A Samsung TV that turns on by itself is usually being told to by something else: a console or set-top box through Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC), a phone through Power On with Mobile, a stuck remote button or an On Timer. If it powers off, check Auto Power Off, the timers and connected devices; if only the screen goes dark, check Auto Power Saving.
If it turns itself on, the TV may be able to tell you why. On supported Samsung TVs made from 2019 on, the Event Log under Support > About This TV can show a Power-on reason, and Samsung's 2025 e-Manual adds a power supply history under Self Diagnosis.
If yours keeps turning on and off over and over with a black screen, the order changes. Unplug it for at least 30 seconds, ideally a minute, plug it straight into a wall outlet, and watch the standby light, because Samsung says a light that flashes as the TV shuts down means the TV is defective and needs a repair.
The short version
- Turns on by itself: turn off Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) and Power On with Mobile, then check the On Timer.
- Turns off by itself: check Auto Power Off, Sleep Timer and Off Timer in Power and Energy Saving, and Auto Power Saving if only the screen goes dark.
- Check the log: read Support > About This TV > Event Logs on a supported 2019 or later TV.
- Rule out the remote: if it takes replaceable batteries, take them out and use the TV's own button for a while.
- Loops with a black screen: unplug it for at least 30 seconds, ideally a minute, use a wall outlet, and book a repair if the standby light flashes.
Why a Samsung TV turns on or off by itself
Samsung's own list for a TV that switches itself on is short: something stuck around the remote's power button, devices connected to the TV, and the TV's settings. For a TV that switches itself off, Samsung UK names two causes, a connected device that has powered off or a setting. The table matches what you see to the setting behind it.
| What happens | Most likely cause | Where to switch it off |
|---|---|---|
| Turns on with a console, set-top box or streaming stick | Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) | General & Privacy > External Device Manager > Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC), or the device's own HDMI-CEC setting |
| Turns on when a phone opens YouTube or SmartThings | Power On with Mobile | Connections > Network > Expert Settings > Power On with Mobile |
| Turns on at the same time every day | On Timer or a SmartThings routine | Power and Energy Saving > On Timer, and the routines in the SmartThings app |
| Turns on or off together with a soundbar | Bluetooth or HDMI eARC power linking | HDMI-CEC off on an eARC soundbar, or disconnect a Bluetooth one |
| Turns off after hours without the remote | Auto Power Off | Power and Energy Saving > Auto Power Off |
| Screen goes dark while you watch | Auto Power Saving | Power and Energy Saving > Auto Power Saving |
| Turns off at a set time or after set minutes | Off Timer or Sleep Timer | Power and Energy Saving > Off Timer or Sleep Timer |
| The Frame wakes when someone walks past | Art Mode motion sensor | Art > Art Mode Options |
| Turns on at random with the remote nearby | A stuck remote button | Take out replaceable batteries and use the TV's own button |
| Keeps turning on and off, standby light flashing | A fault Samsung repairs | Unplug it, use a wall outlet, then book a repair |
The Settings paths in the table are the ones in Samsung's 2025 TV e-Manual, and each section below gives the older ones too. Menu names moved between model years, so it helps to check the model of your Samsung TV before you follow an older path.
Find out what turned your TV on
On supported Samsung TVs made in 2019 or later, the Event Log can show a Power-on reason. Open Settings > Support > About This TV and scroll down to the Event Logs, after making sure the TV's software is up to date, as Samsung asks.
Samsung's support page explains six of the reasons the log can show. YouTube means an app such as YouTube or SmartThings on a phone on the same network, WOL a wake-up signal from another device, BLE a Bluetooth device, Sensor the brightness sensor in Ambient Mode, and CEC command a device on an HDMI port. One Invisible connection means a poor connection on the cable to a One Connect Box.
Samsung's list has no entry for timers. If the TV wakes at the same time each day, check the On Timer and your SmartThings routines yourself.
Newer software also keeps a power history. Samsung's 2025 e-Manual lists a Power item in Settings > Support > Device Care > Self Diagnosis that lets you "View information on the power supply history." Our photos come from our Samsung Odyssey OLED G9, a smart monitor that runs the same Tizen software as Samsung's smart TVs, and its Self Diagnosis screen lists 15 tests with Power first.
The same screen has a Remote test for the remote's connection and buttons, and an HDMI Test that Samsung says looks for "an HDMI-CEC connection that is functioning abnormally". HDMI Test was greyed out on our monitor.
