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How to Delete Apps on Samsung Smart TV (All Models)

What makes a TV “smart” is its capability to stream online content and connectivity features. Whether you get a Smart TV from Samsung or some other manufacturer, they all come with pre-installed apps. Moreover, they also let you install more apps from the application store. If you don’t like a SmartHub app and want to uninstall it, I’ll be describing the steps to delete apps on any model on Samsung Smart TV whether it was released in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, or 2020.

Modern televisions may have become smart but they still have limited storage space. My Samsung Q70R Series (65″) has a storage capacity of 2.18 GB.

samsung tv storage capacity

It means that if I install some more apps and games, its memory will be full in no time. To install more apps, I’ll have to free space by deleting the existing apps. There may be various reasons why we might want to delete apps on our Samsung Smart TV.

  • If an app is not useful for you.
  • Sometimes, we install new apps but later discover that they aren’t good enough.
  • Some people just don’t like lots of apps. The more apps you’ll have, the more effort you’ll need to make to navigate to the app you want to use. By uninstalling apps, we can keep our Smart TV clutter-free.
  • Samsung Hub doesn’t have hundreds of GBs of storage space. If you have too many apps installed on your Samsung Smart TV, you must delete some apps to add new ones.

Points to Note

Whatever your reason maybe, if you want to uninstall apps from your Samsung TV, this tutorial is just for you. Before you proceed, however, please keep in mind:

  • You won’t be able to delete apps that come pre-installed on your Samsung Smart TV. The delete option for such apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc. is greyed out or disabled by default. That’s to say, you’ll be able to delete only those apps that you installed from the Samsung App Store after getting the TV. I have found a hack to delete pre-installed apps but I am not sure that will work on all TV models and firmware versions.samsung tv app delete option greyed out
  • Just in case you need the deleted apps sometime in the future, you can install them again whenever you want.

Before you check out the steps to uninstall apps, don’t forget to take a look at how you can turn off the voice guide feature on your Samsung Smart TV.

Related Topic: How to Delete Apps on LG Smart TV

Deleting Apps on Samsung Smart TV

Below, we’ll check the steps to uninstall apps on different models and series of Samsung Smart TVs released during the last 7 years. I’ll start with the model of my TV that was launched in 2019.

Samsung Smart TV Models Released in 2017 – 2019

If your TV’s model number starts with K, M, LS, MU, NU, RU, or Q (Samsung TV Q70R Series, for example) and you purchased it in 2017, 2018, or 2019, follow the instructions described below.

  1. Press the Home Button on your remote to launch Samsung Smart Hub on your TV.

    samsung tv smart tv remote controls

    Smart Remote control buttons

  2. Now press the left side of the Directional Pad or Navigation Ring to select Apps.Samsung tv apps option
  3. Press the Center button to open see the list of all apps on your Samsung Smart TV.
  4. Now, highlight the cog-wheen Settings icon on the top-right corner on the screen using the Directional pad and open it.app settings on samsung tv
  5. You should see the list of all installed apps on your TV. Select the app you want to delete from your Samsung TV.
  6. You’ll see all the available options for specific installed apps as shown below. Highlight the Delete option and press the Center button.delete option on samsung smart tv
  7. When you’re asked to confirm app deletion, select the Delete option.confirm app deletion samsung tv
  8. You’ll see a message saying “Deleted successfully“.

Samsung TV TU/Q/LS Series (2020)

If you purchased your Samsung Smart TV in 2020 and it belongs to the LS, Q, or TU series, you should follow the steps provided below.

  1. Press the Home button on your remote control to open Smart Hub.samsung tv smart hub
  2. Navigate to the Settings option with a cog-wheel icon.
  3. When you get to the Settings menu screen, go to the Support and select the Device Care option.samsung tv 2020 device care
  4. Device Care will run a quick scan of your Samsung TV and show you an option called Manage Storage.samsung smart tv manage storage
  5. Open Manage Storage and you’ll be able to select one or more apps you want to delete.installed apps on samsung smart tv
  6. Having selected the apps to delete, choose the Delete option.
  7. When you see a pop-up window with the list of selected apps, click the OK button.confirm app deletion
  8. When the apps are deleted from your Samsung TV, you will get the ‘Deleted successfully‘ message.

