Tweaks to make your old Smart TV work again

Your Smart TV is driving you crazy. You've probably almost replaced it, but a few quick tweaks can give your old Smart TV a whole new look.

7. Limit background processes and features

Smart TVs run a lot of background processes, eating up precious memory and slowing things down. Your TV doesn't need more than 10 apps running at once when you're just watching a show. So to save RAM and processing power, enable Developer Options on your TV and limit background processes.

To do this on Google TV:

1. Press the Home button on your remote, go to Settings > System > About .
2. Then, find Android TV OS Build and tap it multiple times until you see a message saying you're now a developer. Now that you have developer options, go back to Settings > Developer Options > Apps .
3. Then set Background process limit from Standard limit to No background processes .

This actually stops any apps from running in the background.

6. Free up storage space

Having more processing power to stream shows sounds like an improvement. However, the TV still crashes occasionally. This is likely due to low system memory, which is what apps need to function properly. And since the TV only has 8GB of storage, the cache can easily eat up space if left unchecked.

To keep things running smoothly, check your device's storage regularly. On your remote, go to Settings > Preferences > Storage . If you see that you're running low on space, clear it out immediately. The quickest fix is to clear the cache from your most-used apps.

5. Remove unused apps and junk software

Following on from the two points mentioned earlier, removing unused apps and junkware is another great way to save both processing power and system storage space.

When your TV was new, you probably downloaded a bunch of widgets and apps that you forgot about over the years. So, use your remote to go into Settings and navigate to Apps . Then uninstall any apps that came pre-installed on your TV by the manufacturer, as well as any other apps you no longer use. For built-in system apps that can't be uninstalled, simply disable them. This will stop them from running in the background.

4. Turn off Power Saving and Eco Mode

Power saving features may sound useful, but they always make your TV run slower. Instead of boosting performance, these settings actually slow down the speed at which menus load and apps open, which is the opposite of what you want. Open the Settings menu and look for any items labeled Power Saving , Eco Mode , or Brightness Optimization .

3. Optimize network connection for streaming

After the menu and apps on the TV run smoothly, streaming still struggles. The show stutters and keeps freezing, even though the remote is very fast. That suggests the problem isn't just with the TV, but with the network connection. So let's take a few practical steps, starting with connecting the TV to the Internet using an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi.

Then, adjust your TV's DNS settings and check your router's options to see if anything is slowing down your speeds.

2. Perform a factory reset for a fresh start

Ultimately, you shouldn't need to do a factory reset after making the previous adjustments, but if you've tried everything and your TV still won't cooperate, a full factory reset may be the solution. Sometimes it's quicker and easier to wipe everything clean than hunt for hidden issues or files. On Google TV, the process is pretty straightforward. Go to Settings > General > Reset and tap Confirm .

This process will erase all apps, files, and settings, essentially restoring your TV to the state it was in when you first bought it. If you're using a different brand or operating system, you'll usually find a similar option in the Settings or System menu to perform a full factory reset.

1. If all the above methods don't work, use Streaming Stick

If a factory reset doesn't work as expected, your hardware may be too old for newer streaming services and apps. In that case, your best bet is to use a streaming device like a Roku, Fire TV Stick, or Chromecast . These small devices plug directly into your TV's HDMI port and handle all the heavy lifting for your streaming apps. Once set up, your TV acts as the display while your streaming device acts as the brains of the operation, running all your favorite streaming services without a hitch.

Avoid cheap streaming devices and go for well-known brands. Reputable brands offer better speeds, regular software updates, and support for the most popular streaming platforms.

Marvin Fry

Update 01 August 2025