How To Lock Apps (and More) on Your Samsung TV?

Your kids are finally getting old enough to navigate your Samsung smart TV apps all on their own. While you were initially thrilled that they could put on Paw Patrol by themselves in the mornings, you’re beginning to worry that they might stumble across more mature content they shouldn’t see. 

You don’t want to delete apps like HBO Max from your TV, but you do want to stop your kids from opening them. 

Is there a way to lock certain apps? Yes!

Locking apps and enabling parental controls is a great way to ensure your little ones only watch kid-oriented content, instead of shows like Game of Thrones. 

In this article, we’ll discuss how to child-proof your Samsung smart TV apps to make sure your kids don’t accidentally watch anything they shouldn’t. 

Let’s get started! 

Use Parental Controls

Parental control settings allow parents to block certain movies, TV shows, or channels according to their ratings. On smart TVs, parental controls also allow parents to lock apps that have mature content. 

These ratings describe how appropriate the content is for different audiences. For instance, the rating PG-13 means that it’s recommended for children under the age of 13 to have parental guidance while watching this particular TV program. 

If you want to learn more about what TV ratings are and what they mean, check out The TV Parental Guidelines’ guide to ratings.

However, before parents can enable any parental controls, they need to set a PIN on their TV. 

Let’s learn how! 

Set a PIN on Samsung TV

Step 1: Head to the Settings. 

Step 2: Go to General. 

Step 3: Navigate to System Manager. 

Step 4: Click on Change PIN. 

Step 5: Enter the default PIN 0000.

Step 6: Set your Samsung TV’s PIN. 

Watch the video below on how to set a PIN on Samsung TV

How to Lock Apps on Samsung TV?

Follow the steps below to lock apps on your TV, making them inaccessible to anyone without the PIN. 

Step 1: Press your remote’s Home button, marked by a house icon. 

Step 2: Use the remote’s arrow keys to head to the left of the screen and select Apps. 

Step 3: Then, go to the top right corner of your screen and click on Settings. 

Step 4: From here, highlight the app you want to lock. You can only lock one app at a time, so you will need to repeat the following steps for each app you’d like to lock. 

Step 5: Select the Lock/Unlock option. 

Step 6: When prompted, enter your PIN to lock the app. Now you will have to enter your PIN every time you want to launch this app. 

Step 7: If you want to remove the lock, repeat this process. 

Watch the video below demonstrating how to lock/unlock apps on your Samsung smart TV. 

How to Block Programs By Rating?

Samsung smart TVs allow parents to set a Program Rating Lock. When enabled, this setting will only allow users to view content rated G and PG without the PIN. 

Step 1: Open your TV’s Settings menu. 

Step 2: Navigate to Broadcasting. 

Step 3: Head to Program Rating Lock. 

Step 4: When asked, enter your PIN. 

Step 5: Enable Program Rating Lock so that the indicator goes from gray to blue. 

Step 6: Then, go to TV Rating and/or Movie Rating, depending on if you want to block TV shows or movies by their ratings. 

Step 7: Select a rating category to lock from the rating list. You can lock PG-13, R, and NC-17-rated content.

Watch the video below on how to block programs by rating on Samsung TV

2022 B Model TVs

Step 1: Head to All Settings. 

Step 2: Go to General & Privacy. 

Step 3: Open Parental Settings. 

Step 4: Select Program Rating Lock Settings. 

Step 5: Enter the PIN you set earlier. 

Step 6: Turn on Program Rating Lock. You’ll know this feature is enabled when the indicator turns blue. 

Step 7: Click on TV Rating and/or Movie Rating. 

Step 8: Check the rating category (PG-13, R, NC-17) you want to lock. 

Can I Lock My Samsung TV Entirely?

While it is possible to lock your Samsung TV’s control panel, you cannot lock it entirely. This means that when the lock is enabled, users can still control the TV with the remote. 

However, locking your TV is a good way to ensure that your little ones don’t randomly turn it on or adjust the volume or input by pressing the TV’s buttons. 

The process of locking your Samsung TV will vary depending on which series you own. If you don’t know which series your TV is, consult its user manual or check its model number found on a sticker on the back of the unit. 

E, F, H, and J Series

Step 1: Press your remote’s Menu button. 

Step 2: Go to System. 

Step 3: Click on General. 

Step 4: Select Panel Lock. 

Step 5: Click On to enable Panel Lock. Follow these steps again to disable this feature. 

Watch the video below to see how to lock your Samsung series E, F, H, and J TV. 

K Series

Step 1: Head to the Settings. 

Step 2: Navigate to System. 

Step 3: Open Expert Settings. 

Step 4: Click on TV Control Button Lock to enable this feature. You can always disable this function in the future by following these steps again. 

Wrapping Things Up

Samsung smart TVs have built-in parental control settings that allow parents to manage what their children watch. Parents can lock entire apps or block shows by their rating. 

However, before doing any of this, you must set a PIN. This PIN will control all of your TV’s parental control settings, so keep it in a safe place and don’t lose it!

Alternatively, you can research an app with parental control features, since many streaming platforms offer kid-friendly experiences. 

If your children love to repeatedly press your TV’s control panel buttons, consider enabling Panel Lock or TV Control Button Lock. This function will only lock your TV’s buttons, so you’ll still be able to control the TV with its remote. 

How do you ensure your kids stay safe when using your Samsung smart TV? 

Let us know in the comments below!