Turn off Anynet+ so HDMI devices cannot wake the TV
Anynet+ is Samsung's name for HDMI-CEC, which lets one remote run the TV and the devices plugged into it, and Samsung says it is typically on by default. Some HDMI devices are also set by default to turn the TV on when they turn on. Anynet+ works with devices that are on or in standby, so a box that only looks off can still wake the TV.
On 2025 and later models the switch is at Settings > All Settings > General & Privacy > External Device Manager > Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC). Samsung puts it under Connection > External Device Manager on 2023 and 2024 models, under General & Privacy > External Device Manager on 2022 models, and under General > External Device Manager on 2017 to 2021 models. On our monitor, External Device Manager sits in General & Privacy, two rows below Power and Energy Saving.
Turning Anynet+ off has a cost. Samsung says you will no longer be able to use the TV remote for both devices, and a soundbar on the HDMI (eARC) port stops turning on and off with the TV. Samsung's own suggestion is to leave Anynet+ on and turn HDMI-CEC off on the one device that misbehaves.
On a PlayStation 5 that setting is Settings > System > HDMI > Enable HDMI Device Link. Other consoles and streaming sticks keep their HDMI-CEC options in their own settings. If you do not know which device is responsible, Samsung's test is to unplug every HDMI cable from the TV, see whether it still powers on, and then reconnect the devices one at a time.
A device that keeps switching the TV to its input is a related problem, and Samsung says the device's maker usually fixes it with a firmware update. Until then, switch back to the right HDMI input from the Connected Devices menu. On our monitor it sits in the Home side menu, and its source panel ticks the source in use. If a device drops in and out instead, work through our guide to HDMI connection problems on a Samsung TV.
Stop your phone and SmartThings from switching the TV on
Power On with Mobile lets a phone on the same network switch the TV on, through the SmartThings app or Apple AirPlay. Samsung warns that "if abnormal 'power on' signals are sent through the wireless network, they will trigger this function and make the TV turn on". The YouTube log entry leads here.
Samsung's 2025 e-Manual path is Settings > All Settings > Connections > Network > Expert Settings > Power On with Mobile, and older support pages give Settings > General > Network > Expert Settings. Our monitor has it on the same Expert Settings page, switched on. With it off, the SmartThings app can no longer power on the TV, and IP Remote on the same page, which depends on it, stops working too.
SmartThings routines are the other phone-side cause. Samsung's own example is a TV that turns on at 6 p.m. every evening, so open the SmartThings app and remove any routine that switches the TV on.
Soundbars, voice wake-up and other wake-up sources
Some devices are meant to share power with the TV. Samsung's 2025 e-Manual says a Samsung soundbar connected by Bluetooth turns off and on together with the TV on supported models, and so does an audio device that supports HDMI eARC on the TV's HDMI (eARC) port. For an eARC soundbar, Samsung's fix is to turn HDMI-CEC off on the soundbar itself; for a Bluetooth one, its general advice to disconnect the device that operates the TV applies.
Voice can wake the TV too. With Bixby's Voice Wake-up set to Hands-free wake-up, Samsung says you can say "Hi, Bixby" when the TV is off, as long as the TV's microphone switch is on; on 2025 models it is under Advanced Features > Voice > Bixby Settings. For a BLE entry, or any other power-on reason in the log, Samsung's advice is to disconnect or deactivate the device that operates the TV.
Check the timers in Power and Energy Saving
Samsung has moved the timers. Its 2025 and 2026 TV e-Manuals list Sleep Timer, On Timer and Off Timer in Settings > All Settings > General & Privacy > Power and Energy Saving, next to Auto Power Off. Most guides, and many of Samsung's own support pages, still send you to System Manager > Time, which is where Samsung's 2023 e-Manual and older models put them.
Our monitor already uses the new layout, even though its own e-Manual still prints the Time path. Power and Energy Saving on our screen lists Auto Power Off, Sleep Timer, Off Timer and Standby Mode Timer, while a separate Time item remains in General & Privacy. If a timer is not where you expect it, look in both places.
Samsung says the Sleep Timer can switch the TV off after up to 180 minutes. On our monitor its list opened on Off, followed by 30 and 60 minutes and longer times below. Samsung UK adds that a sleep timer only explains a TV that switched itself off once, not one that keeps doing it.
The Off Timer switches the TV off at a set time on the days you pick. On our monitor it opened with Setup set to Off, and the day picker and the time underneath were greyed out, which is how an Off Timer looks when it is not in use. If Setup shows a schedule on your TV, set it to Off.
