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(5 Ways) How To Change Input On Samsung TV [2023]

How To Change Input On Samsung TV

Imagine this:

The workday is almost over & you just can’t wait to get to your couch.

After all, you just bought a new PS5 and you can’t wait to play it.

You get home, you plug it in, and…nothing happens.

Oh, that’s right. You don’t know how to switch your input.

Step aside, we got you covered.

Keep reading to discover:

  • 5 ways to change your input on a Samsung TV.
  • How to enable voice recognition to switch your input.
  • What SmartThings is and how you can use it to open your source menu.
  • And so much more…

How to change the input on Samsung TV?

You can change your Samsung TV’s input by using your remote. If you don’t have a remote, you can use your smartphone to switch input. You could also use your voice to control the TV or its physical buttons. There’s also a chance that your TV automatically switches to new input.


5 ways to change the input on Samsung TV


#1: Insert a new input while the TV is turned on

Have you ever tried to insert a hard drive into your TV while it’s on?

If so, you might have noticed that your TV notifies you whenever there’s a new input to your device.

Usually, your Samsung TV has a popup notification function. This system will tell you when it recognizes a new input.

This also happens to be the most straightforward way to change your input on a Samsung TV. All you need to do is:

  1. Make sure that your TV is turned on.
  2. Insert the new device. This will prompt a “New Device” notification at the top of your screen.
  3. Press ‘Open’ or ‘Browse’.
  4. Some TVs skip step #3. Instead, they automatically change your input after inserting a new device.

#2: Using your remote.

Every TV comes with a remote.

If you’re one of the lucky few who haven’t lost their remote to the bottomless void under your couch, then you’re in luck.

There are two ways to change your input using a remote.

Using the source button

Switching inputs using your remote is easy. The simplest way to do it is to:

  1. Press the ‘Source’ button on your remote.
  2. Navigate to the input you want to access.
  3. Press the ‘OK’ button on your remote.

Using the home button

Alternatively, you can change your input using your remote with the ‘Home’ button. 

All you need to do is:

  1. Press the ‘Home’ button on your remote.
  2. Go to ‘Source’.
  3. Pick which input you want to switch to.
  4. Press the ‘OK’ button on your remote.

Okay, neat. But so far this just seems like we’re adding an extra step to the source button method.

The difference is that using the home button allows you to label the inputs in your Samsung TV.

Owning a TV means owning a lot of devices to pair with your TV. Some examples of this are your:

  • Cable TV.
  • Gaming consoles.
  • Streaming devices.
  • External hard drives.

Trying to remember which input is which can be a huge hassle. This is why it’s important to label them. 

For new Samsung TVs, follow these steps to label your devices:

  1. Press the ‘Home’ button on your remote.
  2. Go to ‘Source’.
  3. Navigate to the input whose name you want to edit.
  4. Press the ‘Up’ button on your remote.
  5. Click ‘Edit’.
  6. Change the default name of ‘Unknown’ to your label of choice.

If you’re still confused and you need a little help, you can watch this video for a visual tutorial:

#3: Through voice command.

Too lazy to reach for the remote?

It’s okay, we all are sometimes.

Fortunately, most TVs nowadays have voice recognition software. This allows you to ask questions and give commands to your TV using only your mouth.

Now, you don’t have to leave your couch to switch from your PS5 to your Apple TV.

Here’s how you can set up and use different software in your Samsung TV for voice commands.

Note: Voice assistants will always listen to you… even when you don’t want to. Make sure not to give them permission to access your data when you’re not using them.

Through TV itself

Sometimes, you don’t need third-party software to use voice recognition.

Newer Samsung TV models already have voice recognition software under their smart features. To enable, do the following:

  1. Press the ‘Menu’ or ‘Home’ button on your remote.
  2. Select ‘Smart Features’.
  3. Turn ‘Voice Recognition’ on.

After that, you can simply just say “Hi TV” to use the voice recognition software. You can also just press the voice command button on your remote.

There should also be an indicator in the form of a microphone icon that tells you when your TV is listening to you.