On Older Samsung TVs

If you own a Samsung TV launched in 2016, 2015 or earlier, you should do as described below to delete apps. These quick steps will work on the E, F, H, J, K, KU, and KS series on the Korean giant’s Smart TVs.

  1. Press the Home button on your TV’s Remote.
  2. Go to Apps and click it.
  3. You’ll see your installed apps under the My Apps tab.
  4. Select the Options button located on the bottom right corner of the screen.
  5. Go to the Delete option and click it.
  6. You can now select the apps you want to uninstall.
  7. When you have selected the apps, click on the Done button.
  8. Now click the Delete button and the apps you selected will be removed from your TV.

Deleting Pre-installed Apps on Samsung TV

Depending on geo-localization, the Samsung Smart TVs come with certain pre-installed apps including stock apps and a number of third-party apps like Netflix, Prime Video, and so on. While it’s easy to delete apps that you have installed on your TV, deleting the pre-installed apps on a Samsung TV is not possible as the Delete option is greyed out for them.

It’s easy to get rid of bloatware on Samsung Galaxy devices but on TV, things get complicated. Anyway, there’s still a trick that might help you uninstall pre-installed apps on your Samsung TV, and below are the steps to do the same.

  1. Press the Home button on your TV’s remote.
  2. Select Apps and click it.
  3. Now press the Number button on your remote and type ‘12345‘ using the on-screen number.
  4. You’ll then see the Developer mode pop-up. Highlight the On button and select it.samsung tv developer mode on
  5. Now select the OK option. The Developer mode will be enabled for the Apps section on your Samsung TV. Select the Close option on the pop-up saying, “Develop Mode is On status.”samsung tv developer mode enabled
  6. Highlight the Settings (cogwheel) icon at the top-right corner of your TV screen and click it.samsung tv apps develop mode
  7. On the apps settings page, highlight the app you want to delete.
  8. Go to Lock/Unlock option and click it to lock the app.
  9. Type ‘0000‘ (it’s the default password). The app will be locked and you’ll see a lock icon on the app banner image.
  10. Now, go to the Deep Link Test option and click it.samsung tv deep link test
  11. On the window that pops up, highlight the Content id box and type anything using the on-screen keyboard. Click the Done button on the keyboard and select
  12. You’ll be asked to enter the unlock password. Don’t enter the password and select the Cancel option.
  13. The Delete option that was greyed out for the app previously, should be available now. As you can see below, the Apple Music app on my TV now has the Delete option enabled. If it’s still greyed out, try restarting the TV a couple of times.delete pre-installed app samsung tv
  14. Click the Delete option and confirm your choice.
  15. You can repeat steps 8 to 14 for any other pre-installed app you want to delete from your Samsung TV.

You should also check out my list of Samsung TV error codes and how you can fix them.

That’s all about deleting apps on any Samsung Smart TV released between 2014 and 2020. In case you have any questions related to the topic discussed above, don’t hesitate to ask.

Read Next: How to Update Samsung Smart TV via USB

117 thoughts on “How to Delete Apps on Samsung Smart TV (All Models)”

    1. Hi Prash,

      Nowhere in the tutorial have I mentioned that you can uninstall pre-installed or system apps on a Samsung TV. You probably missed this following portion in my article”

      “You won’t be able to delete apps that come pre-installed on your Samsung Smart TV. The delete option for such apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc. is greyed out or disabled by default. That’s to say, you’ll be able to delete only those apps that you installed from the Samsung App Store after getting the TV.”

      I even attached a screenshot to show that.

      Regards,

      1. Your own words “ I have found a hack to delete pre-installed apps but I am not sure that will work on all TV models and firmware versions”

      1. Rakesh –

        I have a TU700D and when I open developer mode, there is no “Deep Link Test” option on the pre-installed apps to remove them. How do I delete them without the deep link test option? Delete is grayed out and the app screen says APP (DEVELOP MODE) so I know its been activated. Thanks.

