How to Add Apps to the Home Screen on a Samsung TV

Adding apps to your TV’s home screen can improve your user experience and allow for easier browsing.

With Samsung TVs, app management is straightforward, so you shouldn’t have any problems even if you’ve never done it before.

Note that the home screen is like a central dashboard for your apps. You access it by navigating to the TV icon in the pop-up menu when you turn on the TV. Moving left and right in the home screen ribbon menu takes you through the apps.

This article will tell you how to add the apps to the home screen and include helpful tips on app installation and management.

How to Add Apps to the Homescreen on a Samsung Smart TV

Adding apps to the home screen only takes a few steps. The following tutorial assumes you’ve already installed the apps and applies to all Samsung Smart TVs.

1. Press the home button on the remote to access the smart hub.
   
2. Navigate to the left using the small arrows and highlight the Apps menu.
   
3. Go to the top of the screen and select Settings (the small gear icon).
   
4. Move around the ribbon menu and highlight an app that you want to add.
   
5. Select Add to Home from the drop-down menu.
   
6. The app is automatically added to the home ribbon menu. Use the navigation arrows to move it to the front or back.

Note: If an app is already on your home screen, you won’t see Add to Home. But you can still move the app.

How to Move Apps on the Home Screen?

Any apps on the home screen can be moved in just three steps.

1. Access the home screen ribbon menu and highlight the app.
2. Press the down arrow on the remote and choose Move from the drop-down menu.
3. Use navigation arrows to position the app.

Installing Apps on a Samsung Smart TV

Here’s how to install apps from the Samsung App store.

1. Access the home screen and navigate left to select the Apps menu.
   
2. Go to the top right of the screen and choose Search (small magnifying lens icon).
   
3. In the search bar, type the app’s name and select it.
4. Choose download from the app menu, then select Install.
   

Keep in mind that some apps may require you to log in or sign up.

Note: If the app isn’t available on the Samsung App store, you won’t be able to install it.

Bonus Tip: Using the remote can be tricky. To make things easier, consider a third-part Smart TV keyboard and touchpad that’s compatible with Samsung. Some have the same size and design as your remote but with a full QWERTY keyboard.

Locking the Apps

Certain apps may require an extra layer of protection, so Samsung’s made it easy to lock them.

1. Navigate to the left from the home screen and choose Apps.
   
2. Go to the top of the screen, select Settings, and highlight the app you want to lock.
   
3. Choose Lock/Unlock from the drop-down menu.
   

Quick Tutorial

0000 is the default PIN for Samsung TVs that you can use to lock or unlock apps. But if you want to change it, here’s what to do.

1. Go to Settings, choose General, and access System Manager.
2. Choose Change PIN and enter the old PIN to instigate the change.
3. Type a new PIN, confirm it, and you’re done.

The new PIN will apply across all locked apps on your TV.

How to Remove Apps?

You can remove apps from the home screen or delete them altogether.

Home Screen

1. On the home screen ribbon menu, highlight the app.
   
2. Press the arrow down to access more options and choose Remove.
   
3. Select remove again to confirm, and that’s it.
   

This only removes the app from the home screen, so you can still access it in the Apps menu.

Deleting

1. Hit the Home button on the remote and navigate left to access Apps.
   
2. Choose Settings in the top right of the screen and highlight the app you want to delete.
   
3. Select Delete from the drop-down menu and confirm your selection.
   

Note: There are certain apps that you can’t delete from the App menu. However, you can keep those apps away from the home screen.

How to Reinstall an App?

This is done via the App menu – check out the necessary steps below.

1. Access the App menu by navigating left from the home screen.
2. Choose Settings at the top right of the screen and select an app to reinstall.
3. Click the Reinstall option from the drop-down menu and wait until it’s done.

What to Do if an App Doesn’t Work?

There are four options to get an app working again.

Option 1 – Cold Boot

• Press and hold the Power button on the remote until your Smart TV turns off and boots up again.
• Alternative: Unplug the TV from the wall, wait 30 seconds, then plug it back in.

Option 2 – Software Update

1. Select Settings from the TV’s main menu, then choose Support.
2. Navigate to Software Update and select Update Now.

Tip: When prompted to install a new version, it’s best to do it immediately. Postponing software updates may cause lag and buggy apps.

Option 3 – Delete and Reinstall

Deleting and reinstalling an app helps remove some of the bugs. This is previously described above.

Option 4 – Smart Hub Reset

1. Go to Settings from TV’s main menu and choose Support.
   
2. Under the Support menu, select Self Diagnosis or Device Care.
   
3. Choose Reset Smart Hub and enter your PIN to initiate the process.
   

Important Notes: After the reset, you might need to reinstall the rogue app. If there are still issues, you may have to contact the developer.

Your Clean Home Screen

Managing apps within the Samsung Smart TV menu is a breeze. All the navigation is done via the remote, so it’s not like you need to take too many steps.

This article has provided you with plenty of options to streamline the TV’s app selection.

But have you experienced any problems with the apps? Is there anything you’d like to have on the TV’s menu?

Share your thoughts with the rest of the Alphr community in the comments below.