While Google and Samsung might be working together to bring AI features to the Samsung Galaxy S24 series of smartphones, the companies aren’t working so well together in the TV space. On asupport page, Samsung confirmed thatGoogle Assistantwill no longer work on Samsung TVs in the near future.
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This change is unfortunate for people who relied on Google Assistant to navigate the apps and services available on their Samsung TVs, but it doesn’t mean voice control is dead. Instead, you’ll just need to turn to some other voice assistant alternatives, which we’ll introduce you to here. Here’s everything you need to know about Google Assistant leaving Samsung TVs and what alternatives are available.
When is Google Assistant leaving Samsung TVs?
According to Samsung, you may use Google Assistant on your Samsung TV until July 23, 2025. That means you can enjoy the feature you’re accustomed to throughout February. After that, you’ll need to seek alternatives, which we’ll cover later in this article.
Why is Samsung ditching Google Assistant?
The Samsung support page explains the situation, albeit in fairly vague terms: “Due to a change in Google’s policy, Google Assistant will no longer be available on Samsung TVs beginning June 19, 2025,” reads the warning on Samsung’s website. Unfortunately, we’re not clear exactly to which change Samsung is referring to, as Google frequently updates many of its apps and services.
We’ve contacted Samsung for a comment on the change, but the company has yet to respond. Stay tuned for an update.
Is my TV affected?
Simply put, allSamsung TVsthat currently work with Google Assistant will no longer support it. Specifically, here are the model ranges impacted by this change:
Models not listed above don’t support Google Assistant, so there’s no change there. If you have an older Samsung TV (before 2020), you’re able to use it as you had before without Google Assistant.
What voice assistants still work on Samsung TVs?
Without any other hardware, you can use Samsung’sBixby voice assistantor Amazon Alexa to control your TV with your voice. If you’re used to Google Assistant, this might be a perfect solution, but it’s better than not using your voice at all.
If you want to use Bixby, you’ll need to sign in with your Samsung account on your TV (the process of doing so varies by TV model). Otherwise, because it’s Samsung’s assistant, it’s easy to get up and running and is already part of the OS.
If you thinkAlexawill be your voice assistant of choice, there’s a little more to the process. Just keep in mind that Bixby has more available functions because it’s baked into the TV’s OS.
How to access Alexa on a Samsung TV
If you only want to use Alexa through the TV remote, this is all you need to do. There are a few extra steps if you want to use it with other Alexa speakers:
How to use Alexa with other speakers
Is there a way to use Google Home on your Samsung TV?
Chromecast with Google TV
Great for casting and streaming alike, this is a great addition to any TV. It has all your Google goodies, including full Google Assistant voice support. Plus, it’s just a fantastic streaming device if you want to expand beyond the base Samsung Smart TV interface.
You can’t use Google Assistant without any third-party hardware. Still, fortunately, you can get a Chromecast with Google TV relatively cheap if you want to be deep in the Google operating system.
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Currently, Amazon has the most inexpensive model for $30, which means you won’t need to break the bank to get Google Assistant and all the other solid features that come with a Chromecast with Google TV. You can also get the 4K version for $38 if you want higher-quality video.
Google Chromecast with Google TV (4K)
If you want Google Assistant and 4K video streaming, you’ll need to spend an extra $10.
What TVs still work with Google Assistant?
While we don’t suggest running out to buy a new TV because of Google Assistant leaving (a Chromecast with Google TV is a much more affordable idea), if you’re in the market anyway, there are several brands that don’t seem concerned over Google’s policy shift and are still offering the assistant on their devices. Here are some of the popular brands:
While the above is not an exhaustive list, it can give you some alternative ideas if you really want Google Assistant to be built into your television on the OS level and aren’t comfortable with a third-party streaming device like a Chromecast with Google TV.
