What to Do When Your Samsung TV Runs Out of Storage

Storage limitations aren’t something you normally think about when it comes to your Samsung TV, but you can run out of RAM quicker than you’d think. 

All those streaming apps need to go somewhere. Here’s how you can free up some space on your Samsung TV.

Check Your Samsung TV’s Memory Limit

Before you start to delete your apps, make sure it really is a full memory that’s causing slowdowns or your inability to install new apps. 

Here’s how you can check your TV’s used and available storage:

1. Press the Home button on your remote.
2. Select the settings icon all the way to the left.
3. From the Settings menu, select “Support.”
4. Choose “Device Care.”
5. Press “Manage Storage” at the bottom. You’ll see your storage capacity in the top-right corner.

If the capacity confirms your storage is full, you can start clearing up some space. 

Delete Your Samsung TV’s Cache

Your cache is made up of tiny bits of information meant to improve loading times. But over time, it can build up and take up a lot of your TV’s memory. 

To free up space quickly, press and hold the Power button on your remote for 10-15 seconds. This will clear the cache files.

It’s also a good idea to delete app cache data:

1. Press the Home button on your remote.
2. Select Settings > All Settings > Support. 
3. Press “Device Care,” then “Manage Storage.”
4. Select an app and press “View Details.”
5. Press “Clear Cache.”
6. Repeat the last two steps for each app.

Delete Apps on Your Samsung TV

The cache is just the beginning. Now, it’s time to delete apps from your Samsung TV to clear more room.

To delete the apps you no longer use:

1. Press the Home button on your remote.
2. Select Options. This is usually in the bottom right-hand corner.
3. Select “Delete” from the menu bar.
4. Select the apps you want to remove.

That will clear up some space and buy you time to pick up an external storage device.

Add External Shortage to Your Samsung TV

If you’re continuously having issues with storage on a Samsung TV, the internal storage it comes with might just not be enough. 

Most Samsung smart TVs have one or two USB ports on the back or side of the screen, and you can insert an external storage device, like a USB flash drive, into one of them.

Here’s how to add an external storage device to your Samsung TV:

1. Plug the device into the USB port on the back of your Samsung TV.
2. Press the Home button on your remote.
3. Select Settings > Storage & Reset.
4. Choose your USB Flash Drive.
5. Select “Format as Device Storage.”

Your thumb drive will now be used as storage on your Samsung TV. You can move apps to it and download new apps directly onto it.

Reset the Smart Hub

If you are overwhelmed with apps on your Samsung TV, resetting the Smart Hub will wipe your applications clean. It will also log you out of your Samsung account, giving you a clean slate to start from.

To reset the Smart Hub for 2023 TVs:

1. Press the Home button and select Settings.
2. Press “All Settings.”
3. Click Support > Device Care.
4. Select “Reset Smart Hub” and enter your PIN.

To reset the Smart Hub for 2022 TVs:

1. Press the Home button, then “Menu.”
2. Select Settings > All Settings.
3. Go to Support > Device Care > Self Diagnosis.
4. Hit “Reset Smart Hub” and enter your PIN.

To reset the Smart Hub for 2020 and 2021 TVs:

1. Press the Home button.
2. Select Smart Hub > Settings.
3. Go to Support > Device Care.
4. Hit “Self Diagnosis.”
5. Click “Reset Smart Hub” and enter your PIN.

And finally, to reset the Smart Hub for 2016-2019 TVs:

1. Press the Home button, then Settings.
2. Go to Support and hit Self Diagnosis. 
3. Hit Reset Smart Hub and enter your PIN.

Factory Reset Your Samsung TV

If you’d rather start from scratch and set your Samsung smart TV up with only what you need loaded on it, you can perform a factory reset. This will clear everything from your TV and revert it to its original state. 

1. Press the Home button on your remote and select Settings > General.
2. Select “Reset” and enter your PIN.
3. Confirm you want to reset your TV.

If your settings screen looks different, try Support > Self Diagnosis > Reset.

From here, your TV should reset and turn back on to its original setup screen. If you don’t have your remote, don’t worry, you can still factory reset your Samsung TV with this video guide we made:

FAQ: Samsung TV Memory

Can You Upgrade a Samsung TV’s Memory?

Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to upgrade the storage space on your Samsung TV. However, you can add external storage to house more applications and content.

How Much Memory Do Samsung TVs Have?

While it depends on your Samsung TV model, most Samsung smart TVs have around 8GB of storage available, with about 20% taken up by system files.