The On Timer is the only timer that can switch a TV on, so if yours wakes at a set time, open it in Power and Energy Saving and clear any schedule. Samsung says it works only once the clock is set, and that a power cut resets the date and time and deactivates it until the clock is set again. An On Timer that seemed dead after an outage can therefore wake the TV again later.
On our monitor the clock sits on the Time page in General & Privacy, with Clock Mode set to Auto. Samsung's 2023 e-Manual says the On Timer also works in Auto while the network is connected.
Auto Power Off and other reasons it turns off by itself
Auto Power Off switches the TV off when the remote and the TV's own controls have not been used for the set time. Samsung UK says it is on by default and acts after four hours with no user operation, after a warning that counts down from 300 seconds, which you can cancel by selecting OK. Older TVs keep Auto Power Off under General > Eco Solution instead of Power and Energy Saving.
Samsung UK adds that it also reacts when the source goes quiet, powering the TV off when there is no signal, for example after you put a set-top box in standby. On our monitor it was set to 4 hours, and its list began with Off, 4 hours and 6 hours. Choose Off, or a longer time, if the TV switches itself off during long films.
Device Care points at the same setting. When we ran Settings > Support > Device Care on our monitor, the result screen listed "Auto Power Off is enabled." among the items to fix. It was already showing two notifications before the run, so read it as a pointer rather than a fault the scan discovered. It is the same scan our guide to a slow or laggy Samsung TV uses to free memory.
Auto Power Saving is easy to mistake for a fault. Samsung says it checks Wi-Fi signals and remote control use to decide whether the TV is being used, and switches the screen off if it is left idle. It sits in the same list on the models and Wi-Fi routers that support it.
On some OLED models, Samsung says Screen Saver starts after the same still image has been on screen for 2 minutes and "cannot be turned off, to ensure protection of pixels". That changes the picture rather than switching the TV off.
Our smart monitor adds a Standby Mode Timer, which Samsung's TV e-Manuals do not list, and the monitor's own manual names it with Auto Power Off and Off Timer as a setting to check when the screen turns itself off. Ours was set to 60 sec, and its list began with Off, 30 sec and 60 sec.
Samsung's checklist for a TV that turns itself off starts with the Sleep Timer, then Auto Power Off and the Off Timer. If all of them are off and it still switches off, move on to the remote, the software and the power supply.
The Frame turns on when someone walks past
The Frame has its own reasons. Samsung says that in Art Mode "the motion sensor detects any movement and will automatically turn The Frame on or off", and that a flashing LED, a pet or a car moving outside the window can set it off. Art Mode cannot be permanently disabled, and by default a short press of Power only moves The Frame between TV mode and Art Mode.
Samsung's fix is in the Art Mode settings. Press Home, press the left directional button, select Art and scroll down to Art Mode Options, then Sleep Options on 2025 models, where you can lower or turn off Motion Detector, extend or disable Sleep After, and turn off Night Mode, which switches The Frame by the light in the room.
To switch The Frame off completely, without art, Samsung says to hold Power on the remote. Samsung also lets you change what a short press does under Settings > All Settings > General & Privacy > Remote Control > Power Button Option.
Rule out the remote
Samsung lists the remote first among the reasons a TV turns on by itself: debris around its power button can keep the button pressed. Check that Power moves freely and clean around it if it sticks. On our remote, Power is the round button at the top left, above the navigation ring, and Home sits in the row under the ring.
If your remote takes replaceable batteries, Samsung UK's test is to take them out and turn the TV on with its own button for a while. If the TV stops switching itself on, the remote is at fault and needs replacing. Our guide shows where to find the power button on your Samsung TV if you have never used it.
If your TV came with a solar remote, Samsung US suggests letting it charge for a while, and if the remote stops responding it has its own reset: press and hold Return and Enter, the centre of the navigation pad, for 10 seconds. Samsung says you then pair it again by holding Return and Play/Pause for at least 5 seconds, standing within a foot of the TV.
If your TV has a Remote test in Self Diagnosis, it checks the remote's connection and buttons, and our fixes for a Samsung remote that stops responding go further. A replacement Smart Remote may need pairing too, so pair the new remote with your TV before you put the old one away.
Update the TV software
Samsung names outdated firmware as a cause of software instability and automatic resets, so update before you reach for a reset. Go to Settings > All Settings > Support > Software Update and select Update Now, then leave the TV alone until it finishes. Samsung says it restarts by itself when the update is done. On our monitor, Software Update lists only Update Now and Auto Update, which was on.
