7 Easy Ways To Restart Apps On Samsung TV (Updated 2023)

Apps frozen like ice cubes?

Well, that’s easy.

Just restart them.

But wait – what if…

It doesn’t work?

Then straddle up.

Because I’ve got several heat packs to unfreeze and restart your apps.

Continue reading to discover:

7 easy breezy steps to restart apps on your Samsung TV.
What you can do if your app refuses to restart and doesn’t respond.
1 app you can use to reset all your apps and prevent slower app performance.
And so much more…

How to restart apps on Samsung TV?

To restart apps on your Samsung TV, tap the Return button on your remote first. This will display a pop-up screen to confirm if you want to close the app. From here, you’ll need to press “Exit” on your screen. Then, from your Samsung TV home menu, launch the closed app again to complete the restart.

7 ways to restart apps on Samsung TV

#1: Press the return button on your remote

The quickest way to restart an app is through this approach.

First, you’ll need to close the app.

Then, after successfully closing the application, launch the app again.

All it takes is 4 simple steps:

Press the Return button on your Samsung TV remote.
A message on your screen will say: “Do you want to exit the app?”
Confirm by tapping “Exit.”
On your Samsung TV home screen, relaunch the app.

#2: Unplug your Samsung TV

Okay, so what happens if your app refuses to exit?

Worse – what if it starts hanging or freezing and your TV remote isn’t working either?

Well, you’re going to have to do this the old-fashioned way: unplug your Samsung TV.

Now, take note.

Although unplugging your Samsung TV restarts the device itself, it also does 1 more thing:

It refreshes the entire system. And with it, this also resets your apps.

Here’s how to do it:

Unplug your Samsung TV.
Wait for 1 minute.
Plug your Samsung TV back into its power source.
With all your apps reset, you can launch them back again.

#3: Clear your app’s cache and data

“How does clearing cache reset my apps?”

Good question.

Put it this way.

We aren’t just clearing your app’s cache, but also all of its data.

In effect, you’re erasing everything that’s stored on your app so it becomes brand new.

Now, what about cache?

It’s actually similar to your brain’s memory.

For instance, say you had to take a certain route to get to Walmart.

The first time you do it, your pace is slower because most of the signs around you are unfamiliar.

As a result, it might take 30 minutes to reach your destination.

However, after taking the same route several times, it only takes you half the time to get there.

Why?

Because your brain remembers the route and stores info about the environment.

Therefore, it became much easier and quicker for you to get from point A to point B.

Cache works the same way.

The first time you fire an app or a site on your browser, its pace is slightly slower.

But after a while, it stores data and remembers the images or media on the platform.

In effect, the app or webpage loads much faster.

Because cache is also stored app data, restarting your apps also means clearing it.

In fact, it’s one reason why apps don’t work on your Samsung TV.

So, here’s how to restart an app by clearing its cache:

Go to your Samsung TV’s Settings menu.
Tap “Support.”
Select “Self Diagnosis.”
Choose “TV Device Manager.”
Select “Show App List” under “Manage Storage.”
Highlight the app you want to restart.
Press the down arrow button on your remote.
Tap “View Details.”
Select “Clear Cache” and “Clear Data.”

#4: Delete and reinstall the app

Another way to restart an app is to delete it from your Samsung TV and reinstall the application.

This approach is useful if you want to reset an app that has a corrupted installed file.

Alternatively, if you notice frequent app crashes and malfunctions, this method works best.

And finally, this approach works for other apps on your Samsung TV too, such as:

Although this method may seem lengthy, in truth, it takes less than 5 minutes to do.

Here’s how it’s done:

How to delete an app on your Samsung TV

Tap the Home button on your Samsung TV remote.
Look for the app you want to delete.
Highlight the app and tap the down button on your remote.
A drop-down menu should appear.
Select “Remove.”
Tap “Remove” again and press “OK” on your remote.

How to reinstall the app on your Samsung TV

Press the Home button on your remote.
Scroll left and select “Apps.”
In the Apps menu, click on the search option (magnifying glass icon).
Type the app you just deleted.
Sign in to your Samsung account to confirm the app installation.
Launch the app.

#5: Download Background Apps and Process List

Note: This approach works if you have Google Play Store on your Samsung TV. If not, proceed to fix #6 for the alternative solution.

The app’s name packs a mouthful, doesn’t it?

But here’s what makes it so beneficial in restarting your apps:

After launching the downloaded app, you can use it to close any running apps in the background.

Why does that matter?

Think of it like this:

Restarting an app can go many ways.

And closing an application is definitely 1 way to restart it.

However, what if that app’s still running and using data or WiFi on your Samsung TV?

In effect, this can lead to a few problems, such as:

Higher chances of an app crashing, glitching, or malfunctioning.
Your Samsung TV has less memory to run other apps and slows down.

So think of closing all your running apps in the background as a surefire way to reset an app.

Thankfully, this approach can be done with a few clicks on your remote.

But first, you’ll need to download the app.

Launch Google Play Store.
Search and download the app “Background Apps and Process List.”
Wait for the installation to finish.
Launch the app.
You should see all your running apps listed on the screen.
Tap “Close All Apps” (located in the top-left corner).

You might also like: 9 Ways To Fix “Samsung TV Error 118” (Apps Not Downloading)

#6: Clean all running apps using Samsung Device Care

As mentioned earlier, this method works ideally for Samsung TVs without an Android OS.

The way this works is by cleaning all running apps in your background.

As a result, this also restarts any app you’ve opened previously.

Now, Samsung has a feature called Device Manager where you can…

Clean your TV’s memory.
Clear the storage and data of your apps.
Clean all running apps in the background.

You can access this feature by going to your Samsung TV’s Self Diagnosis menu.

Here’s how it’s done:

On your Samsung TV home screen, scroll left and select Settings.
Tap “Support.”
Choose “Self Diagnosis.”
Select “TV Device Manager.”
Tap the “Clean Now” button under “Clean Running Apps.”

#7: Factory reset your Samsung TV

Here’s the thing.

A factory reset will surely restart all your apps.

And that’s because it removes any bugs, glitches, and malfunctions in your TV system.

However, it’s not a recommended approach unless…

After restarting an app, the issue still persists.
None of the methods above were able to restart your apps.

In addition, a factory reset is mostly used for issues like:

Seeing no signal on your Samsung TV.
Your screen is black or completely blank.
There’s no sound coming out of your TV.
There are horizontal lines on your Samsung TV screen.
Casting problems through either Airplay or Chromecast.
Your Samsung TV keeps turning off or can’t find any channels.

That said, think of a factory reset as your last resort option when nothing seems to work.

Here’s how to do it on your Samsung TV:

On your Samsung TV’s home screen, scroll left and select “Settings.”
Click on “Support.”
Tap “Self Diagnosis.”
Select “Reset Smart Hub.”
Enter your Samsung TV PIN.
After the reset, set up your Samsung TV.
Launch the app you restarted.