Users report Microsoft Copilot appearing on LG Smart TVs after software update

Almost everyone hates Copilot, so Microsoft is putting Copilot everywhere

by · TechSpot

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Sounding off: Tech giants and ambitious startups keep wedging chatbots and other AI add-ons into products that never needed them. Smart TVs are the latest target, with LG and others baking in assistants that interrupt the simplest tasks – and viewers are getting fed up.

LG has allegedly begun forcing Microsoft Copilot onto its smart TV customers. A Reddit user says a recent software update installed the app with no means of removal. If this proves widespread, it would mark a new milestone in Big Tech's push to monetize AI before its financial bubble bursts.

The Redditor reporting the spontaneous Copilot installation said his TV never even prompted him to authorize the rogue app. It just appeared after a routine update and is now classified as a system app, meaning you can't remove it without heavily modifying the firmware.

Apps that cannot be easily uninstalled are slowly creeping into TVs and other smart devices. Samsung, another prominent Korean TV manufacturer, recently drew complaints from users saying the company's TVs reinstalled Xbox, Rakuten, Samsung TV Plus, and other apps after they were deleted or disabled. Both Samsung and LG previously announced plans to add Copilot to their respective TV platforms in 2025.

A third-party chatbot that users cannot remove or disable is unprecedented, even in the notoriously obnoxious world of Smart TVs. Reddit users offered some practical advice for dealing with the issue, such as avoiding sign-in or disconnecting the TV from the internet entirely.

LG Smart TV owners have also posted complaints about a service called "Live Plus." Allegedly enabled by default, the setting scans what users watch to offer an "enhanced viewing experience." Essentially, the company is selling viewing habits to advertisers, though users can still disable the feature in the TV's "additional settings" menu. Binge-watching enthusiasts who don't want the app spying on their viewing habits face a frustrating experience when trying to uninstall it.

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The business implications are even more concerning. Microsoft is determined to deploy its chatbot service everywhere, prompting some regulatory agencies outside the US to respond. Yet few users are embracing the service, and the company now faces pressure to limit its sales prospects.