Samsung is a well-known and trusted brand. It’s no surprise that many people are looking for apps for Samsung TV.
Samsung’s TVs are popular because they’re high quality and have a ton of great features, which means you can use them for everything from watching movies to gaming. But what if you want to do more with your TV than just watch it?
Apps are a great way to add functionality to your TV, and there are plenty of apps available for Samsung TVs in particular. In this article, we’ll go over some of the best apps available for Samsung Tvs so that you can find the perfect app for your needs.
Best Apps For Samsung Tv
While many companies have adopted Roku, Fire TV, or Android TV for their native TV interfaces, Samsung is sticking to its guns with Tizen. That means Samsung sets are sometimes missing apps you’d find elsewhere, but if you do your homework, you can cover a reasonably full range of functions. Here are our picks for the best Samsung smart TV apps to download.
See also: The best TV apps and live TV apps for Android
The best Samsung smart TV apps:
Samsung TV Plus
HBO Max
Plex
Spotify
AccuWeather
Steam Link
Vudu
Echelon FitPass
Samsung SmartThings
Tubi TV
TED
Samsung TV Plus
samsung smart tv apps tv plus
Price: Free
In a world where just about everything comes with a monthly fee, something like Samsung TV Plus is welcome. Samsung’s app offers a unique, regionally-based mix of content at no cost. United States viewers are the best off, with over 200 channels to choose from, but there are more than 500 total channels worldwide.
HBO Max
hbo max screenshot
Price: $14.99 per month
You could easily substitute services like Netflix or Hulu here, but HBO Max does have a native app for Samsung TVs, with plenty to watch. It has a great movie selection and shows you won’t find elsewhere, such asWatchmen, Peacemaker, and Lovecraft Country. Note that there’s a cheaper $9.99 per month ad-based plan, and you may already have Max for free if you’re an HBO channel subscriber or an AT&T Fiber customer.
See also: Everything you need to know about HBO Max
Plex
Plex Video On DEmand Example
Price: Free / Plex Pass for $4.99 per month
Plex is less an app than a way to amass your own media fortress. You can stream more than 200 TV channels at no cost, enjoy a selection of free movies, and access all of your PC or Mac’s video files. It can be the cheapest way to cut the cord, but you might seriously consider paying $4.99 per month for Plex Pass. That enables features like hardware transcoding, HDR tone mapping, and the ability to skip TV intros, but the main attraction is offline media sync with mobile devices — if you’ve every wanted to load up your tablet with movies from your personal library, this is the best way to do it. You can opt for annual ($39.99) or lifetime ($119.99) Plex Passes to save money.
Spotify
spotify on roku
Price: Free / Spotify Premium varies
Though other music services like Pandora and Apple Music have a footprint on Samsung TVs, Spotify is undoubtedly king. Overall, the TV app functions much like its mobile version, just adapted to a TV’s size and remote control. If you don’t want to download the app for whatever reason, you can always stream from your phone to your TV with SmartThings.
See also: Everything you need to know about Spotify
AccuWeather
samsung smart tv apps accuweather
Price: Free / Varies
You can always check local channels for the weather, but there’s something to be said for a dedicated app like AccuWeather. AccuWeather offers forecasts, radar views, and severe weather alerts for free, at least if you live in a large city. If you find yourself in a rural area, you may have to pay a small fee for full access. You can also save multiple locations, and access the app in 12 languages.
See also: The best weather apps and weather widgets for Android
Steam Link
Steam Link is one of the best star trek games for android
Price: Free
PC gaming is great, thanks in no small part to Steam’s extensive library, but what if you want to take the action to the big screen? Steam Link allows you to do just that, and it doesn’t cost a dime. The games aren’t necessarily free of course, but you probably already have a few favorite titles in your library. You’ll also want a compatible Xbox, PlayStation, or Steam controller, as well as the fastest possible network connection between your TV, router, and computer.
See also: The best games on Steam
Vudu
best vudu free movies
Price: Varies
Movies often take a while to get to your favorite subscription services if they make it all, so rentals and purchases can be sometimes be necessary. Fandango’s Vudu is one of the best places to hunt for new releases, and it offers some free content to boot through a limited quantity of ad-supported movies and TV shows.
