How do I download apps on my Samsung Smart TV?

Software
1

I just got a Samsung Smart TV and I can’t figure out how to download or install new apps like streaming services and games. The app store layout is confusing, some apps don’t show up, and I’m not sure if I’m missing a step in the setup. Can someone walk me through the correct way to find, download, install, and update apps on a Samsung Smart TV, and explain any model or region limits I should know about?

2

Samsung’s app system is a bit weird at first, so here’s the straight path.

  1. Get to the Apps store
  • Press the Home button on your Samsung remote.
  • Move to “Apps” on the bottom row, then press OK/Enter.
  • That is the Samsung app store.
  1. Sign in to a Samsung account
    Some apps stay hidden if you are not signed in.
  • In the Apps screen, go to the profile icon (top right).
  • Sign in or create a Samsung account.
  • After that, back out, then open Apps again.
  1. Install apps
    From the Apps screen:
  • Use Search (magnifying glass at the top).
  • Type the app name, like “Netflix”, “Hulu”, “Spotify”.
  • Select the app, press Install.
  • When it finishes, select Open or press Home to find it under “Apps” or “Recents”.
  1. If the app does not show up in search
    This is usually one of these issues:
  • TV model/year not supported. Older TVs stop getting new app versions.
  • Region settings. Some apps only show in certain countries.
    To check region, go to Settings > General > System Manager > Region or Location.
  • Workaround: use an external device like Roku, Fire TV, or Chromecast if your TV does not support the app.
  1. Move apps to make them easier to reach
  • On the Home screen, go to the app tile.
  • Highlight it, press and hold the Select/OK button until a menu pops up.
  • Choose Move to reorder or Add to Home if it is not pinned.
  1. Update apps
  • Go to Apps.
  • Top right, select Settings (gear icon).
  • Turn on Auto Update.
    Old app versions sometimes stop working, so this helps.
  1. Common “why is this so confusing” stuff
  • Some preinstalled apps cannot be removed, only hidden.
  • If the Apps button or store is greyed out, your TV is in “Retail” or “Demo” mode.
    Switch it to Home mode in Settings > General > System Manager > Usage Mode.
  • If search finds nothing and Apps is slow, restart the TV by holding the power button on the remote until the logo shows.

If you share exact model number from the back of the TV (like “UN55NU7100” or “QN90B”) people here can tell you flat out which apps you will never get on that set.

3

Couple of things to add on top of what @byteguru already covered, since Samsung’s app setup is… yeah.

  1. First, figure out which exact OS / model you’ve got
    Go to Settings > Support > About This TV.
    Note the model code and year (ex: QN65Q60B = 2022). This matters a LOT because:
  • Older models: the app catalog is basically “frozen.” Some newer apps just never appear.
  • Very old “Smart Hub” models: even more limited, and some apps have already been pulled.

If your TV is 2016 or earlier, you’re not missing a hidden menu, you’re just missing support.

  1. Check if the TV is stuck in the wrong country
    @byteguru mentioned region, but here’s what usually trips people:
  • If you bought the TV in one country and are using it in another, the app store follows the TV’s region, not where you live.
  • Some app devs only publish to “US” or “UK” store. Netflix mostly shows everywhere, but stuff like HBO Max / Hulu / local services can be region‑locked.

You already looked in Settings > General > System Manager > Region/Location, but sometimes that’s grayed out. In that case, you may need to:

  • Hard reset Smart Hub: Settings > Support > Self Diagnosis > Reset Smart Hub
    PIN default is 0000 if you never changed it.
  • During setup, it may ask the region again. Choose carefully.
  1. If apps are missing, verify it’s not your firmware
    This part is often skipped:
  • Go to Settings > Support > Software Update > Update Now.
    If the TV is a couple versions behind, the store can be buggy or missing apps.
    If it says no update, that usually means the TV hit end-of-support and you’ll never see newer apps.
  1. Try the “cold reboot” the right way
    Not just power off:
  • Hold the Power button on the remote until the Samsung logo shows and the TV restarts.
  • Then open the Apps store again.
    Sometimes the app store cache freaks out and hides categories or search results.
  1. When search feels useless, browse by category smartly
    Samsung’s layout is awful, but:
  • From Apps, scroll down past the featured stuff.
  • Use “Editor’s Choice,” “Video,” “Lifestyle,” etc.
  • Inside a category, scroll all the way right; more rows load in lazily, so it looks like there’s nothing at first.

Honestly, I kinda disagree a bit with relying on the search for everything. It misses stuff or returns nothing if you typo the name slightly. Browsing by category sometimes reveals apps search just ignores for no reason.

