How to turn off ACR on a Samsung TV
Samsung calls its automatic content recognition Viewing Information Services. It starts when you accept Samsung’s terms during setup, and it can be switched off from the privacy menu. Here is where to find it on recent models, and what the switch does not cover.
Updated
Step by step
Models from 2023 to 2025
Labels from Samsung’s e-Manual for 2024 models and from Consumer Reports for 2025 models.
- Press Home, open Settings and go to the privacy terms.
- Open Privacy Choices, then Terms & Conditions.
- Turn off Viewing Information Services and Interest-Based Advertisements.
- The same Privacy Choices are also reachable from the Smart Hub menu on the home screen.
2022 models
- The same entries sit behind the Menu button.
- Turn off Viewing Information Services and Interest-Based Advertisements.
Older models
- Look under Support instead of General. On some sets the menu is called Terms & Policy.
Voice recordings (Bixby)
- Open the Bixby settings.
- In the Privacy tab, turn off Allow Audio Recording Review and Allow voiceprint review.
Menus change with TV updates: if a label does not match, look for the closest entry in the same section.
What the switch does, according to the research
A study presented at ACM IMC 2024 measured Samsung and LG TVs in the UK and the US. Content recognition kept working when the TV was only a screen for an HDMI device such as a console or a laptop. After a proper opt-out, the researchers saw no more traffic to the content-recognition servers.
So the switch is worth using. It is not the whole story: Consumer Reports notes that turning off Viewing Information Services limits data collection without ending it, because the apps you install collect data under their own terms.
When the switch comes back
Your choices are stored with Smart Hub. A factory reset, or a Smart Hub reset from Settings, Support, Device Care, clears them, and the TV asks for consent again at the next setup. Check the menu after every reset and after major software updates.
What the menu cannot reach
Some Samsung TVs send DNS queries straight to a public resolver instead of the one your router hands out. A DNS filter on your network never sees those requests.
In December 2025 the Texas attorney general sued Samsung and four other TV makers over content recognition. In February 2026 Samsung agreed to stop collecting viewing data from Texas viewers without their express consent, without admitting wrongdoing. A class action filed in California in October 2026 alleges that the TV captures the screen about twice a second, HDMI inputs included. These are allegations, not findings.
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Questions
Will Netflix or YouTube stop working if I turn off Viewing Information Services?
No. The setting covers Samsung’s own content recognition and interest-based advertising. Streaming apps do not need it and work with it off.
Does ACR work on HDMI inputs?
Yes. In the ACM IMC 2024 study, content recognition on Samsung and LG TVs worked even when the TV only showed an HDMI source, such as a console or a set-top box.
Do I have to do this again after a reset?
Yes. A factory reset or a Smart Hub reset clears your choices, and the TV asks for consent again during setup.
Sources
- Samsung e-Manual, QE55Q60D (2024 models), Samsung UK · checked on October 21, 2026
- How to Turn Off Smart TV Snooping Features, Consumer Reports · checked on October 21, 2026
- How to adjust privacy settings on your Samsung Smart TV, Samsung Hong Kong · checked on October 21, 2026
- Watching TV with the Second-Party: A First Look at Automatic Content Recognition Tracking in Smart TVs (ACM IMC 2024), arXiv 2409.06203 · checked on October 21, 2026
- Attorney General Paxton sues five major TV companies, Texas Attorney General, 15 December 2025 · checked on October 21, 2026
- Attorney General Paxton secures major agreement with Samsung, Texas Attorney General, 26 February 2026 · checked on October 21, 2026
- Tillery v. Samsung Electronics America, complaint (N.D. Cal., 3:26-cv-11448), Courthouse News · checked on October 21, 2026
- Pi-hole won’t stop your smart TV from spying: here’s what actually works, How-To Geek · checked on October 21, 2026
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