Through Alexa

Alexa

“Hey Alexa! Can you tell me how many people use you as their primary voice assistant?”

According to Amazon, there are over 100000 products compatible with Alexa in 2019. That number has only grown since then.

Amazon Alexa is one of the biggest voice assistants in the market. It’s no surprise that Samsung TVs allow the usage of Alexa as their primary voice navigation.

To enable Alexa on your Samsung TV, you should:

  1. Make sure you have Amazon Alexa installed on your phone.
  2. Go to ‘Settings’ on your TV.
  3. Select ‘General’.
  4. Press ‘Voice’.
  5. Under ‘Voice Assistant’, select Alexa. You will then get a QR code on your screen along with the confirmation.
  6. Scan the QR code on your phone. This will redirect you to Amazon’s login page.
  7. Sign your Amazon account in.
  8. Press ‘Allow’.

After this, you’re all set up. 

Just call Alexa’s name while pressing your TV’s microphone remote to give her commands. Including switching input.

Through Bixby

Bixby is Samsung’s own voice assistant.

Because of this, Bixby’s setup is not as intensive as Alexa’s as it is native to your Samsung TV. 

To enable Bixby as your TV’s voice navigation software, you must:

  1. Go to your TV’s ‘Settings’ menu.
  2. Select ‘General’.
  3. Press ‘Voice’.
  4. Under ‘Voice Assistant’, select Bixby.

You’re good to go! Just call his name and he’ll be there to answer any questions or change through your input.

Through Google Assistant

Samsung TVs are also compatible with Google Assistant.

To set up Google Assistant as your primary voice assistant, you should:

  1. Make sure to install the Google Assistant app on your phone.
  2. Go to ‘Settings’ on your TV.
  3. Select ‘General’.
  4. Press ‘Voice’.
  5. Under ‘Voice Assistant’, select Google Assistant.
  6. Read through the terms and agreement before clicking ‘I Understand’.
  7. Open the URL shown on the TV on your phone.
  8. Select ‘Get Started’ and then open your Google Assistant app.
  9. Sign your Google account in.
  10. Confirm if the code on your TV matches the code on your phone.

You can now use Google Assistant every time you hold the voice control button on your remote.

#4: With your smartphone

Smartphones truly are wonderful creations.

While people normally use them to waste time, our phones still provide a lot of practical value to us.

From something as trivial as using it as an alarm to using it to record old family recipes. Smartphones got us covered.

And this includes using them as a proxy remote for your Samsung TV if you lost your real one.

Using SmartThings

SmartThings allows you to control all your smart devices at home using your phone.

Here’s how you can use the SmartThings app to change input:

  1. Install and open the SmartThings app on your phone.
  2. Open ‘Devices’ and select your TV.
  3. Select your TV to view all commands.
  4. Choose ‘Sources & Apps’.
  5. The upper row should contain all the available inputs.
  6. Select the input you’re switching to.

Using a third-party app

If for some reason, you’re not a fan of the SmartThings app, it’s fine. There are still hundreds of TV remote apps available on the Play Store.

All you need to do is:

  1. Install any TV remote app from the app store.
  2. Make sure that it’s connected to your TV by pressing any button and checking if there’s any feedback.
  3. Since these apps mimic a real remote, there should be a ‘Source’ button at the top of the remote.
  4. Select the input you’re switching to.

Further reading: SmartThings Not Connecting To TV: 8 Causes & Fixes

#5: With physical controls

Lost your remote? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

The Telegraph reports that people spend an average of 2 weeks looking for a remote in their lifetime.

Luckily, you don’t really need a remote to control your TV.

Samsung nowadays still have physical controls embedded on their TVs.

And, from there, you can still access the ‘Source’ button to change your input. The location of the button then depends on where your physical control hub is.

These are where the control hub should be on your TV and which one of the buttons is the source:

  • Back of the TV: At the right side of the ‘Enter’ button.
  • Front panel on the side: The first button from the right.
  • Front panel in the middle: At the right side of the ‘Enter’ button.