  1. About games on Samsung TVs
    You mentioned games, so set expectations:
  • Native games in the Samsung store are mostly super casual and often badly maintained.
  • If you want “real” games, look for:
    • Game streaming apps like Xbox Cloud Gaming (on some 2021+ models)
    • Or just plug in a console / PC / Fire Stick / Roku, etc.
      If the Xbox app or other gaming apps don’t show in search at all, it’s likely a model/year limit, not something you’re doing wrong.
  1. Check for “Usage Mode” and weird store restrictions
    If Apps looks super bare:
  • Settings > General > System Manager > Usage Mode
  • Make sure it is set to Home Mode, not Retail or Demo.
    Retail mode can silently block some menus or reset things.
  1. When to stop fighting it and just add a streamer
    You’re not doing anything wrong if:
  • Your model is 2018 or older
  • Apps you want do not show in search
  • Firmware is updated
  • Region is correct
    At that point, external boxes are honestly the sane route. Roku / Fire TV / Chromecast with Google TV are way less confusing than Samsung’s store and get longer support.
  1. Quick sanity checklist
    Run through these in order:
  • Update TV firmware
  • Make sure TV is in Home Mode
  • Reset Smart Hub, set correct region
  • Sign into a Samsung account in the Apps screen
  • Reboot TV with long-press power
  • Search app by exact name
  • Confirm if your TV model/year is even supported for that app via the app’s own website

If you share the model/year like “UN55NU7100” or “AU8000 50 inch,” people can usually tell you in 1 reply whether an app is even possible or if the store is just trolling you.

4

Couple of extra angles that might clear up what’s going on, without rehashing what @andarilhonoturno and @byteguru already walked through.

1. Your remote and “missing” buttons matter more than Samsung admits

Different remotes = slightly different app behavior:

  • Some remotes have a dedicated Apps button. Others only have Home.
  • On some 2020+ models, long‑pressing Home pops a side menu where you can jump right into the app row, skip the clutter, and see if an app actually installed.
  • If your remote is super minimal with no numbers, you’re usually on a newer Tizen version, which means:
    • Better support for newer streaming services
    • Stricter region / model locks for niche apps

If you can, post the model code rather than just the size. Two 55‑inch Samsungs can behave completely differently with apps.

2. Ignore the “Featured” carousel, it lies

The top row in the Apps store is marketing, not a real list of what is available to you. It will:

  • Show apps that are not actually installable on your exact model
  • Hide apps that are fully supported but not currently promoted

So if you scroll the featured bar and think “wow, there’s almost nothing here,” that is normal and misleading. Always cross‑check with:

  • Search by exact name
  • The category list lower on the page

I slightly disagree with leaning too heavily on browsing categories though. Samsung’s category view is notoriously incomplete on some firmware versions. If a must‑have app does not appear in its obvious category but does appear via search, that is just Samsung being Samsung.

3. Know the three big “hard limits” Samsung will not tell you clearly

If an app is missing, you are usually hitting one of these walls:

  1. Codec / DRM limit

    • Premium apps (4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Widevine) often skip older chipsets.
    • If your TV is mid‑range or budget from 2016–2018, a lot of newer services simply will never ship for it.

  2. Security baseline

    • Some TV generations are stuck on older Tizen / Smart Hub security.
    • Banking, secure streaming, or newer game streaming apps will refuse to target those.

  3. Manufacturer agreements

    • Certain regions get deals for specific apps (local sports, local streaming).
    • If you move countries, that advantage can become a disadvantage because your app store stays tied to the original region, like @andarilhonoturno mentioned.

Once you understand these, you stop wasting time hunting for an app that is never coming.

4. When the TV “has” an app but it is unusable

Sometimes the store shows the app, lets you install it, then:

  • It crashes on launch
  • It loops on login
  • It refuses HD or 4K

That usually points to:

  • Out‑of‑date firmware
  • Or an app that the developer has quietly stopped supporting for your exact model, even though Samsung has not pulled it yet

In that situation, resetting the Smart Hub once is worth a try. If that fails and both TV firmware and app are “current,” do not over‑tune it. The app is effectively abandoned for your set.

5. Native apps vs external devices: decide what lives where

Instead of trying to cram everything into the Samsung OS, think of it like this:

  • Keep on TV itself:

    • 1–3 core streaming apps that you use daily and that actually run smoothly
    • Any region‑locked local apps that only exist on Samsung

  • Offload to an external box or stick:

    • Newer services that do not appear at all
    • Apps that feel slow or crash often
    • Anything you might want long‑term updates for, beyond the life of the TV

People often fight the built‑in system for weeks when a 30‑dollar streaming stick solves the entire “why is this app missing” drama in ten minutes.

6. Is something actually broken or is this “normal Samsung” behavior? Quick checks

You likely have a real problem only if:

  • Apps that were there last week are suddenly gone from your installed list and the store
  • Apps refuse to open even after a cold reboot and Smart Hub reset
  • The Apps store itself fails to load categories or stays on a blank screen

If the Apps store is loading normally and only specific services are missing, that is almost always a model / region / support issue, not a bug.

7. About “apps don’t show up at all” when you search

If search returns literally nothing, not even Netflix or YouTube, ignore everything and test these in order:

  1. Long‑press power until the TV reboots with the logo
  2. Confirm Usage Mode is set to Home, not Retail
  3. Check network: switch from Wi‑Fi to wired if you can, or at least reconnect Wi‑Fi
  4. Try Apps again before touching any other setting

If it starts working after this, you did not miss any secret menu. The store backend is just flaky at times.

8. When to stop hunting and just mark the TV “display only”

If all of this is true:

  • TV is 2018 or older
  • Software is fully updated
  • Region and Usage Mode are correct
  • You are logged into a Samsung account
  • The app you want does not appear in search, even after a Smart Hub reset and reboot
  • The app’s own website does not list your series as supported

Then the search is over. Treat the Samsung interface as a “dumb TV with a few bonus apps” and move your serious usage to a small external streamer.

That mindset shift alone makes Samsung’s confusing store feel less like something you have to fix and more like a bonus if it happens to cooperate.