Users Share Methods to Secure Smart TVs and Disable Telemetry

Users recommended installing Glasshouse and disabling telemetry to gain control over devices. One participant advised restoring a TV to factory defaults if unrooting or making a warranty claim is necessary. LG closed a vulnerability that previously allowed rooting on their TVs. Users should not use any LG firmware released after 2026-10-10 because the rooting exploit may no longer work. A user claimed that rooting provides functionality far greater than Dev Mode on LG TVs.

One user removed almost every application from a TV using adb after connecting it to a laptop over USB. This process took five to six hours, involving multiple factory resets. Another user disconnected the WiFi antenna from their TV case, though a different user noted this will not stop the TV from connecting to WiFi. Smart TVs have built-in WiFi chips with antennas hidden in the frame or etched on the motherboard. A user suggested using a dummy load as the best idea for preventing wireless transmission.

Participants advised never using built-in apps for privacy reasons. One user recommended plugging HDMI cables into a TV instead of Ethernet to avoid data gathering. A trusted box like a MacBook or PC can act as the content player at the end of an HDMI cable. Some TVs overlay banners on top of video content, which complicates using external remotes.