Sometimes, we need to take a minute and reset.
Life gets tough sometimes.
Even for your Samsung TV.
That’s why you must know how to restart its apps.
And if you don’t…
That’s okay. I’m here to teach you.
Keep reading to discover:
- 7 easy ways to restart apps on Samsung TV.
- Should you factory reset or reset your Smart Hub to restart apps.
- What’s cache, and how does removing it restart the apps on your Samsung.
- And so much more…
How to restart apps on Samsung TV?
You can restart apps on your Samsung TV by cold booting your TV or using the Return button. Reinstalling the app or clearing its cache is also an effective trick to restart your apps. A full TV reset via factory reset or Smart Hub reset can solve this problem.
7 ways to restart apps on Samsung TV
#1: Cold boot
First, try to cold boot your Samsung TV.
What’s that? You’re unsure of what a cold boot is?
Maybe you’ve heard of a power cycle. They’re essentially the same thing.
You don’t know that either? Well, let’s put it this way:
Cold booting (or a power cycle) is the process of restarting your TV.
However, it’s not just a simple restart.
How so?
Have you ever noticed how when you close your TV during a movie…
It’ll just pick up where you left off when you turn it back on?
That’s because you’re not actually turning your TV off. You’re just putting it to sleep.
You need to cold boot your TV for the apps to genuinely close.
And this is how:
Using your remote
For this, simply grab your remote and push the Power button for 5 seconds.
It’s that easy.
But what if, for some reason, you lost your remote?
There’s another way…
Through the cord
You can still power cycle your TV using these instructions:
- Turn off your TV.
- Unplug it from the socket.
- Wait for at least 30 seconds.
- Plug it back in.
#2: Using the Return button
This one’s a bit straightforward but…
Have you tried pressing the Return button on your remote yet?
If you haven’t, go ahead.
Just make sure that you also press Exit on the prompt to confirm.
#3: Reinstall
What if the app’s not working anymore? What should you do?
Reinstall the app.
This process is divided into 2 parts:
Deleting the app and installing it again.
Don’t fret. I’ll teach you both.
Step 1: Delete the app
For Samsung TVs released in 2020 or later
- Press the Home button on your remote.
- Go to Apps.
- Head to Settings.
- Tap the app you want to remove.
- Select Delete to confirm.
For other models
If you have older Samsung TV models, don’t fret. I still got you.
Simply follow these directions:
- 2014: Samsung Apps > select the app > Enter button > Delete.
- 2015: Smart Hub button > Apps > My Apps > select the app > long press Enter > Delete.
- 2016: Apps > My Apps > Options > Delete > select the app > Delete.
- 2017 to 2019: Apps > Settings > Delete.
How to remove greyed apps
Try something for me:
Go through your apps and check if you can remove them using the method above.
You can’t, right?
Some of their Delete or Remove buttons are greyed out.
Why is this?
You see, these apps are the pre-installed apps that come with your TV. And most of these have partnerships with Samsung.
That’s the reason why you can’t delete them…
Or can you?
A user found a way around this issue. As it turns out, it’s pretty easy to bypass this problem. All you have to do is:
- Access your Smart Hub.
- Head to Apps.
- Press 1 to 5 on your remote in quick succession.
- Enable Developer Mode.
- Power cycle your TV.
- Go back to Apps and select the app you want to remove.
- Press Deep Link Test and then tap Cancel immediately.
Recheck the app. The process should have enabled the option to delete it now.
Want to see this method in action? Watch it here:
Step 2: Install the app
All that’s left to do is reinstall the app.
To do that, simply:
- Press the Home button on your remote.
- Head to Apps.
- Tap the Search icon and type the name of the app.
- Choose Install.
And you’re good to go.
#4: Delete the app’s cache and data
Next, you can also make your app forget everything to restart it.
How?
By deleting its cache and data.
You see, all the information your app has on you is stored in its cache.
And by erasing this information, you’re effectively restarting your app from scratch.
Got it? Good.
Clean your cache and data this way:
- Press the Home button on your remote.
- Head to Settings.
- Under Support, go to Device Care.
- Select Manage Storage after the scan.
- Highlight the app you want to restart.
- Press the Down button on your remote.
- Tap View Details.
- Clear Cache and Clear Data.
You may also be interested in: Samsung TV Memory Full
#5: Reset your Smart Hub
Now, let’s try a more extreme approach.
How about you try to reset your Smart Hub?
Don’t worry. It’s safe.
All it does is reset all of your settings and user account. The reset will also clear the cache on all of your apps.
And, did I mention that it’s a quick process too? Just:
Note: You should also know that resetting your Smart Hub is different from a factory reset. More on that later.
- Tap the Home button on your remote.
- Go to Settings.
- Head to Support.
- Press Device Care.
- Select Self Diagnosis.
- Next, tap Reset Smart Hub.
It’s that easy.
However, that method only applies to Samsung TVs released in 2020 or later.
This is how you can do a Smart Hub reset on the rest of Samsung’s lineup:
- 2012: Smart Hub > Tools > Settings > Reset.
- 2013: Menu > Smart Hub > Smart Hub Reset.
- 2014: Menu > Smart Features > Smart Hub Reset.
- 2015: Menu > Smart Hub > Reset Smart Hub.
- 2016 to 2019: Settings > Support > Self Diagnosis > Reset Smart Hub.
#6: Factory reset your TV
To restart your app, what if we…
Restart everything?
“You can do that?”
Yes. And you can, too, with a factory reset.
But first, let’s discuss how a Smart Hub reset differs from a factory reset.
Why?
Because a lot of people get confused by it. And wouldn’t it be nice to clear the confusion once and for all?
As I said earlier, a Smart Hub Reset clears your accounts, settings, and app data.
However, a factory reset will delete everything. And I mean, everything.
No more apps. No more user accounts.
Just a blank canvas of a TV.
While that’s a little bit scary, it’s actually a necessary process for dealing with software issues. An example is when your app won’t restart for a reason.
Here’s how you can easily do it:
- Tap the Home button on your remote.
- Go to Settings.
- Head to General.
- Press Reset.
And you’re done.
But what if you’re still rocking that pre-2020 Samsung TV? Is it still the same method?
No. Instead, do this:
- 2012: Menu > Support > Self Diagnosis.
- 2013: Screen Menu > Support > Self Diagnosis > Reset.
- 2014: Support > Self Diagnosis > Reset.
- 2015: Menu/123 > Menu > Support > Self Diagnosis > Reset.
- 2016-2019: Home > Settings > Support > Self Diagnosis > Reset.
Pro tip: Sometimes, your Samsung TV has a black screen. That usually means it has a software or hardware issue that needs a fix.
However, I’ll let you in on a little secret…
You can still factory reset your TV even with a black screen. How, you ask? Follow these instructions carefully:
- Turn your TV off.
- Press the following buttons simultaneously: Info, Menu/Home, Mute, and Power.
- Press the following buttons in this order: Mute, 1, 8, 2, Power. This should open the service menu.
- Go to Options.
- Press Factory Reset.
#7: Through Samsung’s Device Care
Do you know that your TV has an option to restart all of your apps in one fell swoop?
Yes. There is.
It’s hidden under your Device Care menu.
And here’s how you can access it:
- Tap the Home button on your remote.
- Go to Settings.
- Head to Support.
- Select Self Diagnosis.
- Press TV Device Manager.
- And then, tap Clean Running Apps.