Samsung's 2025 e-Manual says "The TV will turn off and on automatically after completing the software update", and that a background update is applied the next time the TV is turned on. Auto Update is switched on when you accept the Smart Hub terms, so a single restart right after an update, or an update that takes effect the next time you switch the TV on, is not a fault.
If Software Update is greyed out, Samsung says a streaming app is running, so switch to the TV source first. For an update from USB, Samsung asks for an empty drive formatted as FAT32, so format the USB drive as FAT32 on a computer first. Formatting erases everything on the drive, so copy off anything you need beforehand.
If the picture locks up before each restart, the problem is closer to a Samsung TV that keeps freezing. That guide goes further.
Unplug the TV and check the outlet
When the TV keeps turning on and off, Samsung's first step is a power cycle. Most of Samsung's pages say to unplug the TV for 30 seconds and two say a minute, so a full minute covers both. Check the cord for visible damage while it is out.
Then plug it straight into a wall outlet that you know works. Samsung says power fluctuations can make a TV reset unexpectedly, tells you to try the wall outlet if you were using a surge protector, and warns that surge protectors "may eventually wear out and stop providing the necessary voltage for your TV". Some guides tell you to always use one, but for this problem Samsung's advice is the opposite.
If your TV uses a One Connect Box, check the cable between the box and the TV as well. Samsung's pages ask for that check, and the One Invisible connection entry in the Event Log points at the same cable.
When it keeps turning on and off with a black screen
Samsung's test for a fault is the standby light. On a TV it is red: in normal use it is on while the TV is off, and off while the TV is in use or has no power. Samsung UK says to check before you try any fix whether the light is flashing when the TV shuts down, because "If the light does flash, then your TV is defective and you will need to book a repair."
Before you book, Samsung asks you to unplug the TV for 30 seconds and try another working outlet. A light that still blinks after that is, in Samsung's words, a sign that something is wrong with the TV, and our guide to a Samsung TV with a flashing red light covers the next checks. Samsung names a faulty power board among the causes, so leave the inside to its service team, and asks you to make sure the TV is not overheating.
Two other symptoms look similar but are different problems. If the standby light goes out and you hear sound but the screen stays black, the TV is on, and our guide for a Samsung TV that turns on but shows no picture is the better fit. If it shuts off and then stays off whatever you press, follow our steps for a Samsung TV that will not turn on.
Reset the TV as the last step
If nothing above works, Samsung's last software step is a factory reset. On current models it is Settings > All Settings > General & Privacy > Factory data reset, and on older ones Settings > General > Reset, with a PIN of 0000 unless you changed it (2025 TVs make you create one during setup). On our monitor Factory data reset is the last item in General & Privacy, and selecting it asked for the PIN before anything else.
Samsung says every setting is then reset, and the TV turns off and on again and shows the Initial Setup screen, so you will set up Wi-Fi, apps and accounts again. If the TV still turns itself on and off after that, Samsung's advice is to request service.
How we tested this guide
We tested this on a Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 smart monitor, which runs the same Tizen software as Samsung TVs, checking the power timers, stopping at the Factory data reset PIN prompt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Samsung TV turn on by itself at night?
Usually an HDMI device through Anynet+, a phone or SmartThings through Power On with Mobile, a stuck remote button or an On Timer. On supported 2019 and later TVs, Support > About This TV > Event Logs may show a Power-on reason.
How do I stop my Samsung TV turning on with my PS5?
Turn off Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) on the TV, or keep it and turn off Enable HDMI Device Link on the PS5 under Settings > System > HDMI. The second way keeps Anynet+ working for your other devices.
Why does my Samsung TV turn off by itself after four hours?
That is Auto Power Off, which Samsung UK says is on by default. A 300-second countdown appears first and selecting OK cancels it, or you can set Auto Power Off to Off in Power and Energy Saving.
Can my phone turn on my Samsung TV?
Yes. With Power On with Mobile switched on, the SmartThings app and AirPlay on the same network can turn the TV on. Turning the setting off stops that.
Why does my Samsung TV keep turning on and off with a black screen?
Unplug it for at least 30 seconds, ideally a minute, and plug it straight into a working wall outlet. If the standby light flashes when it shuts down, Samsung treats the TV as defective and asks you to book a repair.
Where is the sleep timer on a new Samsung TV?
On 2025 and later models it is in Settings > All Settings > General & Privacy > Power and Energy Saving, with the On Timer and Off Timer. Older models, and older Samsung manuals, put it under System Manager > Time, so check both if it is missing.
Can a software update make my Samsung TV turn off and on?
Yes, once. Samsung says the TV turns off and on automatically when an update finishes, and a background update is applied the next time you switch it on.
