Storage limitations aren’t something you normally think about when it comes to your Samsung TV. Sure, it’ll drive you bananas trying to carefully balance apps, pictures, videos, and more on your smartphone, but on a Samsung TV? What should you do if your Samsung TV runs out of storage?

When your Samsung TV runs out of storage, you should delete any unnecessary apps, clear the cache, or add an external storage option. It also helps to check your TV’s memory limit to understand how much storage it has.

The truth is, all of those streaming apps go somewhere, along with personal pics and videos, gaming apps, and downloaded videos. When a smartphone runs out of memory, you have to sit down and transfer everything to an external drive or mass-delete your apps. But, when it comes to a Samsung TV, you might be surprised to find that you have some additional options. Read on to learn more.

Check Your Samsung TV’s Memory Limit

First, you want to make sure that it’s just the memory that’s causing your Samsung TV to experience a slowdown and/or refuse to download additional apps. Most of the time, when you try to download an app, and the memory is insufficient, you will get a notification stating something along those lines.

However, that doesn’t always happen, but it’s easy to find out for sure. Every Samsung model is different, but the layout is generally the same, and we’ll walk you through the check from a generic point of view:

  • On your Samsung TV, go to the Apps page.At the bottom of the screen, you should see More Apps.Select More Apps.Your storage limit—how much you’re using and how much is left—should be viewable at the lower, left-hand corner of the screen.

That’s the simplest way, and usually, that information is out front and in the open when you are scrolling through your apps. However, on some Samsung TVs, you may have to dig a little deeper:

  • Navigate to your Samsung TV Settings.In the Settings menu, look for Information or About.Properties is another possibility as well.Your storage capacity will most likely be under Information, About, or Properties.

Once you’ve determined that it’s a storage issue, you can do one of two things, or both if you choose to. You’ll want to start deleting cache, unused apps, and/or videos and pictures. You can also use expandable storage.

Add External Shortage to Your Samsung TV

If you’re having issues with storage on a Samsung TV, the internal storage that comes with it is not the only method for storing your favorite apps, games, and personal videos and pictures.

There are usually one or two USB ports situated close to your standard smart TV ports, either on the back or on the side of your TV. Some TVs have them scattered all over the place, but you generally want to stick with the USB ports close to your other ports.

Before you get started, most Samsung smart TVs—as well as most smart TVs in general—support external drives, such as a USB thumb drive that is FAT32 formatted. You can easily format your thumb drive on a computer before plugging it into your Samsung TV.

You can also purchase a USB drive that’s specifically manufactured to work with Samsung smart TVs, such as the Samsung MUF-32AB, 3.1 USB Flash Drive. That way, there won’t be any issues with your TV recognizing the external storage device.

  • Plug the USB Flash Drive into the USB port on the back of your Samsung TV.Press Home on your remote.Select Settings.Select Storage & Reset.Choose your USB Flash Drive.Select the option to Format as Device Storage.

Now, your external thumb drive will be used as storage on your Samsung TV. You can move apps to it and download new apps.

Delete Apps and the Cache on Your Samsung TV

This is your quick, go-to solution for freeing up some memory in the short term, at least until you get some add-on storage. To delete app cache data:

  • Press Home on your remote.Select Settings.Select Apps.Navigate to System Apps.Select the app that you want to clear the cache from.Select Clear Cache.Confirm.

Now, all you have to do is rinse and repeat for every app. Next, you can delete the apps that you no longer use:

  • Press Home on your remote.Select Options (usually on the bottom, right-hand corner of the Home screen).Select Delete from the Menu bar.Select the Apps you want to Remove.

That will clear up some space and buy you some time to pick up an external storage device. Of course, if you’re satisfied with just deleting what you don’t need, then you’re all set, and there’s no need to do anything else.

Final Word

Almost all smart TVs, including the latest and greatest Samsung TVs, only come with 8GB of internal storage. That will never be a problem if you’re just downloading streaming apps. However, if you want more, then you should consider adding some internal storage.

Thankfully, there’s no convoluted process required to add on external storage, but every TV is different. This guide is the best, routine way to locate what you need in your settings. If it’s a little off, just stick with the terminology, and you should be good to go.