How to Download Apps on a Samsung Smart TV (2026)

First, the one thing that explains everything: Tizen, not Android

Samsung Smart TVs do not run Android TV or Google TV. They run Tizen OS, Samsung’s own Linux-based platform — which is why almost every “how do I get this app” question on a Samsung TV traces back to the same root cause.

There is no Google Play Store. Apps come only from Samsung’s own app store, reached through the Apps tile in Smart Hub. As Android Police puts it, Samsung TVs “use Tizen OS … the platform does not use Google Play Store,” and Croma states plainly that “Samsung Smart TVs run Tizen OS, not Android. The Google Play Store is not available” (Android Police; Croma).

Samsung apps are packaged as .tpk files (Tizen Package), not Android .apk files, so Android apps are fundamentally incompatible — you can’t take an APK from your phone and load it onto the TV (Appuals; Partition Wizard).

That’s the whole framing: installing apps is easy, but the store is curated and closed. If a developer hasn’t published a Tizen build, the app won’t appear — and that’s covered honestly further down, including what actually does work.

How to install an app (the exact menu path)

This is the core sequence on any current Samsung TV. Labels shift slightly by model year (noted at the end), but the flow is the same on 2020-and-newer Tizen sets.

1. Turn on the TV and press the Home button on the Samsung remote to open the home screen / Smart Hub (Samsung US; Android Police).
2. Scroll left and select Apps from the home-screen menu — Android Police: “scroll left and select Apps from home screen options” (Android Police).
3. Select the Search (magnifying-glass) icon in the top-right corner, then type the app name. Samsung’s own guide says “select the Search icon in the top-right corner”; Android Police confirms “select the search icon in the upper-right corner” (Samsung US; Android Police).
4. Select the app from the results to open its detail screen (Samsung US; Android Police).
5. Select Install. The app downloads and installs automatically — Samsung: “enter the desired app name, select it, and choose Install. The app will download automatically” (Samsung US).
6. When it finishes, choose Open or Add to Home. Open launches it now; Add to Home pins it to your home row so you can find it later (Croma; Samsung).

Manage apps — move, update, delete, and reinstall

The hub for app management is Apps → App Settings (sometimes shown as “Settings” at the bottom of the Apps screen). Selecting an app there exposes six options: Delete, Add to Home, Lock, Move, Reinstall, View Details — Samsung’s own “[2022] How to install apps and manage downloaded apps” guide lists exactly these (Samsung).

Move or rearrange an app on the home screen

From the home screen, highlight the app, press and hold Select, then choose Move and use the directional pad to reposition it; press Select to drop it — Samsung: “press and hold Select over the app … Select Move to relocate it” (Samsung US). To put a downloaded app onto the home row in the first place, long-press it in Apps and choose Add to Home (Android Police).

Update apps (keep them — and the store — working)

The supported route is auto-update. Go to Home → Apps → App Settings → Auto Update → ON; the toggle/circle turns blue when enabled — Samsung: “select Auto Update and set it to ON (circle displays blue when enabled)” (Samsung US). Current Tizen doesn’t reliably expose a manual per-app “Update” button; Samsung documents Auto Update as the mechanism (Samsung India). If a single app misbehaves, the reliable manual fix is Delete → Reinstall (below) plus a firmware update (see the troubleshooting ladder).

Delete (uninstall) an app

1. Go to Home → Apps → App Settings (bottom of the Apps screen) (Samsung; Samsung US).
2. Select the app, choose Delete, and confirm on the pop-up — Android Police: “click Delete … select Delete again from the pop-up” (Android Police).
3. Know what Delete does: it uninstalls the app and removes its saved data and logins. Samsung warns verbatim: “uninstalling an app will remove associated data, so please proceed with caution” (Samsung).

Reinstall an app (the everyday fix for a broken app)

Same menu: Apps → App Settings → select the app → Reinstall — Samsung lists Reinstall as a built-in option (Samsung). If Reinstall isn’t offered for that app, Delete it and re-add it from the store (steps above). Reinstalling clears a corrupted install and pulls the latest version — it fixes most “app crashes / won’t open” cases without touching the rest of the TV.

“The app I want isn’t there” — the honest options

This is where thin sites push “sideload any app!” clickbait. Here’s the accurate picture instead.

Why it’s missing: Tizen’s store is curated and closed. If a developer hasn’t published a Tizen build of the app, it won’t appear — and you can’t force it on, because there’s no Google Play Store to fall back to (Croma; Tom’s Guide).

Sideloading is not a normal or supported option — and we won’t pretend it is. Samsung TVs “do not support the installation of third-party apps,” because Tizen can’t run Android .apk files — it uses .tpk packages only (Appuals; Partition Wizard). The only “sideload” route is Developer Mode + Tizen Studio pushing a .tpk from a PC — which is fragile, introduces security risk, may void your warranty, and apps installed that way often expire after a set period (Samsung Community; Partition Wizard). It exists, but it is not a recommended consumer fix.

