Samsung TV turning ON by itself in the middle of the night might sound spooky, but it isn’t. There are a few reasons your TV might do that, some of which are not even malfunctions but built-in features.
So if your Samsung TV turns on by itself and you are pulling your hair trying to understand why it does that, here is the most probable reason.
An external device connected to your Samsung TV via HDMI can cause the TV to turn ON when the device turns on. An HDMI setting called CEC turns the TV on whenever an external device, like a DVD player, is turned on.
The good news is that you can quickly turn it off from the settings and be done with this.
However, HDMI CEC is not the only reason for your TV to turn on all by itself. In this article, I will explain in detail all the possible causes and fixes for your TV’s spooky behavior.
Samsung TV turns ON by itself – Reasons
If you have been paranoid about your Samsung TV turning ON by itself, here is a list of troubleshooting methods you can apply one by one.
1. Disable HDMI CEC Settings (Anynet+)
CEC, which stands for Consumer Electronic Control, is a little-known feature built into HDMI communication protocol through which different devices connected through HDMI talk to each other.
For example, if you have a DVD Player connected to your Samsung TV via HDMI and have CEC settings enabled, whenever you turn your DVD Player ON, it will automatically turn your TV on via HDMI.
This connection gives partial control of one device to the other so that you can perform different tasks, like controlling your Blueray with your Samsung TV remote.
Most modern electronics that have HDMI are equipped with the CEC feature. In Samsung TVs, it is branded as Anynet+
How does this concern your current problem i-e your Samsung TV turning ON by itself?
Well, if your Samsung TV is permanently connected to an external device like a Playstation, BT Box, or Roku stick, it might be able to turn your TV on via the CEC function.
To stop this, you must turn off some settings on your Samsung TV.
Go to Settings > General > External Device Manager > Anynet+ and turn it OFF.
In some newer Samsung TVs, you can find the Anynet+ option directly under the Settings menu, while in others; you can check Settings > System >Expert Settings > Anynet+
The location of the Anynet+ setting can vary from model to model, and you will have to roam through the settings a little bit, but it is there somewhere. You can also look into your Samsung TV user manual to locate it.
Once you do that, your Samsung TV will stop accepting external input from connected devices and turn ON.
But if the problem is not with HDMI CEC or you don’t have any external devices added to your Samsung TV, the problem could be elsewhere.
2. Check Samsung TV event logs
Samsung TV keeps a log of events that can help you find why your TV turns ON itself.
In the race to get smarter, Samsung TV OS has given too many permissions to third-party apps and external devices to manage many functions on the TV.
For example, different Apps can turn your TV on when they trigger it via SmartThing integration.
Similarly, built-in sensors like ambient light sensors and external devices like your smartphone can turn your TV ON on their own.
Keeping track of which device is the reason for this bizarre behavior is quite difficult and events logs can help with the investigation.
To check the event logs, go to Menu > Support > About TV and check the latest logs. If you see something like ‘Power-on-Reason’, check what is causing that and start your troubleshooting there.
Event logs can pinpoint specific Apps, Bluetooth or CEC devices that can trigger your TV to turn ON at odd times.
3. Power cycle your TV
Power cycling a device can fix many issues, and whenever your device starts misbehaving, it’s a good idea to power cycle it before you do anything else.
Power cycling is basically a fancy word for turning your TV OFF & ON again.
But unlike simple OFF/ON, we make sure to drain the circuit of the electrical charge during the process so that the system reboots fresh.
To power cycle your Samsung TV, follow the below steps:
- Unplug the TV from the wall socket
- Now, press & hold the power button for up to 30 seconds to drain any residual charges in the circuit.
- Leave your TV unplugged for up to 1 hour.
- Plug the TV back in the socket and turn it ON.
You might wonder what the ‘power cycle’ does precisely, so let me explain.
Your TV is basically a collection state machine with different components with 0 or 1 state. Capacitors, flipflops, logic gates, etc all work together to output the programmed results (video on your screen)
When your TV is used for a long time, it will occasionally run into an unstable combination state. In simple language, it will develop a “bug”.
When you run your TV through a power cycle and drain all the capacitors off their stored charge, the system is reset to its zero states, where all the systems are stable, and the TV reboots fresh.
That’s how power cycling will eliminate all the “bugs” that the system has developed over time.
Once you power cycle your Samsung TV, restart it and see if the problem is resolved.
Sometimes, the cause of the problem is as simple as malfunctioning or stuck TV buttons.
If your Samsung TV has been in use for quite some time and you rely heavily on the power button under your TV to turn it ON/OFF, chances are that it might malfunction.
When that happens, your TV can turn itself ON or OFF when the button activates on its own.
To ensure it’s not the power button that has been mysteriously turning your TV on & off, closely inspect the button for any physical damage.
Try pressing the button several times to see if it behaves abnormally.
If the button is faulty, you will notice unusual behavior like missed action, etc. In such a case, you will have to get it replaced by a TV repair guy.
But if the button looks fine, you can eliminate this and move on to the next troubleshooting step.
5. Check Samsung remote batteries
Just like a faulty power button, weak remote batteries can also cause some unexpected behavior from your remote. Weak batteries can generate stray signals.
One of these stray signals could be why your Samsung TV turns on all by itself.
So before you go around unplugging all your external devices and resetting your Samsung TV, just replace your remote batteries with a fresh pair and see if the problem goes away.
This might seem silly, but small things like this often cause unnecessarily big problems.
So, it’s a good idea to first take care (and eliminate) the smaller stuff before picking up the sludge hammer.
