Not all smart TVs will receive updates for long, and some don’t have any specific policy.
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
No matter the price of a TV you buy, you likely consider it as a long-term investment. You thus expect it to receive support from the manufacturer for as long as possible.
In olden times, when you bought a TV, the only worry you had was it eventually breaking. But with smart TVs, there’s also software to consider. Most modern TVs come with their own operating systems and apps, and need to be updated semi-regularly for the best performance and to patch security issues.
Unfortunately, there’s no universal standard for how long you can expect a TV to get support for. It varies significantly by manufacturer, and the relevant information isn’t always easy to find. But you’re in luck, as we’ve done the tedious work of finding out.
Samsung offers long-term software support, but not every brand matches that commitment
If you have a Samsung TV from 2024 or later, Samsung will provide seven years of software updates for its Linux-based Tizen OS. This commitment, made in 2024, also applies to select models from 2023. That means if you have a Samsung TV from 2024, you can expect apps to work smoothly and firmware updates to roll out until at least 2031. Older models won’t get major new versions of Tizen. They’ll likely receive occasional maintenance or security firmware updates, though.
In early 2024, LG introduced the webOS Re:New program, which guarantees four years of webOS updates for TV models from 2022 onwards. These come with a one-year delay compared to the latest webOS release on the newest TV models. For example, webOS 26 debuted with 2026’s TVs, and will come to a 2025 TV one year later.
Sony doesn’t offer a fixed period of support for its TVs. Rather, it differs depending on which model you own. For example, for 2025’s Sony Brand-of-life date. Meanwhile, the Sony Bral apparently receive security updates until June 2030
Unlike LG and Samsung, Sony doesn’t have use a proprietary TV operating system. Models released after 2021 use the Google TV platform; prior to that it was Android TV.
Like Sony, TCL doesn’t guarantee a fixed period of support. All we really have to go on is the company’s Software Security page, where it claims to “typically” provide security updates for at least two years after “the first shipment of a certain device model.” This page doesn’t explicitly mention TVs, though. Depending on the model, TCL sets primarily run on Google TV (or Android TV for older models) or Roku TV.
Software support also varies by region
In Europe, the majority of Hisense TVs run on the company’s proprietary VIDAA OS. Since 2025, it has pledged support for “up to” a whopping eight years on these models. Unfortunately for those in the US, you’re less likely to pick up a Hisense TV that uses VIDAA, with many models instead running Android TV, Fire TV, Google TV or Roku TV. Therefore, long-term support is in the hands of the company whose OS your TV ships with.
For a long time, Roku was known for its streaming devices and operating system that it licenses to TV brands like those listed above. But what if you buy one of Roku’s own Pro, Plus or Select Series TVs? Roku doesn’t specify a fixed period of support for these, and the first came out in 2023, so it’s still too early to establish a pattern. But given that software is the company’s focus and it frequently pushes out updates, you can reasonably expect a healthy lifespan for its TVs. Roku doesn’t publish end-of-life dates for its streaming boxes either, though some people claim to have used one unit for as long as 10 years.
What about the ultra-affordable TV brands like Vizio and Insignia? The former runs its own Vizio OS, which functions in much the same way as its better-known rivals and includes more than 300 apps. Vizio pushes out automatic firmware updates regularly, but doesn’t guarantee a fixed period of support for any of its models.
Insignia TVs employ Amazon’s Fire OS, so you can assume you’ll get software and security updates for as long as Amazon commits to with its own devices. The Amazon Fire TV Software Security Updates page says that commitment is at least four years.
Don’t fret once your model is out of support. Buying a streaming box is an inexpensive way to extend your smart TV’s life and maintain access to updated versions of your favorite apps.