        1. Hi JM,

          It looks like Samsung has patched the loophole we discovered with a software update. I am trying to figure out another way to get rid of pre-installed apps on Samsung Smart TVs and update this tutorial accordingly.

          1. Hi Rakesh,

            I have Samsung Smart TV UA32M5570 and I am not able to uninstall the pre-installed apps as the deep link option is not available. My tv’s software version is T-KTSUABC- 1280.5, BT-S
            I hardly have any space left and the TV has become very slow, badly needs to uninstall some of the preloaded apps ☹️
            Please help!

          2. Hi Rakesh

            Any update on the missing deep link test work around yet please – I have tu7100

            loved your tutorial on bloatware removal for Miui by the way

  1. I have an NU7100 TV, and tried you developer mode trick, but unfortunately the delete option is still dimmed
    May be because the TV is updated to the latest update version? IDK, this sucks.

    1. Same TV it doesn’t work. Samsung can’t force us to have installed what they want. I didn’t pay for this TV so they install whatever they want.

      1. Actually, they can do whatever they want……it even tells you on the box and also in the product description if you check it out online what is pre-installed. By purchasing the TV, you agree to the pre-installed apps.

        1. no youre forced to accept preinstalled apps because you arnt given an option. what paul says is correct we own the tvs so we should be able to decide what goes on them, if you want i can sell you a porche its only £50 brand new but u can only use it on tuesdays

  2. HomeTheatreNeophyte

    Have made several attempts to delete pre-installed apps using your method as described above. Not getting the Deep Link Test option.

  3. Trying this on my UE43NU747OU and I don’t get the cog after setting it to developer mode.
    I also don’t see the the deep link test.
    Any other suggestions?
    Thanks in advance!

      1. I am glad to know that it worked for you. As for apps getting re-installed, try this: turn off the tv as soon as you delete the app. Keep the TV disconnected (network) for around 20 minutes. You can also try disabling Software and app update. Let me know if it works. 🙂

  4. Hi, the trick does’nt work for me, the model it’s UN50NU7100, I follow all the instruccions but the “delete” opcion don’t activate. the firmware it’s 1292, I hope some solution because the TV come with many garbage apps.
    P.S.- finally managed to dete apps. 🙂

    1. Hi! how were you able to do this? I have a UN model tv as well, and no “Deep Link” option is showing once I do all the steps above. So I’m stuck with these pre-loaded apps and that damned e-manual that is taking up so much memory!

  5. Hi, unfortunately I cannot get this to work for pre installed apps. I can enter developer mode, unlock/lock the app and enter the deeplinking content id however the delete option is still greyed out. The tutorial is really clear so a massive thanks for pulling it together but it would be a massive help if you had any suggestions for what else i can try. My model is QE55Q67RATXXU

  6. Hello,

    thank you for the guide, it is cristal clear.
    however, I have the same issue than others, the delete option is not being activated even with the deep link trick.
    I have a RU7100.

    do you have any idea ?
    Thanks again!

  7. Hi I have a samsung tv eu50mu and download a game which now I cant delte option to delete it there but nothing happens its nt locked tryed developermode any help plz

    1. Hi Parweez,

      You don’t need to enter the Developer Mode on your Samsung TV to delete a third-party app or game. You told the ‘Delete’ option is there. What happens when you select the option. Doesn’t it uninstall the game?

  8. Hi,
    Am having Samsung TU700D series TV which i purchased couple of weeks back. I have not installed any new apps. The default apps has consumed 1.05 GB and i have only 245 MB available. So am concerned if next firware upgrade might not work for me. I tried the steps as per develop mode, but once i lock the app am not getting “Deep Link Test” option.
    Should i restart the TV with develop mode as the pop says?
    Or is it really not possible to delete the default apps.

  9. hi,
    Is this still working?
    i can go into developer mode
    deeppinktest or unlock/lock the DELETE button still greyed out on q90r
    fimware 1354

    thks

  10. The developer mode doesn’t allow deletion of preinstalled apps either. Next step, find out if tv can be ‘rooted’

  11. Thanks Developer mode worked, I was able to delete preinstalled apps. The problem I am having is I deleted the Magellan app, but it keeps coming back. Is there a way to permanently delete an app, has anyone else had a problem with this app not deleting, or reappearing after deleting?

