How To Close Apps On Samsung Smart Tv?

Since its release in 2008, Samsung smart TV continued to be innovated to improve user experience as to how the apps installed on the TV are used. Regarding apps, one must wonder how to close apps on Samsung Smart TV. Although it might seem easy at first, it may not be as obvious as it seems, as the remote not always contains a close button to quickly close any open.

There can be instances when the apps installed on your Samsung Smart TV might freeze, crash or malfunction. Although these anomalies seldom appear on newer TVs, if you own an older version, there is a higher chance that you face this issue.

In case you encounter any errors or bugs in your installed apps, closing them and reopening them may work, fixing any error that presented itself beforehand. Closing, quitting, or killing an app is a useful feature in case of any errors, or if you just want to stop an app running in the background. In this article, we will look at different ways how to close apps on Samsung Smart TV.

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How To Close Apps On Samsung Smart TV

Depending on whether you just want to turn an app off, or if you want to force it in case it is not responding or functioning inappropriately, there are two major ways, namely closing an app normally and force closing an app – sometimes also known as killing an app.

Close Apps In Samsung Smart TV Normally

To close an app normally on your TV, follow the steps mentioned below to close the app normally.

On your TV remote, look for a button named either Exit or Return.
Depending on your remote, hold either the Exit or Return button for a couple of seconds.
A popup will appear confirming whether you want to exit the app or not.
Click “Yes” to confirm that you are indeed closing the app.
After pressing “Yes”, the app will be closed normally.

Force Quitting Or Killing An App On Samsung Smart TV:

In case an app is not responding or failing to exit normally, follow these steps to close the app forcefully.

Look for the Power button on your Smart TV Remote.
Hold the power button for about 5-6 seconds.
Your TV will now be turned off, resulting in all the running apps being turned off.
After a while, turn your TV back on, and the apps will reboot.
With this procedure, the malfunctioning app will start working normally.

How To Reset Samsung Smart TV?

A hard reset is necessary when your Samsung TV is malfunctioning and you have exhausted all other troubleshooting options. This will reset the TV to its factory settings and erase all data, including any customizations you have made to the settings, apps, and other features.

Before you proceed with a hard reset, back up any important data or files you do not want to lose. Once you have completed a backup, follow these steps to hard reset your Samsung TV:

Select General from the Settings menu.
Select Reset, then enter your PIN (0000 is the default) and click Reset.
Select OK to finish the reset. Your television will automatically restart.
If these steps do not apply to your TV, go to Settings, Support, and then Self Diagnosis. Reset will be available in that menu. You can also refer to your TV’s user manual for specific instructions.

How To Reset Samsung Smart Hub?

A factory reset will erase all of the data on your Smart Hub. This includes any apps you’ve installed, your Wi-Fi settings, and any other customizations you’ve made. It’s a good idea to reset your Smart Hub if you’re having trouble with it or if you’re giving it to someone else.

Select Support from the Settings menu.
Choose Device Care.
On some models, choose Support instead.
Choose Self Diagnosis, then Reset Smart Hub, and finally enter your PIN.
When the reset is finished, click OK.

The PIN is set to 0000 by default. You can change the PIN by going to Settings and then General. Select System Manager, followed by Change PIN.

Reinstalling An App On Smart TV

If an app’s performance is slow or you uninstalled the incorrect app, you may want to reinstall it.

Fortunately, this is a simple process.

From your smart TV’s home screen, go to ‘Apps.’
Click the ‘Search’ icon in the upper right corner.
Locate and select the app you want to reinstall.
Select ‘Install’.
If your TV has sufficient memory and your internet speed is steady, you should be able to re-download the app onto your TV as before.
To access the reinstalled app, press the ‘Home’ button, and if the app is observable, use the directional pad on the remote to navigate to and open it. If you can’t find the application on the home screen, you can find it in the “Apps” menu.

Clean App Cache On Smart TV

Clearing your apps’ cache and data regularly has several advantages. This prevents your apps from running slowly or crashing and protects you from malware that may be hiding in your cache files. Follow these *** simple steps to get your TV up and running again!

Clearing the app cache on your Smart TV is similar to clearing the cache on your mobile devices; you will need to repeat the process for each app you want to clear the cache for. Fortunately, this procedure is straightforward and should not take long.

Use the remote control for your Samsung Smart TV to press the Home button.
Navigate to Settings, which is located at the bottom of your TV, alongside your installed applications.
In the settings window, navigate to System Apps or Apps depending on the app you wish to clear the cache of.
The list will show apps that come pre-installed with TV or apps installed by you.
Choose the app to clear its cache.
In the newly opened window, select “Clear Cache” and confirm the action by choosing “Yes” in the popup window.

For a visual representation, refer to the video below:

Conclusion

Whether you just want to close an app or try to get rid of an annoying app that keeps freezing. It is easy to close apps on Samsung TVs, with a few clicks of buttons the app can be easily closed. In the rare event that the app is not closing or is not responding, you can try to force close the app by shutting down your TV and turning it back on.

If all else fails and you are unable to close the app, especially if it runs at startup, you can try to reset either your TV or the Samsung Smart Hub, this will allow your TV to return to its original condition with default settings and only pre-installed, which in most cases is more than enough fix apps misbehaving.