See also: The best free Vudu movies
Echelon FitPass
samsung smart tv echelon fitpass
Price: $11.99 per month plus equipment
Echelon’s FitPass provides access to tons of studio classes and diverse workouts, typically ranging in length from 10 to 45 minutes. While the company is mostly interested in getting you to buy its fitness machines, categories like strength, kickboxing, yoga, and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) let you use your own personal equipment or none at all.
See also: The best workout apps for Android
Samsung SmartThings
samsung smart tv apps smartthings
Price: Free
This one is a must-have and probably already downloaded, since SmartThings is Samsung’s smart home platform. The app is generally meant to link together the company’s own products, but you can also connect accessories from companies like Ring, Ecobee, and Arlo, as well Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls.
See also: The best Samsung SmartThings devices
Tubi TV
tubi new
Price: Free
Tubi is an entirely free way to tap into movies and TV shows, as long you’re willing to put up with ads and sort through a sea of mediocre titles to find the gems. Indeed you’ll sometimes find movies on Tubi that are hard to find elsewhere, like (as of this writing) Dario Argento’s original Suspiria. It’s worth keeping in handy for those obscure movies that make it to your JustWatch list.
TED
ted talks app
Price: Free
The TED app offers curated talks by some of the world’s smartest people. It’s a completely free experience, and you can dive into playlists to see some of the best TED talks of all time. There are currently more than 1,100 videos available.
samsung smart tv apps for adults
To get the most from your new Samsung TV, you’ll need to find the smart TV apps that are most suited to you and your tastes. Because there are plenty of great apps and streaming services on offer these days – you don’t need to just stick with Netflix.
Over the past few years, there have been many new additions to Samsung’s smart TV apps, including new streaming service contenders Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus.
This is great news for viewers who want to flick between different platforms. Maybe you like to visit Netflix for its originals, like Stranger Things and Shadow and Bone, then head over to Disney Plus for its selection of classic TV shows, like The X Files and 24.
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Although this gives you lots of choice, it does make it tricky to find which are the best smart TV apps for you. So where do you begin?
RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU…
We’ve tested many of the best Samsung TVs over the years, which means we’ve had the chance to narrow down a list of the must-download Samsung TV apps on the platform to keep you entertained, whether you’re looking for TVs, movies, documentaries or sport.
Below you’ll find our pick of the best Samsung TV apps for your new Samsung smart TV you can download right now. If you want the entire, exhaustive list of every app available, you can find that on Samsung’s website, though our roundup should save you some time.
samsung tv plus
(Image credit: Samsung)
- Samsung TV Plus
At the top of our list of the best smart TV apps has to be Samsung’s TV Plus app that offers you free live-streamed TV without a subscription right out of the box.
Similar to bunny ears of yesteryear, TV Plus puts free TV back on the menu, and while it’s missing a few of the key local channels (for which you’ll need an indoor antenna to receive) it has a ton more specialty channels for gamers, chefs, music-lovers and more that cater to select niche audiences. Also, the fact that it comes pre-installed on every new Samsung TV pretty much gives you no reason not to try it.
Netflix
(Image credit: Netflix)
- Netflix
When it comes to online video streaming services, Netflix has been the gold standard since it invented the whole concept nearly a decade ago.
As well as having an impressive selection of existing TV shows and movies Netflix is also investing heavily in its own exclusive productions including Stranger Things, Sex Education, Black Mirror, and Bojack Horseman.
In terms of sheer amount of content, Netflix is the largest streaming service around, although there are significant differences in the content available on the UK versus the US store – even if Disney Plus may have taken some of the best gems out of the library.
If you’re new to video streaming, then there’s no better starting point than the Netflix smart TV app – check out our round up of the best shows on Netflix for some inspiration.
Read more: Check out our Netflix review
disney plus
(Image credit: Disney Plus)
- Disney Plus
Disney Plus is the streaming service where you can watch classic Disney animated movies, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and even 20th Century Fox content like The Simpsons.
Disney Plus has bags of original content from Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar, putting it in a good position to take on its biggest rivals like Netflix and Apple TV Plus. Baby Yoda, The Mandalorian and the chance to watch the Marvel movies in order. And that’s really just the beginning.
