How to turn off tracking on a Samsung TV

TL;DR

• Difficulty: 2/5
• Time estimate: about 5 minutes
• Samsung calls its ACR feature Viewing Information Services. Turn it off, plus Interest-Based Advertising, in the TV's privacy agreements. Voice settings live in a different menu and are covered separately below.

For the bigger picture on how TV tracking works, see the hub guide.

Step-by-step

There are three routes into the same agreements, depending on your model year. Use the first one that matches your set.

Route 1, current models (the route Samsung's own support page documents):

1. Press Home on the remote.
2. Open the Menu on the left side of the screen and select Privacy Choices.
3. Select Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy.

Route 2:

1. Press Home on the remote and open Settings.
2. Go to All Settings, then General & Privacy, then Terms & Privacy.

Route 3, other models:

1. Press Home on the remote and open Settings.
2. Go to Support, then Terms & Privacy, then Privacy Choices.

Once you are in the agreements, whichever route you took:

1. Withdraw your agreement to "Viewing Information Services." This is Samsung's ACR, the feature that recognizes what is on screen. On screen these items are agreements you uncheck or withdraw, not simple on/off toggles.
2. Withdraw your agreement to "Interest-Based Advertisements" (the same item also appears as "Interest-Based Advertising" and "Internet-based Advertising" on some models).
3. Select OK to save your changes. The change does not stick until you do.

Voice, on newer sets: On 2025 Samsung TVs there is no Voice Recognition Services listing in the privacy agreements, as there was on earlier sets. Voice is managed under Settings > All Settings > Advanced Features > Voice, the TV has a physical microphone switch, and no voice service is on by default. On older sets that do list Voice Recognition Services in the privacy menu, withdrawing that agreement too is optional extra hardening.

Menu labels and layout vary by model year, so the exact wording on your set may differ slightly. If a label differs, look for the same feature names; the ACR and voice names hold up across models, while the advertising item and the "Terms & Privacy" heading (older sets say "Terms & Policies") are the ones that change.

Traps to expect

• The name gives nothing away. Nothing in the menu says ACR or tracking. "Viewing Information Services" is the setting that matters, and it is not under a Privacy heading on every model.
• Several different menu routes exist. If you do not find Terms & Privacy under General & Privacy, try the Privacy Choices route from the Home menu or the Support route before concluding your model lacks the setting.
• Forgetting to press OK. Withdrawing an agreement and backing out without selecting OK leaves the old setting in place.
• A note on sourcing. Samsung's own support page documents the Privacy Choices route from the Home menu, but we did not find the full Terms & Privacy path in the Samsung support pages checked in October 2026. Those routes are where Consumer Reports, Engadget, and Malwarebytes agree: all three give Viewing Information Services and Interest-Based Advertising. The voice step comes from Malwarebytes and applies to older models.
• Texas readers. Under Samsung's February 26, 2026 agreement with the Texas Attorney General, Samsung must stop collecting or processing ACR viewing data without Texas consumers' express consent, with clear and conspicuous consent screens. That express-consent requirement is Texas-only; everywhere else, the steps above are how you opt out yourself.

What you lose

• Turning off Interest-Based Advertisements means ads will be less targeted to your viewing habits and interests. You will still see ads; they just will not be aimed as closely.
• On older sets, withdrawing the Voice Recognition Services agreement disables voice control features tied to that service, such as voice commands through the TV.
• Watching itself is unaffected. Apps, inputs, and picture settings all work as before.

After / re-check

Software updates can move these menus. After a major update, re-open the privacy agreements and confirm the agreements are still withdrawn. This takes under a minute.

Note that these steps cover tracking by the TV itself. Apps on the TV track you separately under their own policies; see the hub guide for the honest limits.

Last verified: October 26, 2026

Sources:

• Consumer Reports: How to turn off smart TV snooping features
• Engadget: Your smart TV has one big problem: it's tracking what you watch
• Malwarebytes: Samsung TVs stop spying on viewers in Texas. Here's how to disable ACR anywhere
• Samsung Support: How to adjust Privacy Settings on your Samsung Smart TV
• Texas Attorney General: Paxton Secures Major Agreement with Samsung (Feb 26, 2026)