Have you ever felt like the main character of a blockbuster movie?
I have.
When I turned ON my Samsung TV and saw its flickering screen…
I thought I was inside a horror film itself.
But to my surprise, it was effortless to fix my TV.
Wanna know how?
Continue reading to find out:
- 7 easy ways to stop your Samsung TV from flickering.
- How to check if you’re experiencing a minor glitch or a hardware defect.
- 2 different ways to check if your HDMI cable is the 1 causing this problem.
- And a lot more…
Why is my Samsung TV flickering?
Your Samsung TV is flickering because your TV’s HDMI cable is loose or faulty. Sometimes, a glitch in your TV’s Ambient Light Detection setting can also cause this. And in other cases, the input device you’re using is the 1 causing the problem.
7 ways to stop your Samsung TV from flickering
#1: Power cycle your TV
Just like the 1st advice when you’re not feeling well is to drink more water…
The 1st fix you should try to any technological appliances acting weird is power cycling.
This is the 1 size fits all solution for any TV troubles you might be having.
But before you dive into actually doing it…
Let me give you a brief explanation of what it is…
Power cycling is disconnecting a device from power and powering it ON again.
And although this might seem too simple of a fix…
You’ll be surprised at how many problems it can solve.
Now, what exactly happens when you power cycle your TV?
When you unplug your TV from its power source…
You’re making it stop running its active and background activities.
“Why would I want my TV to stop its tasks?”
Stopping the tasks isn’t the goal.
Rather, it’s stopping whatever glitches are attached to those tasks.
Think of it this way.
Your TV is running tens or hundreds of activities every day.
And because all of them are running at the same time…
They’re all intertwined with each other.
A bug in 1 of these tasks can affect all the other apps.
And once the bug has affected most of the apps…
It’ll also affect the whole system of your TV and cause scary-looking problems.
Like the flickering screen you’re seeing now.
But don’t worry.
As mentioned earlier, a power cycle is more than capable of removing these minor bugs.
And it’s very easy to do.
To power cycle your Samsung TV:
- Turn your TV ON.
- Unplug your TV from its power source.
- Wait for 30 seconds.
- Plug your TV back into the wall outlet.
- Power up your TV again.
Note: The key here is to unplug your TV while it’s turned ON. This discharges all of its power and clears the caches on your Samsung TV.
#2: Conduct a Picture Test
If a power cycle didn’t fix your flickering screen…
The next step you need to take is to start a Picture Test on your Samsung TV.
If you’re not familiar with what this is…
It’s a test that can help you determine if the problem is caused by your Samsung TV or something else.
During the Picture Test, your TV displays a high-quality picture that you can observe.
And the general rule is if the problem doesn’t happen during the Picture Test…
It’s a minor glitch that you can fix with simple solutions.
But if it persists during the test, you need to contact Samsung support.
Note: The exact steps to start a Picture Test depends on your Samsung TV model. But for Samsung TVs part of the K Series and similar models, just follow the steps below.
To start a Picture Test:
- On your remote, press the Home button.
- You’ll be directed to your home screen.
- Use the directional pad of your remote to go to Settings.
- Scroll down until you find Support.
- Select it and click Self Diagnosis.
- Tap Start Picture Test.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
“My TV doesn’t flicker during the Picture Test. What does this mean?”
It means that you’re lucky.
Why?
Because it’s not a hardware problem but a software glitch that you can quickly fix.
If you can’t see the problem during the photo test, the next method you should try is to…
#3: Turn off the Ambient Light Detection
If you’re not familiar with this setting, I don’t blame you.
I didn’t know of this too, not until…
I researched how I can make my TV automatically adjust its brightness.
Because the Ambient Light Detection is precisely for this purpose.
It’s a function that adjusts your TV screen brightness depending on your surrounding.
You’re most likely familiar with this occurrence with your cellphone.
It’s when your mobile screen turns brighter when you’re outside…
But it automatically turns darker when you go inside a closed-off room.
It’s no secret that the Ambient Light Detection is helpful in many instances.
But like any component of your TV software, this setting is also prone to glitches.
In worst cases…
The Ambient Light Detection will stop properly sensing your environment.
And instead of adjusting your screen according to your room’s brightness…
It’ll rapidly alternate between the brightest setting and the darkest.