Read more: Check out our Disney Plus review
Love Marvel? Here’s how to watch the Marvel movies in order
Apple TV Plus
(Image credit: Apple)
- Apple TV Plus
Apple TV Plus is the tech giant’s first venture into the world of original content streaming, with notable titles including The Morning Show, Jason Momoa epic See, Sesame Street spin-off Helpsters, teen fantasy Ghostwriters, Hailee Steinfeld’s Emily Dickinson biopic, and NASA drama For All Mankind.
As a fledgling service that’s only offering original content, the shows and films are a little sparse – but you can expect the Apple TV Plus library to fill up over the next year, and with support for 4K and HDR streaming, those new shows will look great on your Samsung TV.
Read more: Apple TV Plus review
Image Credit: Amazon Prime
amazon prime video (Image credit: Amazon Prime)
- Amazon Prime Video
Amazon may not be the original streaming service, but it’s no slouch when it comes to piping you the best TV has to offer, and that’s why it deserves a place among the best smart TV apps of 2020. Recent years have seen a steady supply of exclusive shows, such as Good Omens, The Man in the High Castle and Vikings.
Besides exclusives, Amazon also has an impressive selection of movies, recently adding darkly comic biopic I, Tonya, and the second installation in the John Wick series.
Fortunately, unlike Netflix which forces you to have an account in order to view available titles, Amazon makes its Prime listings available directly on its website, meaning you can check that your favorites are available before paying for a subscription.
You can also read our round up of the best shows on Amazon Prime Instant Video for a taste of what’s on Prime this month.
Read more: Check out our Amazon Prime review
Hulu
(Image credit: Hulu)
- Hulu (US)
When Hulu finally updated its subscription tiers in 2017, it brought the service into line with competitors Netflix and Amazon Prime. It had previously offered two tiers, a free service supported by ads and a limited pool of content, and a paid service which offers an expanded selection (on which ads are still present).
Now, you can subscribe to a cheaper tier that keeps commercials, a more robust premium tier that cuts out commercials or the Hulu with Live TV bundle that offers limited commercials for on-demand content plus some live TV channels.
What really sells us on Hulu, though, is its exclusive offerings that includes shows like The Mindy Project, Bob’s Burgers, and The Handmaid’s Tale. Just be warned that no matter which tier you end up subscribing to, a small number of shows and series will still display ads – even when you’re on the service’s premium tier.
Read more: Don’t miss our Hulu review.
- PLEX
Our next pick is a little different from the other smart TV apps on this list. Instead of streaming videos from a service, PLEX allows you to curate a collection of your own on a media server and stream it to whichever device you want.
That said, while PLEX is available on nearly every device, it looks darn good on Samsung Smart TVs.
So why install PLEX if you have Hulu, Netflix, Amazon or any of the other streaming services on this list? Because PLEX is free. There are no monthly fees for the base version of the app, which allows you to build and maintain your own local video server.
If a DIY video streaming service sounds like a lot of work and a less-than-ideal experience, it will surprise you to know that PLEX has really improved in the last few years making it ultra-easy to setup and incredibly versatile as a streaming service.
Image of HBO Now dashboard
(Image credit: HBO Now)
- HBO Max (US)
HBO Max is the result of years of complicated HBO services, including HBO Go and HBO Now – so you’d be forgiven some confusion here. But HBO Max is now the only HBO app, and it’s the home for such classics as The Sopranos, The Wire and more recently Game of Thrones.
HBO Max is largely in the headlines these days because of its slate of movies from Warner Bros., which have been releasing on HBO Max the same day as they do in theaters. It’s been a contentious move, but one that brings the likes of Dune and Suicide Squad to streaming faster than they otherwise would have.
Many of HBOs top shows, such as the aforementioned The Wire or the sublimely crafted True Blood are available on Amazon Prime Video, but HBOs own apps get access to shows immediately after they’re broadcast rather than when the boxset is available to everyone else.
free streaming services – youtube
(Image credit: Google)
- YouTube
YouTube used to be the place to get your fill of amateur footage of everything from skateboarding fails to cat videos, but in recent years the site has become host to a range of content, from scripted comedies to reality TV shows to documentaries.
It’s a platform which is no longer defined by its amateur production values. Now content creators use teams of professional video production staff to produce a dizzying amount of content catering to every possible niche.
We’re personally a massive fan of the PC hardware channel LinusTechTips (as well as our own TechRadar YouTube Channel) but there are channels catering to every possible interest from beauty and fashion to video games.
YouTube also carries full movies which can be rented for 30-days or bought outright.