    1. Hi Mik,

      I am glad to know the trick worked for you. Did you try deleting some other apps too, or just Magellan? Do they also come back. Try one thing, keep your TV disconnected from the network for some hours after deleting the app.

      Between, which TV model and software version you have?

  12. “You won’t be able to delete apps that come pre-installed on your Samsung Smart TV. The delete option for such apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc. is greyed out or disabled by default. That’s to say, you’ll be able to delete only those apps that you installed from the Samsung App Store after getting the TV.”

    my quick question is WHY?
    WHY I need to have pre-installed apps on my TV?
    it is MY TV!
    WHY I cannot control my apps on my TV that I paid for?
    Who decides which apps I need or preinstalled on my TV?
    Does he know me, what I need better than myself?

    I want to delete what I want to delete, this is sill!
    this is a malware by Samsung put on our TVs!

    never ever again another samsung.

    1. You are absolutely right, Serkan! The end-user must have the right to choose what apps he/she wants to keep. I guess they impose apps on us because they get money from those companies. It has become a rampant practice among all OEMs and platforms including TVs, smartphones, and computers. It’s not just Samsung, I have an LG OLEDB7A and it is also stuffed with bloatware.

      1. Rakesh- do you can or can’t delete apps like Hulu or the Vudoo whatever it’s called video app? I also don’t get the deep link option. What gives??

        1. Hi Lou,

          The trick works for all pre-installed apps on Samsung TV including Hulu, Netflix, Vudoo, etc. The availability of the Deep link test depends on TV model and software version.

          1. Is there any tv brand model where you CAN control built in apps/pre-installed? Like no name brand or android type tv??
            I need to be able to fully manage w special needs kids that we don’t want seeing specific apps

        2. Rakesh
          Model
          QN 65Q60 RAFXZA
          Version 1461 software

          I see deep link and get all that but delete still grey.
          I really want delete YouTube app
          Anyway?? Thank you sir

  13. Just wanted to say thank you for the last bit about removing unwanted built in apps. I was able to delete some pre-installed apps on my Samsung TV.

  14. Yep, I am not able to view any the “Deep Link Test” option while in Developer Mode on my Q80T series Samsung TV. I even called support, but they won’t give you any information and stress the warranty is void if you try to access the firmware directly.

    Seriously, I develop firmware for a living, there must be a hidden way they allowed for these to be disabled but do not want to publish that information. This is crazy that they won’t let you get rid of all this bloatware!

  15. How do I delete pre-installed app on 2020 q series tv? I was able to set apps to Develop Mode on the apps settings page. However one must access Device Care – Manage Storage to delete apps on this model tv instead of on the apps settings page. Develop Mode on the apps settings page does not effect the options on the Device Care – Manage Storage page.

      1. Hi Rakesh,
        Thank you for superb detailed guide.
        I followed your steps and able to get into developer mode. But not able to see deeplink test option for locked/unlocked preinstalled apps(e.g. Netflix).

        My Tv is Samsung UA49M5570
        S/w version: T-KTSUABC-1280.5, BT – S
        Kindly help

  16. please send help! 😉

    I am half way through, I was able to access developer mode, bot there is no option of Deep Link Test

    model is old, UE48JU6445K

    any ideas please?

  17. Hi Rakesh,

    Great guide but I am unable to even access the developer mode, any ideas why?

    Model: UA46F6800A
    SV: T-MST12DEUC-2127.0 ,BT – S / G

    1. Hi Bianca,

      Samsung might have pathed it with a software update. I’ll look for a new way to access the Developer Mode and update the tutorial.

      1. Hello Rakesh,

        The Deep Link rrmove method was working fine until the recent update that seems to have fixed it. Unfortunatelty turned off my pi-hole and the apps installed back and there is no way to uninstall them.
        Would appreciate if you find a new way to remove them, you can request any test if needed from me.

        Thanks for your work.