The reliable fix — add a streaming device or cast. Samsung’s own community guidance and multiple guides agree: if Tizen doesn’t have the app, the simplest answer is an external streaming device — “it’s simpler … to purchase a third-party streaming device such as a Google TV, Fire TV, or Roku” (Tab-TV; Appuals). A streaming stick like a Fire TV or Roku (search Amazon) plugs into a spare HDMI port and gives you that device’s full, far larger app store — for around $30–$50.

Store or app won’t load? Try these fixes in order

Work top-down — the safe fixes are first, and most problems clear within the first two. Every step is cited.

1. Soft-reset the TV. With the TV on, hold the power button on the remote for about 10 seconds until it restarts. This clears temporary memory “without affecting your settings or apps” (Technobezz).
2. Power-cycle fully. Unplug the TV for about 60 seconds, then plug it back in. This resets the network hardware and clears deeper glitches a soft reset misses (Technobezz).
3. Check your internet connection. Smart Hub needs a stable connection to show or download apps; weak Wi-Fi is one of the most common reasons apps appear missing. Test at Settings → Support → Device Care → Self Diagnosis → Smart Hub Connection Test (varies by model) (Technobezz; TechWiser).
4. Sign in to your Samsung account. A signed-out or unverified account can block the store from loading or downloading. Sign in via Settings → General → System Manager → Samsung Account (path varies by year) (TechWiser; Technobezz).
5. Update the TV firmware. Outdated firmware can hide apps or break the store. Go to Settings → All Settings → Support → Software Update → Update Now, then optionally enable Auto Update (Samsung US). For the full walkthrough, see how to update your Samsung smart TV.
6. Reinstall the problem app. Apps → App Settings → the app → Reinstall (or Delete and re-add) (Samsung). If one specific service is failing — say, Disney+ not loading on a Samsung TV — start with that app’s own fix guide before resetting anything bigger.
7. Reset Smart Hub (last resort). This wipes Smart Hub settings, signs you out of all apps, and you’ll have to re-download any apps you added yourself (pre-loaded apps stay):
   • 2020 and newer: Settings → Support → Device Care → Self Diagnosis → Reset Smart Hub — enter PIN (default 0000).
   • 2016–2019: Settings → Support → Self Diagnosis → Reset Smart Hub.
   A Smart Hub reset “returns those settings to factory defaults … apps you’ve previously added … must be downloaded and installed again” (Samsung US; Samsung Gulf).

Frequently asked questions

Can I install Android apps or APK files on a Samsung TV?

No. Samsung TVs run Tizen, which uses .tpk packages, not Android .apk files — so Android apps are incompatible and there’s no Google Play Store to get them from (Appuals; Android Police). If the app you want isn’t in Samsung’s store, add a streaming stick (Fire TV / Roku / Google TV) or cast from your phone.

Why is an app missing from my Samsung TV?

Either the developer never published a Tizen version (Samsung’s store is curated and closed), or something is blocking the store — usually weak Wi-Fi, a signed-out Samsung account, or outdated firmware (Croma; TechWiser). Work through the fix ladder above; if the app genuinely isn’t on Tizen, a streaming stick is the reliable answer.

How do I fix the Samsung app store not loading?

Start gentle and escalate: soft-reset the TV (hold power 10 seconds), power-cycle (unplug 60 seconds), confirm your Wi-Fi, sign in to your Samsung account, then update the firmware. If it’s still broken, reset Smart Hub as a last resort — just remember you’ll need to re-download any apps you added (Technobezz; Samsung US).

How do I delete or uninstall an app on a Samsung TV?

Go to Home → Apps → App Settings, select the app, choose Delete, and confirm (Android Police). Note that deleting also removes the app’s saved data and logins, and pre-installed default apps usually can’t be deleted — you can only remove them from the home screen (Samsung).

How do I update apps on my Samsung smart TV?

Turn on auto-update: Home → Apps → App Settings → Auto Update → ON (the circle turns blue when enabled) (Samsung US). Tizen doesn’t reliably offer a manual per-app update button, so if one app is acting up, the dependable manual fix is to reinstall it and make sure the TV’s firmware is current.

Can I sideload apps onto a Samsung TV?

Technically there’s a Developer Mode + Tizen Studio route to push a .tpk from a PC, but it’s unsupported, fragile, carries security risk, may void your warranty, and the apps often expire — so we don’t recommend it (Samsung Community; Partition Wizard). For an app that isn’t on Tizen, a streaming stick is safer, cheaper, and just works.