The LG brand has always been known for its reliability.
That’s why you had your LG smart TV for years.
But, what do you do when your device isn’t working properly?
A quick update can fix bugs and glitches on your TV.
I can show you how.
But first…
Continue reading to know:
- How to connect your LG TV to Wi-Fi before updating.
- 3 common reasons why you can’t update your LG TV and how to fix them.
- A 3-step detailed guide on how to update your LG smart TV (+ bonus step).
- And so much more…
How to update LG smart TV? 3 steps
#1: Determine your LG TV’s OS
LG has been producing quality smart TVs for a while.
It’s been so long that older and newer models have different operating systems (OS).
What’s that?
It’s the digital platform on which all the device’s apps and features run.
LG smart TVs produced from 2011 to 2015 feature the NetCast platform.
On the other hand, models from 2015 until 2022 have the new and improved webOS.
But why does this matter?
It’s because the process of updating your LG TV’s firmware depends on the OS it uses.
How to identify the OS of your LG TV
If you’re unsure which OS your TV is using, you can find it on your device.
Just go to your device’s Settings and look for the About this TV tab.
Here, you can find your OS type as well as the version currently installed.
#2: Make sure you have a reliable internet connection
Updating your LG TV’s firmware requires a reliable internet connection.
So first, ensure that your TV’s wifi is on. And that it’s connected to the internet.
You can either connect it wirelessly or by using an ethernet cable.
To link your LG smart TV to Wi-Fi, follow these steps:
- Press the SMART button on your remote.
- Find the Home menu tab.
- Open Settings.
- Select Network and pick Wi-Fi connection.
Your device will first search for a wired network to connect to.
Once there’s no ethernet connection discovered, it’ll switch to look for a wireless network.
A prompt will show the different Wi-Fi profiles available in the area.
Simply choose and select your home’s Wi-Fi network.
Reading tip: LG TV Not Turning On: 9 Ways To Fix It
#3: Start an automatic firmware update
As I mentioned earlier, there are different steps involved in updating your TV’s software.
With that, it’s important to follow the guide that would work for your device.
For webOS users, here’s how to update your TV’s firmware:
- Press the Home key on your remote control.
- Go to the Settings menu.
- Open the All Settings tab located at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the General menu.
- Find the About this TV page.
- Select the Automatic updates option.
- Start to check for updates.
LG TVs with the NetCast platform have a trickier update process.
So make sure to carefully follow each step in this guide:
- Press the Smart or Home button on the remote.
- Open the Settings menu.
- Select and expand the Others tab.
- Look for the Software Update option.
- Enable the Software Update feature.
- Wait for the device to search if any firmware update is available
- If the Software Update is disabled, perform a manual check using the Check for Update option.
When there’s an update available, your device will proceed to initiate its download.
Simply follow the prompt and wait for your TV to finish updating to the latest firmware.
Note: Firmware updates can take a while. So make sure that your device is plugged in throughout the whole process. This ensures that your device won’t turn off during the update.
Bonus: Perform a manual firmware update (if necessary)
There may be instances where the automatic firmware update feature won’t work.
When that happens, you have to…
Update your LG TV manually
Step 1: Go to LG’s official website
You need to download the firmware update on your desktop.
On the LG website, Input your TV’s model number to find the rights update file for your device.
When the .zip file finishes downloading, extract all of its content.
Step 2: Transfer the firmware update to an external drive
When doing this, make sure that the drive has enough storage.
How?
You can check it on LG’s product support page.
Simply search for the update and check for its file size.
Depending on the size of the update, it can require as little as 100 Mb.
However, larger system updates can take as much as 1 Gb of space.
Step 3: Create a folder and name it accordingly
After creating a folder on your USB, name it LG_DTV.
Then, place the unzipped firmware file in this folder.
Step 4: Turn on your LG TV and plug in the USB
After that, a prompt will come up and guide you to start the manual firmware update.
Need more information? Check out this video:
Why can’t I update my LG TV? 3 causes & fixes
#1: You’re experiencing network problems
Updating your LG TV system requires a reliable internet connection.
And if you’re experiencing network issues, a prompt would show saying it can’t find an update.
It’s followed by a recommendation to check the device’s network connection cable.
When this happens, you need to configure your TV’s internet.
First, ensure that your TV is within a short distance of your wireless network.
Remember this:
The farther the device is from your router, the weaker the signal becomes.
Are you still experiencing network problems?
The next step is to restart both your TV and internet router.
Simply unplug both devices.
Then, plug them back in after a few minutes.
This can help refresh the processes on the 2 devices.
Aside from that, it’ll also disconnect and reconnect their pairing.
If this still doesn’t fix the connection issue, try to use an ethernet cable on your LG TV.
Using a cable will directly provide a network connection to your device.
Therefore, this method is more reliable than pairing your TV to the internet wirelessly.
Recommended read: (13 Fixes) LG TV Not Connecting To WiFi
#2: The update froze
You may notice that the download bar on your update is barely moving or not at all.
There may be instances where an update freezes mid-download.
It can be caused by:
- Intermittent internet.
- Poor network connection.
- A relatively large update size.
So, what do you do when this happens?
When the prompt on the screen says that it’s downloading, you have the option to restart your router and TV.
Hopefully, this can improve the speed of your internet connection.
However, if the prompt says that the TV is already updating, don’t do anything.
Unplugging your TV or router mid-update can corrupt and damage your device.
With that, simply wait for the update to finish.
And if any problems occur afterward, contact LG support for help.
#3: There’s no update available
LG updates its system and software from time to time.
That’s because wide-scale system updates are necessary to fix bugs and glitches.
Aside from that, it’s also used to update features and improve UI and UX.
Generally, system updates are sent out to all devices at the same time.
However, there can be instances where the system update is delayed.
That could explain why there’s no update available yet on your device.
When that happens, all you have to do is wait.
You can head over to LG’s Product Support Page to check if the update is finally available.
How do I update my old LG Smart TV apps?
To update your old LG Smart TV apps, you need to open your device’s Home page.
Then, head over to the LG Content Store.
It’ll show you the available digital products you can download and purchase on your Smart TV.
However, you won’t need any of that.
Instead, expand the menu on the right-hand side of the screen to find the page settings.
Open the Apps menu and select the MyApps tab.
This will display all of your installed and downloaded apps on your device.
From here, you can choose the specific app you want to update.
So browse through the list to find the app you’re looking for.
Then, see if there’s an update available.
If there is, simply select the app and proceed to update it as prompted.
Don’t want to repeat these steps for all the apps on your device?
Well, you can opt for the Update All option.
Instead of choosing a specific app, select All.
This will automatically show every app you have downloaded on your smart TV.
Then, click on the Update All tag to start the process.
Warning: Updating every app on your device will take up memory. And a full memory can make your TV run slower.
So, unless you have a ton of space left on your device, it’s better to update your apps one at a time. This will help ensure you’re not wasting your TV’s memory on an app you barely use or don’t need at all.