  18. Hi Rakesh
    Thank you for your very informative post. This is so helpful in removing the bloatware we are forced to endure. If I had known all this was installed and in some cases unremovable, I would have bought a Sony instead. I was able to remove the apps as you describe. I have several questions:

    First, I have a QN65Q70TAFXZA
    with sw version. T-NKMAKUC-1403.1, B1052200/A70707, BT-S

    I was not able to get to the Developer mode as you described. Has that been patched or is there another approach to getting to it?
    In the Home menu, there are TV apps top the right of the cursor position, to the left is a SPONSORED app that changes each time you go to the menu. Is there a way to remove the SPONSORED app? That one is the most annoying!!

    1. Hi Gene,

      That’s not a sponsored app. It shows the watch suggestions from different apps in one place and you can’t remove them. As for the developer options, how old your TV is?

    1. Sent an email earlier today, Friday, 10 Sept 2021, to Christopher Kim ( VP Customer Care ), Joseph Stinziano ( VP Consumer Electronics ) and John Herrington ( VP Home Appliances because ) noting my similar issues with Samsung installing unwanted and un deletable apps on three RU7100’s I purchased causing buffer or process issues while streaming programs. Received a call back from rank and file and was told Samsung is not going to do anything to remedy the issue because they have agreements with those content providers to add the apps to the televisions.

      Think it’s time to take back the propery we purchased and am looking at initiating a class action lawsuit based on what I’ve been seeing about this on the all of the community boards.

  19. Unfortunately, removing pre-installed apps does not work on 2020 SAMSUNG QLED QE75Q80TAT (Developer Mode is OK but Deep Link Test is missing). None of the methods described work 🙁

    1. Hi Tony, you can turn off the Developer Mode on your Samsung TV the same way you turned it on. Just go to Home > Apps > press the number button, type 12345 and select ‘Off’ in the pop-up box.

      1. Thanks for the response.
        I did that, but I can’t get the menu to come up while in Developer Mode. If i reset the tv it goes back to normal.

  20. Followed this guide to the letter on my QN65Q7CAM TV. Has latest FW, installed. I got into DEVELOPER MODE, but the DEEP LINK menu never shows for any app, even the ones I installed. I have no use for a lot of the pre-loaded apps and want to get rid of them. Now what?

  21. Tu7000 model this hack doesn’t work tried 4x a day for a week and still the deep link test doesn’t show up. Bought the tv in October 2020 and I never allowed auto update. So this doesn’t work at all. Let the tv update thinking maybe that was why NOPE same bs.

  22. I did this once and it worked on my Samsung 4K HDR 50” thats 2 years old. I ran the cleaning programs and it reinstalled all the garbage Apps again. Now when I do it the delete option stays grey every time. What can I do? I need the memory because all these garbage Apps are wasting too much space

  23. I have a Samsung Series 6 Smart TV (UN65MU6290) – I can get into developer mode but cannot get “Deep Link Test” to appear nor option to delete apps. 🙁

  24. I have theUN55MU6300.
    I have followed the instructions carefully but the Deep Link Test option never appeared.

  25. The trick worked for me for the first time. All preinstalled apps deleted successfully. Then they all came back. After that tried same trick but did not work. Delete button is still greyed out. Maybe there is another trick for apps that coming back again? Thanks. Tv qe55q950r sw1374 latest version

  26. I found Developer mode hack works……but the tv installs the preinstalled software again even with auto update turned off. Also after turning on developer mode i found i have press the power button for 2 seconds to reeboot the tv. After that following your instructions did work to remove them…..but they will return later. Thanks for the info. Doesn’t seem fair to force me to have apps that i will never use leaving me with less then half the storage space to install the apps that I WANT!

  27. The trick mentioned in this page worked for me to delete system apps which I was not able to delete earlier. My TV model is UA43N5370AU (bought in India). Perhaps the same model might be called something else in Europe/America. My TV had same UI as mentioned in this video describing the same problem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYMCx6V9NW0&ab_channel=briandoliver
    In fact I landed to this page from one of the comments in the above video.

    Also please turn off auto app update from settings before deleting system apps. Else I guess they would be installed again. Its 2 hours for me now connected to internet continuously, the system apps dint get reinstalled.

