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    5 min read 7 stepsMay 13, 2026Verified May 2026

    Turn Off Smart TV Ad Tracking — Vizio, Samsung, LG, Roku

    Your TV is watching you. Every major smart TV tracks what you watch and sells it. Here is how to switch the spying off.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Online Privacy & Dark Web
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    5 min read
    Steps
    7
    Topics covered
    smart tv
    privacy
    acr
    samsung
    lg
    vizio
    roku
    tracking

    In this guide (7 steps):

    1. 1.Vizio — Reset Viewing Data
    2. 2.Samsung — Turn off Viewing Information Services
    3. 3.LG — Disable Live Plus
    4. 4.Roku TV (TCL, Hisense, Onn, Element with Roku) — Disable Smart TV Tracking
    5. 5.Check your streaming devices separately
    6. 6.Disconnect from the internet for the ultimate privacy
    7. 7.Recheck the settings after every major TV update
    1

    Vizio — Reset Viewing Data

    ~33s
    On your Vizio remote, press the Menu button. Go to Admin & Privacy > Viewing Data. You see a setting labeled "Viewing Data" with options: enabled or disabled. Set it to DISABLED. Below that, click "Reset Viewing Data" to wipe whatever the TV has already collected. Also turn off "Interest Based Advertising" in the same menu. Vizio settled a $2.2 million FTC case in 2017 over this exact tracking — turning it off is allowed and supported.

    Quick Tip

    Quick Tip: On Vizio 2024 and 2025 models, look for "SmartCast" privacy settings in the same menu — turn off any "Personalized Ads" toggle.

    2

    Samsung — Turn off Viewing Information Services

    ~34s
    On Samsung TVs running Tizen (most 2017–2026 models): press the Home button. Go to Settings (gear icon) > General > Terms & Privacy > Privacy Choices. Find "Viewing Information Services" — turn it OFF. Below that, find "Interest-Based Advertising Service" — also turn OFF. While you are there, scroll to "Voice Recognition Services" — if you do not use voice search, turn that off too (it sends audio from the remote's microphone to Samsung).

    Warning

    Samsung may show a warning that "some features will be limited." This usually means personalized recommendations and ads. The TV still works fine. You can still use all apps and inputs.

    3

    LG — Disable Live Plus

    ~22s
    On LG WebOS TVs (most 2018–2026 models): press the gear icon on the remote (or Settings). Go to All Settings > General > System > Additional Settings. Find "Live Plus" — set to OFF. Then in the same menu look for "User Agreements" or "Advertisements." Toggle off "Personalized Advertising." On 2024 and newer LG models there is also "User Interaction Data" — turn that off too.
    4

    Roku TV (TCL, Hisense, Onn, Element with Roku) — Disable Smart TV Tracking

    ~32s
    On any TV running Roku OS: press the Home button. Go to Settings > Privacy > Smart TV Experience. Turn OFF "Use Info from TV Inputs." This stops ACR. Then go back to Privacy > Advertising. Turn ON "Limit Ad Tracking." Click "Reset Advertising Identifier" to wipe the ad ID Roku assigned to you. These two together turn off the main tracking.

    Quick Tip

    Quick Tip: On the Roku app on your phone, also sign in to your Roku account at my.roku.com > Privacy Preferences > toggle off "Use my information for marketing."

    5

    Check your streaming devices separately

    ~33s
    Turning off the TV's tracking does not turn off tracking inside the streaming devices and apps. If you have a Roku stick, Fire TV stick, Apple TV box, or Chromecast plugged in: open the device's settings menu and look for "Privacy" or "Ads." Each device has its own tracking on by default. Amazon Fire TV: Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings > Device Usage Data and Interest-based Ads — both OFF. Apple TV: Settings > General > Privacy > turn off "Share Apple TV Analytics" and reset the "Identifier for Advertisers." Chromecast with Google TV: Settings > Privacy > Ads > Opt out.
    6

    Disconnect from the internet for the ultimate privacy

    ~32s
    If you only use your TV for cable or DVD and never use streaming apps, you can disconnect the TV from Wi-Fi entirely. Settings > Network > Disable Wi-Fi. With no internet, the TV cannot send any tracking data. You lose streaming apps, voice features, and smart-home control, but the TV still works perfectly for everything else. This is the most private option and many seniors prefer it.

    Warning

    Some TVs will pop up "connect to internet" reminders. You can dismiss these. Some 2024+ models require an initial internet connection to activate, but you can disconnect after.

    7

    Recheck the settings after every major TV update

    ~20s
    Manufacturers sometimes turn tracking back on with a software update or change the location of the setting. After your TV does its monthly auto-update (usually overnight), open the Privacy menu and confirm everything is still off. Mark your calendar for a quarterly check — January, April, July, October. Five minutes per quarter keeps your TV honest.

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    Nearly every smart TV sold since 2017 includes a feature called ACR — Automatic Content Recognition. The TV takes tiny snapshots of whatever is on the screen, hundreds of times per second, and sends them to the manufacturer. The manufacturer sells that data to advertisers so they know what you watched, when, and for how long. This includes content from cable, streaming apps, DVDs, and anything you plug into HDMI.

    You can turn it off. The setting is buried in the menus on purpose, but every major brand allows you to disable it. Once it is off, the TV stops sending snapshots and stops the most invasive tracking. You may still see ads on the TV's home screen. But they will not be based on your viewing.

    This guide gives you the exact menu steps for the four most common brands sold in the US: Vizio, Samsung, LG, and Roku TVs. The path is different on each, and the setting is sometimes called "Viewing Information" or "Live Plus" instead of ACR. The result is the same.

    (Sources: Consumer Reports — "How to turn off smart TV snooping features," consumerreports.org; Vizio Privacy Policy, vizio.com/privacy; Samsung TV privacy settings guide, samsung.com/us/support/answer; LG Smart TV privacy, lg.com/us/support; Roku account privacy settings, support.roku.com)

    Watch a walkthrough: YouTube → "Consumer Reports turn off smart TV tracking" — they have one short video per brand.

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    smart tv
    privacy
    acr
    samsung
    lg
    vizio
    roku
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