Weak batteries can create problems, but so can a faulty remote. Before moving on from your remote, just do one more thing – remove the batteries from the remote and check the TV for 24 hours and see if it turns ON.
Sometimes, a faulty remote can initiate an unwanted signal, and removing batteries ensures the remote is not the culprit.
I have a detailed guide about troubleshooting the Samsung remote if it is not working properly.
Another important thing to note is that if you are using a third-party remote or a remote that came with your external device, like a DVD player, do the same to that remote as well. Just to be sure.
6. Disable Power ON with Mobile
Most recent Samsung smart TV models come with SmartThing feature built-in.
SmartThing is a Samsung home automation feature that lets your device be controlled with voice commands or smartphones. Consider it an alternative to Alexa.
When this feature is enabled in your TV, it can be turned ON & OFF via any SmartThing-enabled device such as your phone.
You can disable this feature in your settings to ensure this isn’t causing your TV to turn on spontaneously at odd times.
Go to Settings > General > Network > Expert Settings and turn OFF the Power ON with Mobile option.
Depending on your Samsung TV model, this setting can be found in slightly different places, but you can easily find it with a bit of searching.
7. Disable ECO mode
This might seems strange, but during my research on users forums, some users have reported that they solved the issue by turning off ECO mode settings in Samsung.
Although these settings are meant to turn your TV OFF at certain times to save power, they can also turn your TV ON at times (my guess? firmware glitch)
To turn ECO mode settings off, go to Settings > General > scroll down to Eco Solutions and turn off all the options under this setting.
Some newer models have more options like Auto Shutoff and Presence mode. Turn them OFF as well.
8. Remove all external devices
As we discussed how external devices could “wake up” your Samsung TV using CEC protocol, similarly, external devices can also create other malfunctions that can wake your TV up.
To make sure that is not the problem, it’s a good idea to detach all external devices from your TV, including any
- Router connected via ethernet
- Network devices
- Hard drives/ USB sticks
- Video players
- Gaming console
- Any external antenna
Just make sure you remove all connected devices and just leave the AC power cable plugged in. Leave your TV in that condition for a few days and see if it restarts.
Now, plug in one device at a time and monitor TV behavior. If any of these devices were causing the issue, you would be able to isolate and identify it.
9. Check the power cable
A faulty or loose power cable can also cause the issue by providing an uneven power supply.
First, check if the TV end of the power cable is firmly fixed into the slot. Most models come with a fixed power cord that is permanently attached to the power circuit inside.
![Samsung TV Turns ON by Itself [This MIGHT Be the Reason]](https://techrandm.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/check-the-power-cable.jpg)
Next, check the wall socket and see if it is sparking or has a loose fit. Most problems occur here. Due to continuously plugging and unplugging, the wall socket becomes loose and creates sparks.
If you are using a power strip or extension board, it can also be the cause of the problem. Thoroughly check it out while you are inspecting the TV cord.
If the wire seems worn out, it’s a good idea to get it replaced by a professional. If you are a DIY person, you can also do that yourself.
Fixing a faulty power cable in time is very important because if it keeps sparking over time, it can damage your precious LCD screen, and as you know, LCD screens are very expensive to replace.
10. Update firmware
Ideally, you should always keep all your electronics up to date, and your TV is no different. But unlike your smartphone, your Samsung TV will seldom ask you to update to the new firmware.
You have to check manually for any available firmware updates from time to time.
In this next step, we will check for and eliminate faulty firmware glitches that cause your Samsung TV to turn itself ON.
To do this, go to Home > Settings > Customer Support > Software Update and follow the on-screen guided steps.
If new software is available, you will get a prompt to update to the latest firmware. Select Update Now, and your update will begin.
If your Samsung TV turning on itself was due to glitchy firmware, this should take care of it. Else, on to the next step.
11. Factory reset your Samsung TV
Factory resetting your Samsung TV will revert all changes you had made since you got the TV and make it brand new (just like it was when it was packed at the factory)
Factory reset resolves any temporary software glitches and bugs that might result in due to years of continuous use. It is a good idea to reset your TV every once in a while.
But before you proceed, remember that factory resetting your TV will remove every bit of customization you have done, including your streaming accounts, custom Apps, Wifi logins, etc.
So make sure you don’t lose any of these things due to a factor reset.
Doing a factory reset is pretty straightforward. From your home screen, select Live TV first. Now go to Settings > General > Reset and enter your PIN to initiate the reset process.
(If you never changed your PIN, the default is 0000)
If you see the Reset option grey out, that means you are currently using an App in the background. Just go back to your TV and select Live TV (your regular cable TV), and then do the reset process again.
Once your reset is complete and your TV reboots fresh, check if you are still facing the problem.
Contact Samsung support
Samsung offers great customer and after-sales technical service. If your TV is still not fixed after trying all the troubleshooting methods, it’s a good idea to reach out to Samsung for help.
Samsung offers three types of repair services:
- Repair at home
- Walk-in service at one of their repair centers
- Mail-in service if you don’t live in a big city
To book your repair service, visit their Repair service page.
You can also contact Samsung support in the US via message or call.
Message Support: Text “SUPPORT” to 1-800-726-7864 (available 24/7)
Call Support: Talk to Samsung Care Pro at 1-800-SAMSUNG (726-7864) between 8 – 12 am EST, 7 days a week
Samsung TV turns ON by itself – Conclusion
Samsung TVs are superb for home theater and casual watching. Their crisp display and easy-to-navigate Smart platform offer great value for money. Sometimes, minor glitches can appear that are easy to fix.
This article provides a detailed troubleshooting guide to solve your Samsung TV auto-turn ON issue. If you follow this, you should be able to solve your issue.
Happy binge-watching!
