Those Samsung Smart Refrigerator Ads Are Almost Here, But You Can Stop Them With This Fix

Last month, some Samsung Family Hub smart refrigerator owners began pointing out something peculiar about the update they received. The changelog for the update mentioned that the cover screen would start displaying ads, among other information. A new update is now rolling out that will bring it to all Family Hub refrigerators with screens above a certain size. However, there is also a way to close those ads before they even start appearing.

Today Samsung announced which is starting to roll out an update to its Family Hub line of smart refrigerators. This update will introduce several interesting improvements, such as new voice identification capabilities for Bixby and a cover screen widget that displays weather forecasts, news, and calendar information. However, this new widget will be one of the areas where the dreaded ads will appear. You can see how it will work in the GIF below. They will also appear on the new Daily Dashboard screen as one of six tiles.

As Samsung told us in a statement last month, this is part of a pilot program where US users will see select promotions and ads. These ads and promotions will appear on certain Family Hub refrigerators when the screen is idle. However, they will not appear when using the Art or Album cover screen themes.

According The edgeThis update will roll out on October 27 to Family Hub refrigerators with 21.5-inch and 32-inch displays. The ads are scheduled to start appearing next week or later. Shane Higby, director of home appliance business at Samsung Electronics America, also told the outlet that these ads will initially be only for Samsung products and services. However, it leaves the door open to third-party ads and promotions, depending on the program’s feedback.

It seems that refrigerators with screens of 9 inches or less have been spared from this update. Additionally, Higby revealed that the company has no current plans to announce other devices with 9-inch or 7-inch AI Home displays. This would include devices such as ovens, dryers and washing machines.

How to Get Rid of Ads on Your Family Hub Refrigerator

According to the ad, ads on the cover screen are optional but enabled by default. You can disable them by going to the Settings menu and looking for the Ads tab. Please note that doing this will remove the widget completely, so you will not see weather forecasts or other information.

You also have the option to dismiss an ad. If you dismiss an ad, Samsung says it will not appear again during the campaign period. This will also allow you to keep the widget active. And as mentioned above, ads will not appear when using the Art or Album cover screen themes.