Spotify
(Image credit: Spotify)
- Spotify / Pandora
The first major player in music streaming, and a go-to app for anyone wanting to play or find music through your TV. Here you can sign into your Spotify account and access all of the same songs, playlists, and library as you would on your laptop or smartphone. With over 40 million songs, and thousands more added every day, this is the most cohesive music streaming service out there.
While Spotify still has the crown for music streaming apps though, you’ll only find it on Samsung smart TVs post-2015. For those with older sets, what you can access something called Pandora.
While you might remember Pandora as the internet radio station service, it’s actually a much more interesting and versatile service than a lot of folks give it credit for. First off, calling it internet radio isn’t quite right. It’s like algorithmically generated personalized music stations. No need to shuffle in between stations as Pandora learns from your feedback: dislike a song and Pandora will skip it. Like a song and Pandora will play more like it.
Read more: Spotify review
Vudu
(Image credit: Vudu)
BBC iPlayer
(Image credit: BBC iplayer)
- BBC iPlayer (UK)
The BBC has a reputation for producing some of the best TV shows in recent years such as Killing Eve, Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Luther, and, lucky for Samsung TV owners, they’re available through the dedicated iPlayer app.
A few years ago, the BBC only made shows available for 30 days after their first broadcast, but that has since changed and now offers full seasons of most shows and the complete runs of its most popular series.
Even better, iPlayer has the widest selection of shows of any of the streaming services on this list, since it covers (with some small exceptions) everything broadcasted on the BBC. That means tentpole dramas such as Sherlock can be streamed alongside today’s episode of long-running soap Eastenders or Sunday evening favorite Antiques Roadshow.
And yes, you legally need a TV license in the UK to use the service.
BritBox
(Image credit: BritBox)
- Britbox
BritBox is an online portal for British TV boxsets and original programming, bringing all sorts of modern and legacy TV content from the UK’s biggest broadcasters.
First envisaged as a way of exporting classic British TV to the US and Canada, the TV streaming service has now launched in the UK too – despite there being various catch-up services for BBC and ITV content already.
But there’s still plenty to recommend on BritBox, which has a massive back catalogue of British shows like Doctor Who, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Gavin & Stacey, Coronation Street, or even ITV’s Love Island. If you’re in the UK, some of these are available via the BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub catch-up services already – while Netflix and Amazon license a handful of BBC shows – but for those of you in the US and Canada, it may well be the only way to get your hands on these classic TV series.
The benefit over iPlayer? You can actually get it in the US and Canada.
Plex dashboard
(Image credit: Plex)
- VUDU (US-only)
VUDU is another video streaming service, however unlike Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu, this smart TV app doesn’t offer an all-you-can-eat monthly streaming subscription.
Instead titles are rented or bought on an individual basis, and the site runs frequent sales where you can grab a bargain. Rentals run from between $0.99 and $5.99, and purchases from $4.99 to $24.99.
While VUDU’s library of movies is much smaller than Netflix’s, its model relies on having titles available to stream as soon as the home release hits. This is opposed to Netflix who tend to feature older films in their library.
We would struggle to recommend that users exclusively rely on VUDU for all their streaming needs, but as a supplemental service to Netflix or Amazon Prime VUDU works well to fill in the gaps.
TED Talks app
(Image credit: TED )
- TED
We wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to fill your new Samsung Smart TV with all the best entertainment apps, like streaming services chock full of your favorite movies and TV shows. But it might make for a refreshing change to balance out the binge-watching with some TED talk wisdom too. The TED app brings mind-blowing, informative TED talks to your Samsung TV. Sure some are better than others, but it’s a welcome change of pace. It’s also cool to see some of the most popular TED talks of all time, which you might have watched on a phone or tablet years ago, on a big screen.
Peep Show
(Image credit: Channel 4)
- All 4 (UK)
All 4 is Channel 4’s version of iPlayer, and covers content from Channel 4, E4 and More 4. Unlike the BBC’s iPlayer, however, more popular shows are available indefinitely on the service.
What this means is that if you want to sit down and watch every episode of the excellent Peep Show since it was its first broadcast in 2003, then there’s nothing stopping you.
Other top picks include The IT Crowd, Black Books (both written by the excellent Graham Lineham) and guilty pleasure Grand Designs.
Conclusion
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