Why Does My TV Turn on by Itself? 6 Quick Fixes to Try Now

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Your TV turning on by itself can be puzzling and sometimes startling.

Let’s dive into the reasons behind this unexpected behavior and discover simple fixes to regain control of your TV viewing experience.

1. Disconnect All External Devices

TVs turned off but still connected to power are in sleep mode (or standby mode). Consequently, they can be “woken up” by wired or wirelessly connected external devices.

Some devices, such as Bluetooth devices or LAN (local area network), can trigger your smart TV to wake up if it has Wake on Bluetooth and Wake on LAN modes enabled.

Once put into pairing mode, your Bluetooth device will wake your TV, automatically pairing.

This may also happen if you plug an Ethernet cable into your TV, connecting it to the LAN. Your TV may also wake up if your power goes out, turning off your Wi-Fi router. Your TV will detect the LAN when the router turns on, powering it on to connect to it.

Paired apps can also trigger your TV to wake up from sleep mode. For instance, the Google Home app or Samsung SmartThings remote app has been known to randomly turn on TVs when opened or used.

The best solution here is to disconnect all connected wires, apps, and devices.

Disconnect your TV from Wi-Fi via its network settings and unplug the Ethernet cable. Additionally, unplug any connected speakers, headphones, or soundbars.

If you’re using any Bluetooth devices (e.g. headphones, speakers, soundbars, keyboards, remotes, gaming controllers), disconnect them and turn them off.

In short, make sure the only thing connected to your TV is its power cord.

Then, see if the TV continues to power on by itself.

Now is also a good time to check that all devices are properly connected to your TV.

2. Disable HDMI-CEC

HDMI-CEC-supported devices can control your TV’s volume, input, and power via its HDMI port.

While you don’t have to disconnect the HDMI-CEC-compatible device, it is a good idea to disable your TV’s HDMI-CEC feature to prevent it from randomly powering on your TV.

Consequently, you will not be able to control your TV’s functions with the connected HDMI-CEC-compatible device.

The process of disabling HDMI-CEC will vary depending on your TV’s make and model.

HDMI-CEC is labeled differently depending on the TV’s brand.

For instance, Sony labels it as BRAVIA Sync, LG calls it SimpLink, and Samsung has it under Anynet+. To find out what your TV brand labels HDMI-CEC as check out the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) Wikipedia page.

Please note that some TVs do not support HDMI-CEC, so if you can’t find this setting on your TV, proceed to the next solution.

Let’s learn how to disable HDMI-CEC using a Samsung TV as an example.

Step 1: Go to Settings on your TV’s Home screen.

Step 2: Navigate to General.

Step 3: Head to External Device Manager.

Step 4: Use your remote to highlight Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC). Then, press your remote’s OK button to turn it Off.

You’ll know you’ve successfully disabled it when the indicator on the right side of the screen has gone from blue to gray.

Watch the video below demonstrating how to disable Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) on Samsung TVs.

3. Ensure All Cables are Securely Connected

Some TV accessories can turn on your TV if they are incorrectly connected. For instance, the Samsung One Connect box will send random signals to your TV, accidentally powering it on.

So, carefully examine all of your TV’s connected devices to ensure that they’re correctly connected to your TV. Ensure the cables are securely fastened to their proper ports and that the cable and port are not damaged.

If you find that this problem began after you started using a new cable, consider replacing it.

You may also want to check that the external device is properly connected to power to ensure it’s receiving a steady flow of energy.

4. Disable the Power-On Timer

Some TVs feature a power-on timer, which will automatically turn on your TV at a custom time.

This feature is helpful if you like waking up to the news in the morning, but it can cause a fright if accidentally enabled. Please note that this feature only works when the TV is plugged into electricity.

So, if you find that your TV is turning on by itself at the same time every day, there’s a good chance you’ve enabled this feature.

Luckily, disabling it couldn’t be easier.

Instructions for disabling the power-on time will vary depending on your TV’s brand and model.

We’ve included instructions below for disabling this feature on a Sony Bravia TV, but if you have another TV brand, we recommend consulting your user manual for more information.

Step 1: Press the remote’s Home button to navigate to the Homescreen.

Step 2: Go to the Settings.

Step 3: Click on Preferences.

Step 4: Next, go to Clock/Timers.

Step 5: Select Timer and toggle it OFF.

5. Troubleshoot the Remote

There may be something wrong with your remote causing your TV to turn on by itself.

Hide your TV’s infrared sensor, which is usually found next to the power button or on the bottom corner of the TV’s bezel. Alternatively, you can try covering the remote’s infrared sensor, found at the top of the device, with a piece of tape.

See if the TV continues to turn on by itself.

If it doesn’t, you’re in luck! There may be something wrong with your remote’s power supply causing the TV to randomly power on. This is easily fixed by replacing your remote’s batteries.

Ensure you use compatible batteries and place them correctly inside the battery mount.

If your TV continues to turn on after you’ve replaced the batteries, it may be time to purchase a new remote.

If you like the TV’s original remote, you can purchase a replacement online. Otherwise, you can get a universal remote, like the Philips Universal Remote.

Last update on 2024-04-14 / Paid Link.

Some modern smart TVs use Bluetooth remotes, instead of traditional infrared remotes. If your TV uses a Bluetooth remote, try unpairing it from your TV, before repairing it. Consult your TV’s user manual for instructions on how to repair Bluetooth remotes, as this process varies greatly.

You may also want to change its batteries if it uses them.

6. Factory Reset the TV

You’ve tried all of the above, but your TV is still turning on by itself every few hours. What should you do now?

Unfortunately, it’s time to factory reset your TV.

As the name suggests, factory resetting your TV will return it to its factory settings. This means that any apps you’ve downloaded will be erased, along with any custom settings.

It will not, however, delete any of your accounts. But, you will have to re-log into them.

Your TV will also disconnect from Wi-Fi. While some smart TV brands will remember the Wi-Fi networks login credentials once rebooted, others will not. So, you will have to re-enter your Wi-Fi password.

The factory resetting process will vary depending on your TV’s make and model. So, you may need to consult its manual or the manufacturer’s customer support for specific instructions.

For your convenience, we’ve included instructions on how to factory reset a Samsung smart TV below.

Step 1: Click your Samsung smart TV remote’s Home button.

Step 2: Head to the Settings.

Step 3: Select General.

Step 4: Then, click on Reset.

Step 5: When prompted, enter your 4-digit security PIN. If you haven’t set a custom security PIN, you can enter the default PIN: 0000.

Step 6: Click OK and wait for your TV to factory reset and then reboot.

Watch the video below demonstrating how to factory reset a Samsung smart TV by following the instructions above.

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