How to Update a Smart TV or Streaming Stick: Step-by-Step for Each Brand

Updates fix bugs, close security holes and keep streaming apps working. If an app on your TV suddenly will not open, asks for a newer version, or the picture and sound misbehave, it is worth knowing how to update a smart TV or streaming stick yourself. It usually takes five minutes. Below are the menu paths for the most common brands, plus what to do when an update fails.

This is an independent guide, not affiliated with any TV or streaming brand. Menus change between models and years; if a path below does not match, look for Support, System or About in Settings.

Before you start

• Connection: a large update needs a steady connection. If your TV keeps dropping Wi-Fi, fix that first with smart TV won’t connect to Wi-Fi, or use an Ethernet cable if the TV has a port.
• Time: an update can take from a few minutes to half an hour, including a restart.
• Power: do not switch off or unplug the TV during the update. A power cut mid-update is one of the few things that can leave a TV unable to start.

Samsung smart TVs

1. Press Home on the remote and open Settings (on recent models, Settings > All Settings).
2. Go to Support > Software Update.
3. Select Update Now. The TV checks, downloads and installs any update, then restarts.
4. Turn on Auto Update on the same screen.

LG smart TVs (webOS)

1. Press the Settings button (gear icon) on the remote and choose All Settings.
2. Go to Support > Software Update (on some older models, General > About This TV).
3. Choose Check for Updates and follow the prompts.
4. Switch on Allow Automatic Updates.

Google TV and Android TV (Sony, TCL, Hisense, Chromecast and others)

1. Select your profile picture or the gear icon and open Settings.
2. Go to System > About > System update (on some models, Device Preferences > About > System update).
3. Choose Check for update and install any update offered.

Apps on these TVs update through the Google Play Store: open Apps, then the Play Store, and check Manage apps and games for updates.

Roku TVs and streaming players

1. Press Home on the Roku remote.
2. Go to Settings > System > System update.
3. Select Check now. If an update is available, the Roku downloads it and restarts.

Roku devices also check for updates automatically, so a manual check is mainly useful when a channel asks for a newer version.

Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick

1. From the home screen, open Settings (the gear icon).
2. Go to My Fire TV > About.
3. Select Check for Updates, then Install Update if one is waiting.

Apple TV

1. Open Settings > System > Software Updates.
2. Select Update Software and choose Download and Install if an update appears.
3. Turn on Automatically Update.

Other brands

Vizio, Philips, Panasonic and other brands use similar wording. Look in Settings for Support, System, About or Software update. Your TV’s manual, or the support page for your exact model number (printed on a label on the back), will have the exact steps.

Updating the apps, not just the TV

The TV’s system software and its apps update separately. If one app misbehaves:

1. Open the TV’s app store and check for an update to that app.
2. Remove the app and install it again.
3. Restart the TV fully by unplugging it for a minute.

If a streaming service rejects your password or says your account is in use elsewhere, see streaming service login problems.

When the update fails

• Restart everything: unplug the TV for 60 seconds and restart your router; our guide to restarting a router correctly explains the safe way.
• Check the speed: a slow or unstable connection can make downloads fail. Run a test on a phone next to the TV; testing your internet speed shows how to read the result.
• Free up storage: uninstall apps you never use, especially on streaming sticks with little storage.
• Use the USB method: some Samsung and LG models can install an update from a USB stick. Download the file only from the maker’s own support site for your exact model and follow its instructions carefully.
• Contact the maker: if the TV is stuck on a logo or restarting in a loop after an update, contact the maker’s support through its website.

When a TV stops getting updates

Every smart TV eventually stops receiving system updates, and apps then gradually stop supporting it. If your TV is several years old and apps are disappearing, a streaming stick or box plugged into an HDMI port is usually a cheaper fix than a new TV. It also gets its own updates. While you are setting it up, it is a good moment to make sure your home Wi-Fi is secure.

Be careful with search results and pop-ups offering “TV activation” or “update support” phone numbers. TV makers do not charge to update your TV, and genuine updates come through the TV’s own Settings menu. If someone asks you to pay or to let them connect to your computer to “activate” a TV, it is a scam; see how to spot a fake tech-support call.