Therefore causing a flickering effect on your screen.
Not to worry, though. It’s extremely easy to work around this problem.
All you need to do is to turn the Ambient Light Detection OFF.
For 2017 Samsung TV models or newer:
- Using your remote, go to Settings.
- Head to the wrench icon to access General.
- Select Eco Solution from the choices.
- Tap the Ambient Light Detection option.
- Use the toggle to turn it OFF.
For pre-2017 Samsung TV models:
- Press Home on your remote control.
- Head to System.
- From the list, click Eco Solution.
- Tap Eco Sensor.
- Select OFF.
You might also want to know: (7 Fixes) Apps Not Working On Samsung TV
#4: Check your HDMI cable
A loose or faulty HDMI cable is also 1 of the most common causes of flickering screens.
HDMI cables are responsible for relaying data from your input source to your TV.
So if they’re problematic in any way or manner…
It’ll clearly show on your screen.
But the good thing about this is…
It’s easy to check if your HDMI cable is the 1 causing the problem.
For 1 thing…
Newer Samsung TVs can even check the HDMI cable condition through settings alone.
All you need to do is:
- Press Home on your remote control.
- Go to Settings > Support.
- Select Device Care.
- Tap Self Diagnosis.
- Select HDMI Troubleshooting.
If your HDMI cable is faulty, it’ll appear in the diagnosis.
“I can’t find the Device Care option.”
Not all TVs have this function.
As mentioned earlier, this component is only available for newer models.
More specifically, for TVs manufactured from 2020 and later.
But there’s nothing to worry about even if you don’t have Device Care on your device.
You can still check your HDMI cable manually.
How?
By using a replacement cable.
To check HDMI cables manually:
- Turn your TV OFF.
- Unplug your current HDMI cable from your TV.
- Disconnect the other end from your input device.
- Grab a different HDMI cable.
- Plug 1 end of this new cable into your TV.
- Connect the other connector to your input source.
- Turn ON your TV again.
If your old HDMI cable is the problem, the flickering screen should be gone by now.
#5: Try a different input source
Your HDMI cable transmits the data from your input source to your TV screen.
But even if your HDMI cable is fine, its transmitted data won’t be…
If the problem is rooting from the data source itself or your input device.
“What’s an input device?”
I’m talking about the device from which your TV is getting its information.
This can be a Roku express or a cable box, for example.
But don’t worry. It’s easy to check if it’s the 1 causing the problem.
All you need to do is try a different input source.
And to do so:
Step 1: Turn your TV and the input device OFF.
Step 2: Disconnect 1 end of the HDMI cable from the input device.
Step 3: Find a different input source. A laptop is an easy alternative.
Step 4: Plug the free end of the HDMI cable into your new input device.
Step 5: Turn your TV and the chosen input source ON.
If the previous input device is the problem…
This process should stop the flickering screen.
Further reading: 7 Easy Ways To Change Input On Samsung TV
#6: Update your TV
Updates are crucial for Samsung Smart TVs.
They’re like new lessons that teach your device to improve and be better.
And what’s the use of your TV being smart if it’s not constantly learning new things, right?
So as much as you can, keep your TV up to date.
After all, not only do updates prevent your device from getting bugs…
They also ensure that your TV can keep up with the updates on its apps and external devices.
So don’t be too comfortable with using outdated software.
Trust me. It’s very easy to update your Samsung TV.
And it won’t even take you more than a couple of minutes to do.
To update your Samsung TV:
- Click Home on the remote.
- Go to your TV Settings.
- Scroll down to Support.
- Select Software Update.
- Click Update Now.
- Wait for it to finish.
- Tap OK to exit the window.
If you a want a visual guide to updating your TV, you can also watch this video:
#7: Contact Samsung Support
Is your screen still flickering?
Then, at this point, it’s safe to say that your TV is experiencing a hardware issue.
And unlike minor software bugs…
Hardware problems require professionals to fix.
So the last solution you can try doing is to contact Samsung themselves.
Fortunately, it’s easy to talk with Samsung representatives.
You can either contact them through text or call.
To message Samsung, text “SUPPORT” to 800-727-7864.
And if you want to talk with them through call, just dial the same number.