If you’ve recently splashed out on one of Samsung’s latest smart TVs, you may be curious how long your TV is set to last. With the average lifespan of smart TVs ranging from approximately seven to ten years, software updates are a crucial component for preserving your smart TV’s longevity. Samsung’s Tizen OS, which debuted over ten years ago, remains at the core of its smart TV range. But which TVs does Samsung offer updates to, and how long do they last?
In 2024, Samsung announced publicly that it would be bringing free updates to its models released from March of that year, as well as some 2023 models. According to Samsung, the Tizen OS updates are guaranteed for seven years from a product’s release date. This is good news for those with older models wishing to take advantage of the latest updates, with Samsung rolling out its latest One UI Tizen update to older models in 2026.
Besides offering access to the latest features and improvements, there are several important reasons to keep your smart TV updated. Not doing so may put your smart TV at risk of cyberattacks. Certain apps may also become unusable due to changes in software requirements.
How can you update your Samsung Smart TV?
Many Smart TVs offer automatic updates as long as you’re connected to the internet. For Samsung devices, automatic updates should be enabled by default during the set up phase. However, there are cases when you might need to perform an update manually, for instance, if you are encountering network issues.
To ensure automatic updates are enabled on your Samsung smart TV, head over to the Settings tab, then select All Settings. Under the Support tab, you’ll find the Software Update option. Ensure that the Auto Update option is turned on. Now updates that are available will automatically download and install as long as there’s a valid network connection.
If you are experiencing network issues, or your smart TV is not connected to the internet, you can also perform software updates via a USB drive. To do this, you must first format your USB drive to FAT32. Next, head to the Samsung Downloads Center and enter your product or model number into the search bar. You’ll find the latest firmware file under the Downloads section on the product support page. Download and unzip the file, ensuring you place the extracted files on the root of your USB drive rather than inside a folder. Now you can update your smart TV inside the Software Update option described above, ensuring your USB drive is fitted correctly into your smart TV.