Guide, no app needed

Samsung TV (Tizen): turn off ads and tracking

ReTV cannot connect to Samsung TVs. This page shows, menu by menu, how to switch off ads, viewing tracking and recommendations yourself.

How to use this page

ReTV cannot change these TVs the way it changes Android TV: they do not accept our app. So this page changes nothing. It shows which menu items you can switch off yourself to cut ads, viewing tracking and recommendations.

Menu names are given in English, as on the manufacturer's support pages. On a TV set to another language the same items are translated, so follow the order and the meaning.

Find your TV's generation below by its year, then go through the list from top to bottom.

Tizen, 2021 and 2022 models

Samsung's paths on these years differ between models and regions, so some items list two variants.

Viewing Information Services
Menu path
Settings → All Settings → General & Privacy → Terms & Privacy → Viewing Information Services
or
Settings → Support → Terms & Policy → Viewing Information Services
Turn off Turn off Viewing Information Services (clear its check box or withdraw the agreement).
Why This is the Samsung switch behind automatic content recognition: the TV works out what you watch, also on a box or console plugged into it.
This item may be named differently or sit in another place, depending on the year and region.
Interest-Based Advertisements
Menu path
Settings → All Settings → General & Privacy → Terms & Privacy → Interest-Based Advertisements
or
Settings → Support → Terms & Policy → Interest-Based Advertisements
Turn off Turn off Interest-Based Advertisements.
Why You will still see ads, but they will not be chosen from your viewing history.
This item may be named differently or sit in another place, depending on the year and region.
Voice Recognition
Menu path
Settings → All Settings → General & Privacy → Terms & Privacy → Voice Recognition Services
or
Settings → Support → Terms & Policy → Voice Recognition Services
Turn off Withdraw the voice recognition agreement if you do not use voice control, and turn off the audio and voiceprint review options.
Why Without it the TV does not send voice data. Voice control stops working.
This item may be named differently or sit in another place, depending on the year and region.
Home screen autorun
Menu path
Settings → All Settings → General & Privacy → Start Screen Options → Start with Smart Hub Home
or
Settings → General → Smart Features → Autorun Smart Hub
Turn off Turn off the option that opens the Samsung home screen at power on (named at the end of the path), and Autorun Last App if the menu has it.
Why The TV then opens on the input you last used instead of the home screen with its ad tiles.
Ads on the home panel
Turn off There is no single switch for the ad tile on the home panel. The two items above (Interest-Based Advertisements and Viewing Information Services) make it less personal, and the autorun item lets you skip the panel.
Why The tile is part of Samsung's home screen, so it may stay. This is where DNS or a set-top box helps.

Tizen, 2023 to 2025 models

On these models the privacy items are in General & Privacy. Samsung also has a Privacy Choices page in the Menu.

Viewing Information Services
Menu path
Settings → All Settings → General & Privacy → Terms & Privacy → Viewing Information Services
or
Home → Menu → Privacy Choices → Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy
Turn off Turn off Viewing Information Services (clear its check box or withdraw the agreement).
Why This is the Samsung switch behind automatic content recognition: the TV works out what you watch, also on a box or console plugged into it.
This item may be named differently or sit in another place, depending on the year and region.
Interest-Based Advertisements
Menu path
Settings → All Settings → General & Privacy → Terms & Privacy → Interest-Based Advertisements
Turn off Turn off Interest-Based Advertisements.
Why You will still see ads, but they will not be chosen from your viewing history.
This item may be named differently or sit in another place, depending on the year and region.
Voice Recognition
Menu path
Settings → All Settings → Advanced Features → Voice → Bixby Settings → Privacy
or
Settings → All Settings → General & Privacy → Terms & Privacy → Voice Recognition Services
Turn off Withdraw the voice recognition agreement if you do not use voice control, and turn off the audio and voiceprint review options.
Why Without it the TV does not send voice data. Voice control stops working.
This item may be named differently or sit in another place, depending on the year and region.
Home screen autorun
Menu path
Settings → All Settings → General & Privacy → Start Screen Options → Start with Smart Hub Home
Turn off Turn off the option that opens the Samsung home screen at power on (named at the end of the path), and Autorun Last App if the menu has it.
Why The TV then opens on the input you last used instead of the home screen with its ad tiles.
Ads on the home panel
Turn off There is no single switch for the ad tile on the home panel. The two items above (Interest-Based Advertisements and Viewing Information Services) make it less personal, and the autorun item lets you skip the panel.
Why The tile is part of Samsung's home screen, so it may stay. This is where DNS or a set-top box helps.

After you finish

A software update can switch some of these items back on. It is worth opening the list again after a big update.

Optional: block ad addresses with DNS

A second step is to make the TV ask an ad-blocking DNS server. You can do this on the router (every device at home gets it) or on the TV itself, in its network settings. You make the change yourself; we do not touch the TV.

On the TV: open the network settings, choose your connection, find its IP or advanced settings and enter the DNS server by hand. The field is not on every model.

Addresses we use: 94.140.14.14 and 94.140.15.15. Write down the old values so you can put them back.

DNS cuts only the ads that come from other addresses. Ads that the manufacturer puts on its own home screen may stay.

Router guide

What we cannot do on this TV

We cannot replace the home screen or install a launcher.
We cannot remove the manufacturer's apps.
We cannot change the TV's settings for you: every switch above is yours to turn.

Have a set-top box?

If a TV box or stick on Android TV or Google TV is plugged into this TV, ReTV can clean it and replace its home screen. That is the full path, and it does not depend on the TV's brand.

Connect a set-top box