deletion. You can reinstall the same app later from the Samsung App Store if you change your mind — deleting it does not prevent you from downloading it again.
Key Takeaways
- Press Home on your remote, then press and hold the select button on any app tile to open a menu with a delete option.
- Deleting an app removes it from your home screen but does not erase your login information if you reinstall it later.
- Some pre-installed Samsung apps cannot be deleted, only hidden or disabled through your TV's settings menu.
- If the press-and-hold method does not work, check your TV's settings under Apps or Applications to find a remove option there.
Step-by-step deletion on most Samsung models
Start by pressing the Home button on your Samsung remote. This takes you to the home screen where all your apps appear as tiles or in a list, depending on your TV's interface.
Navigate to the app you want to delete using the arrow buttons on your remote. Once the app tile is highlighted, press and hold the Select button (the center button in the middle of the directional pad). Hold it for two to three seconds until a small menu appears on the screen.
Look for an option that says Delete, Remove, or Uninstall. Use the arrow buttons to highlight that option and press Select to confirm. The app will disappear from your home screen within a few seconds.
What to do if the menu does not appear
On some Samsung TV models, especially older ones, the press-and-hold method may not work. If nothing happens when you hold the Select button, try accessing the app deletion menu through your TV's settings instead.
Press the Home button, then navigate to Settings (usually a gear icon). Look for a menu labeled Apps, Applications, or Manage Apps. Scroll through the list of installed apps, select the one you want to remove, and look for a Delete or Uninstall button on that app's information page.
If you still cannot find a delete option, the app may be a pre-installed Samsung app that your TV does not allow you to remove. In that case, you can hide it from your home screen instead — see the next section.
Hiding apps you cannot delete
Samsung Smart TVs come with several built-in apps like Samsung TV Plus, SmartThings, or Bixby that cannot be deleted. You can hide these from your home screen so they do not clutter your view, even though they remain on the TV's storage.
Press Home, highlight the app you want to hide, and press and hold Select. If a Hide option appears in the menu, select it. The app will no longer show on your home screen, though you can unhide it later by going to Settings and finding a Hidden Apps or Show Hidden Apps option.
If your TV does not offer a hide option, you can rearrange your home screen to move unwanted apps to the far right or bottom, where they are less visible. Press and hold the app tile and look for a Move option to drag it to a new position.
Freeing up storage space
Deleting apps does free up storage on your Samsung TV, though the amount varies depending on the app's size. Streaming apps like Netflix or YouTube typically use 50 to 200 megabytes each, while games can use much more.
If your TV is running slowly or showing a storage-full warning, deleting unused apps is one way to improve performance. You can also clear the cache (temporary data) for individual apps through Settings without deleting them entirely — this often recovers space without losing the app itself.
To clear an app's cache, go to Settings, find Apps or Applications, select the app, and look for a Clear Cache or Storage option. This removes temporary files the app has saved but keeps the app itself installed.
Reinstalling a deleted app
If you delete an app and later want it back, you can read it again from the Samsung App Store at no cost. Press Home, look for an App Store or Samsung App Store tile, and search for the app by name.
When you reinstall an app, your login information is usually preserved if you signed in before — the TV remembers your account details even after you delete the app. However, any data the app stored locally (like watch history or saved preferences) may be lost, depending on how the app was designed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting an app remove my saved passwords and login information?
No. When you reinstall the app, you can usually log back in with the same account. However, some apps store local data separately, so you may lose saved preferences or watch history. The app developer controls what information persists after deletion.
Can I delete pre-installed Samsung apps like SmartThings or Bixby?
Most pre-installed Samsung apps cannot be deleted, only hidden. If the delete option does not appear when you press and hold the app, try hiding it instead through the same menu, or disable it in Settings under Apps.
What if I accidentally delete an app I need?
You can reinstall it when ready from the Samsung App Store at no cost. Press Home, open the App Store, search for the app by name, and select read. Installation usually takes less than a minute.
Does deleting apps make my Samsung TV faster?
Deleting unused apps can free up storage space, which may help if your TV is running low on memory. However, the performance improvement is usually small unless your TV is nearly full. Clearing app cache is often more effective than deletion.
How do I know which apps are safe to delete?
Any app you downloaded yourself from the App Store is safe to delete — you can reinstall it later. Pre-installed Samsung apps usually cannot be deleted anyway. If you are unsure whether an app is important, try hiding it first rather than deleting it.