Your Samsung TV suddenly shows washed-out faces, a green or red tint, or a picture stuck in shades of gray. Before assuming a hardware fault, rule out a setting, an input, or a software glitch, all of which you can fix yourself. The fixes below start with the quickest and end with repair options.
Restart the TV with a cold boot
A temporary software glitch can make colors suddenly look off, and a cold boot clears it in under a minute.
With the TV on, press and hold the Power button on your Samsung remote until the TV switches off and starts back up.
No remote handy? Unplug the TV's power cord while it's on, wait 30 seconds, plug it back in, and turn the TV on. Then check a few different shows or apps to see whether the colors are back to normal.
Find out whether the TV itself is at fault
Run this check if the colors still look wrong after a restart. Samsung's built-in Picture Test shows whether the problem is in the TV or in what you're watching.
Go to Settings > All Settings > Support > Device Care > Self Diagnosis > Picture Test and select OK. Look closely at the test image for tints, blotches, or missing colors.
If the test image looks wrong too, the fault is inside the TV, so work through the settings fixes below and keep Samsung repair as a backup plan. If the test image looks fine, the cause is a picture setting, an input, a source device, or a single app. A fault that comes and goes can still need service even when the test looks clean.
Reset picture settings and pick a better mode
Picture settings changed by accident are behind many cases of oversaturated, dim, or oddly tinted images. Resetting them puts everything back to Samsung's defaults.
Open Settings > All Settings > Picture > Expert Settings > Reset Picture, then confirm with Reset. On US models the confirmation button reads Yes.
Next, choose a preset under Settings > All Settings > Picture > Picture Mode. Compare Standard, Movie, and FILMMAKER MODE. Dynamic and Eco are the other choices.
To choose which inputs get your changes, go to Expert Settings > Apply Picture Settings and pick the current source or all sources.
If a reset and a new mode don't help, fine-tune the individual color controls in the next section.
Fine-tune color, tint, and white balance
Every control below lives under Settings > All Settings > Picture > Expert Settings.
- 1.Adjust Color if the image looks washed out or too saturated.
- 2.Use Tint (G/R) if faces look too green or too red.
- 3.Change Colour Tone to warm up or cool down the whole picture, or use White Balance to set red, green, and blue levels one at a time.
- 4.Review Colour Space Settings if colors look too vivid or muted. Samsung doesn't prescribe one value that fixes everything, so compare the options.
- 5.Turn off Contrast Enhancer and review Colour Booster, Auto HDR Remastering, and HDR Tone Mapping if colors shift from scene to scene.
- 6.Adjust Brightness, Contrast, Gamma, and Shadow Detail if dark scenes look muddy.
On compatible models, Smart Calibration in the same menu uses your phone and the SmartThings app to set color for you. Scan the QR code, tap Add now, and follow the prompts, holding the phone's rear camera 1 to 3 cm from the white target on screen.
Turn off accessibility color filters
A black-and-white or strangely colored picture can come from an accessibility feature that got switched on by accident.
Go to Settings > All Settings > General & Privacy > Accessibility and turn off Grayscale. That setting alone brings back full color when everything shows up in shades of gray.
In the same menu, check SeeColors Mode and Relumino Mode Settings, and turn off Color Inversion or High Contrast if you don't want them. Color Inversion changes menus and apps, not video playback.
Holding the Volume button on the remote (or Mute on some remotes) opens the accessibility shortcuts, which is how these filters get switched on by mistake. Check it if they keep coming back.
Check the HDMI input and source device
On 2022 and later models, run Samsung's HDMI check from All Settings > Support > Device Care > Self Diagnosis > HDMI Troubleshooting, then pick the affected connection. On earlier models that have the test, keep the TV on the affected HDMI input and go to Settings > Support > Self Diagnosis > Signal Information > HDMI Cable Test > Start Test. Samsung specifies a cable shorter than 2 m for a reliable test.
For HDR sources, open Settings > All Settings > Connection > External Device Manager > Input Signal Plus and enable the port you're using. Older menus put this under General and call it HDMI UHD Color.
If blacks look gray or crushed, adjust HDMI Black Level under Picture > Expert Settings. Then try a different source device, port, and known-good cable, and replace whichever part the problem follows.
On an Xbox Series X|S, go to Profile & System > Settings > General > TV & Display Options, set Video fidelity & overscan to Auto-detect (Recommended), then check Allow 4K and the HDR option under Video modes.
Update the TV's software
A firmware update fixes color bugs Samsung has already patched.
Open Settings > All Settings > Support > Software Update.
Select Update Now and leave the TV powered on until the install finishes.
If the option is unavailable while you're streaming, switch to the TV source and try again.
Turn on Auto Update in the same menu so future fixes install on their own.
On a US QN90F, check your model's official download listing and install the current firmware. Samsung names release 1040.6 as a fix for distorted color.
Without an internet connection, download your exact model's firmware from Samsung's support site.
Extract it onto an empty FAT32 USB drive without an extra enclosing folder.
Plug the drive into the TV and select Update Now, then Yes if prompted.
Stop settings from reverting and request repairs
Retail demo mode is the usual reason picture changes keep undoing themselves. Go to Settings > General & Privacy > System Manager > Usage Mode, enter your PIN if asked, and select Home mode.
If only one app has bad colors, delete and reinstall it from Apps > Settings. For persistent app-only problems, use Reset Smart Hub. On 2025 models it's under Settings > All Settings > Support > Device Care > Reset Smart Hub; on 2020–2024 models it's under Settings > Support > Device Care > Self Diagnosis (2022–2024 menus start with Settings > All Settings). It signs you out of your Samsung and app accounts. The default PIN is 0000.
As a last software step, use Settings > All Settings > General & Privacy > Factory Data Reset. On 2022–2024 models this option may be labeled Reset, and 2017–2021 models use Settings > General > Reset. This erases your accounts, downloaded apps, and custom settings.
If the Picture Test still shows discoloration after all of this, request service through Samsung's Repair Services portal, or let support inspect your settings through Support > Remote Management by sharing the eight-digit PIN it displays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Samsung OLED show faint leftover images?
That's image retention, not a color setting. On supported OLED models, run General & Privacy > Panel Care > Pixel Refresh, and turn on Pixel Shift to help prevent it.
Why do colors on my Frame TV look off only in Art Mode?
Art Mode has its own settings. In the SmartThings app, open the Frame TV, then Art Mode > Settings and adjust Color Tone or Brightness. Also make sure nothing is blocking the ambient light sensor on the front of the TV.
Can AI picture features change my colors?
Yes. On supported 2025 models, check Advanced Features > AI Mode Settings. On 2023 and 2024 QLEDs, review Intelligent Mode, Adaptive Picture, and Eye Comfort (labeled EyeComfort Mode Settings on 2024 models) under General & Privacy > Intelligent Mode Settings.
Will a picture reset delete my apps?
No. Reset Picture only restores picture defaults. Factory Data Reset is the option that erases apps, accounts, and custom settings.