How To Fix Samsung TV Turns On By Itself Effortlessly?

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Jason

Written by Jason Lin

Samsung TV Turns On By Itself

If your Samsung TV turns on by itself at midnight, it’s probably not a ghost but a fault of the TV itself.

It is a common situation in smart TV and doesn’t necessarily need a technical repair. Thus, modern smart TVs with “smart” features can trouble you more than earlier LCDs or plasma TVs. 

If you intentionally want the TV to turn on by itself, you can set a timer through the in-built timer option in the settings. Similarly, you can set the timer for when you want the TV to turn off by itself.

Apart from this, several factors trigger your smart TV to turn on and off by itself. These include activated automatic power time, sticky power button, low-running batteries, settings of the connected smart home devices, and connections from router or USB wireless adapter.

Why does Samsung TV turn on by itself? 

Various manual and technical reasons can lead Samsung TV to turn on by itself. Listed below are the major reasons that can cause such TV malfunctioning.

PS: if you are experiencing the issues like Samsung TV green screen error, here are the top solutions for you.

#1. Failure of remote control

If Samsung TV turns on and off by itself, it might be because of the TV receiver not properly responding to the remote control. You need to check if the TV panel receives an IR signal. You can use a camera to click the photo of the remote control while pressing the power button.

If you find a bright glow in the photo, it means your device has no problem related to the remote control. Further, the battery may run out due to which remote control starts sending misinterpreted signals to the TV. In this case, you need to replace the old pair of batteries with the new ones. 

#2. Inoperative keys

Sometimes due to mechanical damage, the power button of the remote might fall out. It is possible that some other key might be damaged, causing the TV to turn on and off by itself.

In this case, you need to replace that key with the new one carefully. But if the infrared sensor is damaged, you should purchase a new remote control.

#3. Power fluctuation

Due to constant power fluctuations or power failure, smart TVs could malfunction. It is possible that the battery of the TV breaks down and causes hardware failure. While diagnosing the problem, remove the back cover of the TV. If you find any soot, it means that the element of TV has burnt out. This burnt-out element can cause auto turn on and off of TV by itself.

#4. Crash of installed applications

One of the main reasons for TV turning on by itself is the crash of the program. Since this is an operational problem, even manufacturers cannot take guarantee it.

Further, installing any application onto your smart TV might contain suspicious bugs or programs that can crash the whole application. It is always recommended to remove these suspicious installed applications that are likely to crash in the future and cause TV malfunction.

#5. Deposition of dust

If the TV turns on by itself, there might be a deposition of dust or moisture that may be causing the TV to do so. The moisture can lead to oxidation of the wires inside the box, while dust accumulation would lead to a short circuit.

Thus, due to dust and moisture, the TV equipment may fall into protective mode leading to the malfunction of the TV.

Besides, let’s learn more about how to fix the LG TV Black Screen of Death error with ease.

How to fix the auto turn on and off of a Samsung TV? 

Some of the best solutions that can resolve the issue of auto turn on and off of a Samsung TV are listed below. If none of these solutions works, you need to call the executive from the TV manufacturer.

Since they possess technical knowledge, they can look for any technical aspect causing your TV to malfunction.

#1. Unplug the TV to Fix Samsung TV Turns On By Itself

Unplug The TV

In case your TV turns on and off by itself, the first thing you need to do to fix the problem is to unplug the TV from the power source.

Check the power cord for any damage or dust deposition. For dust deposition, you need to clean it with a soft cloth. You have to safely remove the cord and replace it with the new one for a damaged power cord.

If you see no damage, you have to check if the power cord is firmly connected to the TV. You can also try to plug in the TV on a different socket. If the problem persists, plug your TV directly onto the wall outlet and remove the surge protector.

Lastly, you can restart the device by pressing the power button for 15 to 20 seconds and then plug it back in and press the power button.   

#2. Check the remote control to fix Samsung TV Turns On By Itself

Check Remote Control

If the TV turns on by itself, the instant solution that can help you fix it would be a clean remote with full-power batteries.

Check if the power button on the remote is working properly and is not sticky. If it turns out to be sticky, you need to clean your remote properly by rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth or cotton. You can also use a contact cleaner to clean the remote.

After wiping up the remote, let it dry and check if all the buttons are operating properly. If the problem still persists, you need to check the batteries of the remote. The remote control can behave unusually if it is running low on battery.

Replace the old and weak batteries with a new pair of batteries. Now check if the problem of automatic turn on and off of TV is solved. 

#3. Check connected devices

Smart TV can create the problem of turning on and off unusually if the devices or cables connected to it are faulty. These devices, including Alexa, Google Home, or any smartphone, may be connected through Wi-Fi or cables in the TV ports.

To fix the auto turn and off of the TV, you need to unplug and disconnect the devices one by one until the problem is solved. After that, you can diagnose the problem, but it is recommended that you replace the faulty device with a new one, if possible. 

#4. Check CEC and HDMI settings

Check Cec And Hdmi Settings

If your Samsung TV turns on by itself, you should check its CEC and HDMI settings. CEC, or Consumer Electronics Control, is an embedded feature that allows smart devices to control your TV when plugged into HDMI ports.

