Samsung TV Plus: Free Live Channels on Samsung TVs and Phones

Samsung TV Plus is free live TV built into Samsung smart TVs and Galaxy phones and tablets. There's no subscription, no credit card and no account needed: open it and hundreds of channels appear in a guide. It's funded by adverts and operates in dozens of countries, each with its own line-up. You can also watch it in any web browser.

How to find it

• Samsung TV: it's pre-installed. Look for Samsung TV Plus in the apps row or the TV's live guide. Samsung TVs from 2016 onwards support it.
• Galaxy phone or tablet: pre-installed on many models, or free from the Galaxy Store and Google Play (Samsung TV Plus on Google Play).
• Anything else: go to samsungtvplus.com in a browser.

What's on

News, entertainment, films, sport highlights, cooking, reality, kids' and music channels, plus some on-demand content. In the US it runs to several hundred channels, and Samsung reports thousands across all its countries, with line-ups varying by region (TechRadar explainer).

Tips

1. Favourite channels so they appear first.
2. Use the TV's guide: on Samsung TVs, TV Plus channels can appear alongside antenna channels in the built-in guide.
3. Check privacy settings on the TV, including viewing information and ad personalisation, if you'd rather limit data collection.

What it doesn't do

• No full local network stations; add an antenna (local channels free).
• Little major live sport.
• No recording.

Samsung TV Plus on a Galaxy phone or tablet

On Galaxy devices, Samsung TV Plus works like a pocket cable box: open the app, scroll the guide, tap a channel. It's handy for news on the go or keeping children entertained on a tablet. Two practical points. First, it uses mobile data like any video, so stick to Wi-Fi if your plan is capped; see how much data streaming uses. Second, if the app isn't pre-installed on your model, it's free on Google Play and in the Galaxy Store.

Is Samsung TV Plus legal and safe?

Yes. It's Samsung's own licensed service, pre-installed by the manufacturer, and every channel on it is there under a licensing deal. There's nothing to sideload and nothing to activate. That also makes it a useful reference point: if someone offers you a "Samsung TV premium channels unlocked" app or code, it isn't from Samsung. See Is IPTV legal?

Why channels change

Like every free ad-supported service, Samsung TV Plus licenses channels for fixed periods, so the line-up changes over time and differs between countries. If a channel you liked disappears, search for the show on Pluto TV, Tubi or The Roku Channel, where it may have moved. Using several free services together is the best way to avoid missing anything; see what FAST TV is for how these services work.

Making the guide easier to use

• Favourite a shortlist of channels so you're not scrolling past hundreds every time.
• Use categories (news, films, sport, kids) to jump straight to what you want.
• On TVs with an antenna connected, TV Plus and broadcast channels can sit in the same guide, so free streaming and free local TV feel like one service.

Quick start

1. Press Home on your Samsung remote and open Samsung TV Plus.
2. Browse by category and favourite a few channels.
3. Add Pluto TV and Tubi from the Samsung app store for more free channels.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Paying for channels already free on TV Plus.
• Missing it because it's not in the apps row; check the TV's guide.
• Expecting local network stations without an antenna.

Samsung TV Plus plus the rest

Combine it with Pluto TV and Tubi, both in Samsung's app store, and you have a large free line-up. See the best free live TV apps. If you also want IPTV on a Samsung TV, see IPTV on Samsung and LG. For how services like this work, see what FAST TV is.