    Kudos and big thanks to Rakesh !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Spoke too soon. The apps got deleted in the first attempt.. But after 4-5 hours all those deleted system apps got installed once again. And now I am unable to delete these apps even with the trick mentioned by Rakesh.

  28. The “deep test link” only works while the tv is on. Once you turn off developer mode and restart the tv you can start to see all the apps start to reappear. So no it doesn’t work for pre-installed apps. The only way I see this being beneficial is if you run out of space you can follow your developer mode steps to free up enough space to download the app you want and then turn off developer mode and restart your tv. Hopefully by default that would prevent the previous preinstalled apps from redownloading as there would not be enough space.

  29. Hi,
    I was able to get to ‘Develop Mode’ but can’t find the Deep Link Test option. My model is UE50MU7000. Any ideas?

      1. Thanks for the quick response!
        Unfortunately it didn’t work… I still can’t find the ‘Deep link test’ option, the last one I see on the list is ‘View Details’.
        What I’m actually trying to do is update the prime video app. My version is from 2017 and I can’t seem to update it so I sought deleting and installing it manually might do the trick, however since it is a pre-installed app I can’t delete it… I tried reinstalling it, but it only reinstalls the version I already have (2017).
        Any other ideas?
        Thanks!!

    1. It means that Samsung has patched the loophole with a software update and you can’t delete pre-installed apps until we find a new hack.

  30. Just like to say I used these tips on a UE50NU7400 that had run out of space to do an update, and it worked beautifully – thanks! Excellent guide. Remember if you’ve already set a PIN on the TV for some reason, use that instead of ‘0000’.

  31. I have searched and searched and am thrilled I finally found the answer here. Developer hack worked for I think it is ru6900 series.

    Thank you

  32. Man, why couldn’t Samsung people tell me how to do this simple fix?

    I know they company tells them not to divulge such info but I paid for tv and should be to choose what I want on it!

  33. Hi! Any updates on getting through the Deep Link missing on Samsung? I have a UN model and their latest update completely made all my apps that I WANT not able to upload their own updates. The e-manual takes up 29 mb of memory!

  34. Has there been any success on deleting pre-installed apps? I have tried several times, restarted the tv, restored the factory settings, and waiting a few days and nothing is working. I have a un58mu6071 with update version 1290.

  35. I don’t have Deep Link Test option at mu JU6600
    And samsung apps remover tool 1.1.1 cannot receive permission from my JU6600
    Please Help

  36. Hey. I followered your instructions but was not able to get the option for “Deep Link Test”…Ive tried multiple times and nothing…

    1. In this guide between steps 5 & 6, where you see the pop up stating developer mode is on, follow the instructions about turning the tv off and back on. That sets the developer mode to on. Then follow the rest of this guide.
      Just remember to do the same way to turn developer mode off.
      Good luck!

  37. It worked for me, you have to turn the tv off and back on to set developer mode on afyer you close the dialogue pop up. And same for turning it off.
    Good luck!,

  38. This doesn’t work on the Samsung 2021 models
    There is no way to access developer options
    No matter what options i try it doesn’t let me delete any preinstalled app.

  39. I am using a older Samsung Smart TV, and after following all the steps of enabling Developer Mode, there is no option for DEEP LINK TEST!
    Any other way?

  40. Dev mode didn’t work for me as described. After typing in anything for Content ID your instructions don’t say what to select after pressing done.
    What i found is that i don’t need to lock the app nor enter a content ID. Just go to deep link test and press cancel then the delete was no longer greyed out.

  41. Thanks for the tutorial.
    I have a QN95AA for the develop mod, it’s okay but i dont have deep link test , i have just view info , if you have a solution with the QN95

  42. We need someone to create fake update for the preinstalled apps and enabling the apps to be uninstalled. On latest firmware, we cannot use this guide anymore.

  43. Pingback: Delete Apps from a Samsung Smart TV

  44. Unlikely doesn’t work more after last firmware update and is not possible to do a roll back.

    Someone has another solution? Because i have no space on tv f**k

  45. Rakesh,

    Trying to uninstall Hulu via your “hack method” and I get all the way to the part in developer mode and locking the app. That’s where it stops no “deep link test” option pops up. Any other tricks?

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