For instance, if a PlayStation is connected with a TV, CEC would automatically switch the TV to perform as a game console. Though it may be convenient, it could be giving misinterpreted signals to the TV, causing automatic turn on and off.

Each brand has a different name for its CEC, such as Samsung’s name Anynet+. You can find it in External Device Manager under TV settings. You can disable it, preventing HDMI-CEC from behaving like a Universal Remote. 

#5. Check internal timer

Check Internal Timer

Modern smart TVs come with a power scheduling option or “automatic on and off” option. This option is given to ensure that the TV shuts down while you are asleep or at a specific time.

If you find that the TV turns on and off by itself at the same specific time every day, you need to check if power scheduling is enabled under the internal timer of TV settings. If it’s enabled, you can disable it so that the TV doesn’t turn on by itself.   

#6. Adjust Eco mode to fix Samsung TV Turns On By Itself

Adjust Eco Mode

Many smart TV models of Samsung come with an Eco mode option. This option in the settings is for reducing energy usage.

So, when you press the power button to turn off the TV, it might go into sleep mode or power-saving mode. But any or all of the devices connected to TV through CEC or HDMI could operate it.

For instance, if a YouTube video is cast through a connected smartphone, the TV may turn on by itself. To prevent the TV from auto-tuning on, you need to disable Eco mode from the TV settings.

#7. Disconnect Wi-Fi

Disconnect Wi Fi

Sometimes, the smart features of smart TVs make TVs more annoying than earlier LCDs and plasma TVs.

When smart Samsung TV is connected to other smart appliances such as Alexa, SmartThings, or Google Home, voice commands or other automation routines may lead to Samsung TV turning on and off by itself.

If your TV’s “casting” option is enabled with Wi-Fi connected, it is possible that any YouTube video played on a smartphone may be cast on TV. You can disable the Wi-Fi of the TV for a few days to check if Wi-Fi is causing malfunctioning.

You need not worry, as you can connect to Wi-Fi when you want to watch your favorite shows or movies on the OTT platform.  

#8. Upgrade firmware

Upgrade Firmware

Sometimes, this issue of auto-turn and off a TV can be solved by a simple update. The firmware updates (or software updates) are updated by the manufacturers that enhance present features and fix bugs. You can find these updates in your TV settings.

The firmware can be updated by manually downloading the updates or enabling the auto-update option in the settings. For manually installing, you need to download the update from the manufacturer’s website onto a USB flash drive.

This flash drive can be inserted into the TV’s port to install the update on the device. As firmware update comes with their own issues, you should switch to the older version.

#9. Perform a factory reset to fix Samsung TV Turns On By Itself

If none of the above things solves the problem, you should probably perform a factory reset. Before proceeding with the factory reset, remember all your custom settings and installed applications will be lost.

So, this should be your last option to fix the issue. After doing a factory reset, you should go ahead with making custom settings one by one with a gap of at least two to three days. This would help you find the fault, if any, in the settings that were causing the TV to malfunction. 

How to completely turn off the TV?

When you press the power button to turn off the TV, you see a small red light at the bottom of the TV. This depicts that the power source of the TV is still running, and the TV has just switched to standby mode.

Further, this means that the TV turns on by itself if any other connected device forces it to cast the content on the TV. Thus, it is better to unplug the smart TV to completely turn it off and prevent its random turning. 

The second method can be integrating it with the smart home system. You can do the setting such that the smart TV turns off first and turns on last.

FAQs

1. Why does my Samsung TV turn on by itself after a software update?

Automatic firmware updates can trigger the TV to turn on as part of the update process. This behavior is intended to ensure the update is applied successfully. You can disable automatic updates to prevent this from happening.

2. Can a faulty remote control cause the TV to turn on by itself?

Yes, a faulty or malfunctioning remote control can send unintended signals to the TV, causing it to turn on. Ensure your remote control is in good condition and check for any stuck or damaged buttons.

3. Does signal interference always cause a Samsung TV to turn on by itself?

Signal interference can disrupt the TV’s normal operation and occasionally trigger unexpected power-on events. However, other factors, such as firmware settings or faulty hardware, can also contribute to the issue.

4. Why is it important to keep the TV’s firmware up to date?

Keeping your TV’s firmware up to date ensures that you have the latest performance enhancements, bug fixes, and security patches. Manufacturers often release updates to address known issues, including power-on problems.

5. What should I do if none of the troubleshooting steps resolve the issue?

If you’ve exhausted all the troubleshooting steps and your Samsung TV continues to turn on by itself, it’s recommended to contact Samsung customer support or consult a qualified technician for further assistance.

Key Takeaways 

Though there are many possibilities of the TV turning on and off by itself, you should know the major reasons and hacks for why this happens.

From the points mentioned above, it is evident that the major reasons TV turns on by itself to scare you at midnight are faulty remote control and power fluctuations.

Our guide would help you fix this issue yourself, but if the problem persists for too long, you should contact customer care and let the engineer solve this malfunction. Further, it is better to completely switch off the TV by unplugging it from the socket.

Jason
Jason Lin
Tech enthusiast with 10+ years of experience, providing guides, reviews, and tips on Smart TVs, streaming devices, and TV apps.

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