No matter which smart TV you opt for in 2026, one thing is for certain: it’ll come with its own bespoke operating system. Samsung TVs run Tizen OS, LG TVs run webOS, Roku TVs run Roku OS, and the list goes on and on. For the most part, having an OS makes a lot of sense — it allows you to not only sift through settings within a graphical user interface, but to also download and install streaming applications right from a centralized store.
The problem, however, is that these various smart TV operating systems aren’t opt-in. They’re hard-baked into the experience, forcing you to navigate through user interfaces whether you like it or not. If you have a dedicated external streaming stick or set-top box, for example, then you’ll be wrestling with multiple operating systems in a way that isn’t particularly user-friendly.
The other problem here is that the operating systems built into smart TVs have an expiration date, with them only being supported for a certain number of years. Beyond that, you’ll be vulnerable to security breaches, malware, and other exploitations. To add insult to injury, most modern smart TV platforms are filled with ads, trackers, and even Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), which fingerprints the content you watch on your flat panel.
Let me turn my smart TV into a dumb one if I want
The power to do so should be in my hands
With this in mind, I’d love for smart TVs to offer a dedicated offline mode. With the flick of a switch, I should be able to transform a television set from a modern ‘smart’ one into a traditional ‘dumb’ one in the blink of an eye. Once offline mode is toggled on, it should sidestep the operating system in its entirety, simply booting up the display for use with external products like streamers, disc players, and game consoles.
An offline mode would be ideal for when a smart TV’s operating system reaches end-of-life, and it would also be a boon for user privacy. Rather than being forced to navigate through the trenches of, say, webOS, I could instead plug in my Apple TV 4K and never lay eyes on the former platform again.
Unfortunately, I don’t expect offline modes to ever make their way to mainstream flat panels — at least not in the short-to-medium-term future. Smart TV operating systems are simply too lucrative, what with their data scraping tendencies and their ecosystem and app platform lock-ins. I can’t imagine a world in which TV hardware makers surrender ACR, app stores, and all the rest of it in favor of the simplicity of a dumb TV mode.
Cutting the cord is the only option
For the sake of privacy, I never connect my smart TV to the internet
Considering the current state of affairs, I make it a point to never connect my smart TV to the internet. Rather, I rely exclusively on external hardware devices to interface with Wi-Fi or Ethernet. In my case, I have my Sony TV disconnected from the web, instead opting to stream content, watch films and shows, and play games via my Apple TV, my Blu-ray player, and my Nintendo Switch 2.
With this setup, I can rest assured knowing that only the bare minimum of telemetry is being sent back to big tech corporations, while still having access to all the smart capabilities I’d want out of a modern flat panel. I still have access to all my apps and games, but without the underlying baggage that so often accompanies big-screen software platforms.
I’m not sure how or why built-in smart TV operating systems have become what they are today, but the current status quo is an unfortunate one in my eyes. If, theoretically, there were to be an offline mode or a smart platform kill switch built into future smart TVs, I’d be more than eager to flip that switch on right from day one. Alas, for the time being, disabling built-in TV Wi-Fi is the next best option at my disposal.
