If your smart TV isn’t performing as well as it should, these quick fixes will have it feeling brand-new.<\/b>
\nOver the past 15 years, TVs have become far more capable and increasingly like computers. They run operating systems, have apps, and let you stream shows and movies without a third-party device, such as a Fire TV Stick or Roku.
That said, if you’ve had your smart TV for a while, and it’s starting to feel slower, with issues like constant buffering, a laggy user interface, or software glitches, that doesn’t automatically mean it’s time to start shopping for a new TV.
Just like your PC or smartphone, smart TVs need a little maintenance and occasional adjustments to keep running at their best. No matter what brand you’re using — Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL, Vizio, Hisense, or anything else — here are four easy ways to improve and upgrade your TV experience, and best of all, they’re completely free.
Clear the cache<\/p>\n

An easy first step to improve performance<\/p>\n

The first thing I do whenever I’m trying to figure out why a TV is running slowly is clear the cache. Smart TVs, just like your phone or PC, build up cache data over time from all the apps installed on them. The more apps you use — and the longer you go without clearing the cache — the more that data piles up, taking up storage space and potentially slowing everything down.
Caching is meant to speed things up, and it usually does. But when there’s too much cached data for an app to sift through, performance can actually start to suffer. The good news is that most smart TVs and streaming devices make clearing the cache fairly easy. If you dig into the apps or storage settings on your TV, you\u2019ll usually find an option to clear cached data either for all apps at once or individually. On my LG TV, for example, there’s a feature called Memory Optimizer that handles this, while Samsung TVs tuck the option under Device Care in the settings menu.
It’s also worth checking how much storage space your TV has left. If it’s running low, that alone can slow things down, so deleting apps you no longer use or need can go a long way toward improving performance.
Try your TV’s Ethernet port<\/p>\n

A wired internet connection is more reliable<\/p>\n

If the problems you’re running into on your TV involve constant buffering or apps taking forever to load, the issue might not be your TV at all — it could be your internet connection. While smart TVs have built-in Wi-Fi for convenience, the Wi-Fi signal your TV receives from your router might not always be the strongest, especially depending on your home’s layout, internet setup, and how far the TV is from your router. So even if you’re paying for fast internet, your TV may not be getting the full benefit.
Moving your router isn’t always easy or possible, but if your TV has an Ethernet port on the back, plugging it directly into your router with an Ethernet cable can make a big difference. Wi-Fi signals are vulnerable to interference from walls, distance, and nearby networks, whereas wired connections aren’t. That makes Ethernet not just faster but far more reliable. If your TV has the option, setting up an Ethernet connection to your router is one of the simplest upgrades you can make.
Check for software updates<\/p>\n

Sometimes all it takes is a simple software update to resolve issues<\/p>\n

Sticking with the idea that your smart TV is just like your phone or PC, sometimes fixing a slow system or random glitches is as simple as installing a software update. It’s no different from updating Android or iOS on your phone, or installing Windows updates on your PC. TV manufacturers are constantly rolling out updates for their operating systems — LG with webOS, Samsung with Tizen, Amazon with Fire TV, Roku with Roku OS, and plenty more. If you’re running into odd issues, there’s a good chance a software update can smooth things out.
Many smart TVs usually update automatically, but that doesn’t always mean your TV is fully up-to-date. An update could be pending, not downloaded yet, or automatic updates might not be turned on at all. Most TVs have a Software Update option buried somewhere in the settings menu. On my LG TV, for example, it’s under Settings > Support > Software Update. On my Fire TV, it’s Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for System Update. If you poke around and still can’t find it, a quick Google search for your specific TV model should point you in the right direction.
After installing any available updates, it’s worth double-checking that automatic updates are enabled. That way, you won’t have to think about it again, and your TV can keep itself updated in the background.
Turn off motion smoothing<\/p>\n

Make shows and movies look how they’re supposed to<\/p>\n

Finally, if the picture quality on your TV looks cheap or unnatural, it’s often not because the screen itself is bad, but because of a system setting that most smart TVs have enabled by default — and one that’s openly frowned upon by some of the biggest filmmakers in Hollywood: motion smoothing.
If you’ve never heard of motion smoothing, it’s a picture setting that tries to make motion look smoother by inserting extra «fake» frames between the real ones. In practice, though, it often does the opposite, creating what’s commonly known as the «soap opera effect», where everything looks unnaturally fluid and off.
I remember setting up my LG TV for the first time and immediately knowing motion smoothing was turned on after watching scenes from Star Wars and Indiana Jones. The fight choreography just looked weird and oddly paced. Most movies are shot at 24 frames per second, and when you start adding artificial frames on top of that, it throws everything off and actually makes the image look worse.
Thankfully, turning off motion smoothing is usually pretty easy. You’ll typically find it somewhere in your TV’s picture settings menu. If you can’t track it down, again, a quick Google search for your TV model will point you in the right direction and tell you what the setting is called on your TV. Once it’s disabled, movies and shows will finally look the way they’re meant to, and you’ll likely enjoy your TV a lot more.<\/p>\n