If every time you turn on your TV you notice banners, suggestions, and promos everywhere, you're not alone: it's the new normal for connected TVs, and it's part of their business model. The good news is that there's a simple adjustment that drastically reduces that advertising in the Smart TV without having to fiddle with the system or lose features.
This setting involves changing your DNS to one with blocking filters. By doing this, your TV stops resolving the ad server domains and therefore, system ads stop loading. It is a safe, reversible and valid change for Samsung with Tizen, LG with webOS and Google TV, among other systems.
Today's TVs don't just stream content: they're constantly connected to the Internet, querying the manufacturer's servers for recommendations, updates, and telemetry. That's the channel they use to Download banners, carousels, and promos in the interface start and other menus.
Manufacturers present these inserts as suggested content or personalization, but in practice they are advertising spaces integrated into the operating system. Thanks to this, they can offer more competitively priced models, although the hidden cost is paid by the user. attention, privacy and screen space.
Disconnecting your TV from the internet eliminates ads from the system, but you'll be left without apps, updates, and smart features. That's why the pragmatic approach is a compromise: block access to advertising domains of the operating system while maintaining all the smart features.
DNS translates domain names into IP addresses so your TV knows which server to connect to. If, for example, you try to access an advertising domain, a DNS with filters checks if that domain is on block lists and, if so, denies the resolution to prevent the connectionResult: The interface cannot download the creatives and the banners disappear from the system.
This method does not modify the TV software, does not affect the warranty and can be applied in two ways: on the TV itself or on the router so that filtering reaches the entire home network. In both cases, return to default DNS It's as simple as editing the setting again and saving.
A key point is that DNS blocking affects everything that depends on the TV's operating system. Third-party apps, such as YouTube or services with integrated ads, manage their advertising on their own, so You can't remove the ads within those apps. only with DNS.
How to change the DNS on your TV step by step
The menus change a bit between brands, but the logic is the same: go into network settings, choose manual configuration and set the DNS server you are going to useBelow is the generic process and the specific path for Tizen, webOS, and Google TV.
- Open Settings from your remote and select the Network or Network Settings section.
- Look for Advanced Settings or a similar option that allows you to edit DNS manually.
- Enter the DNS IP with filters you prefer and save the changes for force reconnection to the new DNS.
- Restart the connection or the TV if it does not apply immediately.
Samsung with Tizen
Go to Settings, then General, Network, Network Settings. Under IP Settings, open DNS Settings and change the server IP to the one you choose. Tizen will then begin resolving through your leaking DNS.
LG with webOS
From Settings, go to All Settings, then General, Network. Select the network you are using (cable or Wi-Fi), tap Edit, and then go to Advanced Settings. There you can enter your preferred server for activate ad domain blocking.
Google TV
Go to Settings, go to Network & Internet, and open IP Settings. Switch to Static and enter your chosen DNS in the corresponding field. After saving, Google TV will start using the new server. resolve system connections.
Which DNS to use to stop advertising
There are many DNS servers, but only a few incorporate security filters and block lists. For TV, we're interested in those that integrate ad filters at the resolution level. blocking known advertising domainsThese are the most recommended in this context:
- AdGuard 94.140.14.14
- NextDNS 188.172.217.27
- Control D 76.76.2.2
- Mullvad DNS 194.242.2.3
- DeCloudUs 78.47.212.211
Enter one of these IP addresses into your TV's DNS server field and check the result. If you notice an app not loading or a service failing, the filter is probably too strict, so you can return to known values like 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1 to regain compatibility.
While filters work very well in the system interface, keep in mind that not all ads are avoidable. Those embedded in apps or streams controlled by third-party providers don't depend on the TV's DNS resolution, so will continue to display normally.
Limits, side effects and how to fix them
DNS filtering technology is effective for operating system-dependent applications, but it has its limits and can cause minor side effects. The most common is a slight additional latency when resolving domains, something that in streaming can be noticed in the initial load.
It's also possible for an aggressive filter to block legitimate services by mistake. If this happens, switch to a DNS blocker or temporarily return to one without filters. A good practice is to keep a couple of options on hand to toggle in seconds if something fails.
Before closing the settings, run a quick test from your TV's browser by visiting an ad blocking test page. If the report indicates that ad domains are being filtered and the interface looks cleaner, you'll have confirmation that the change is working.
If you're not satisfied with the performance of a particular DNS, try another one from the list. Not all DNS servers have the same speed in all locations, so switching can significantly improve resolution times and performance. stability during streaming.
Which ads disappear and which ones don't
By applying DNS blocking, you will see banners, carousels and promotions disappear from the main menu, as well as automatic recommendations that the system itself injects. On some models, it even stops loading that promotional clip that appears before open certain featured applications.
However, you won't see any changes within apps like YouTube or on platforms with integrated advertising like Pluto TV, because their ad flow is tied to the service itself. There, the external DNS has no control, so in-app ads will continue to appear.
Other solutions: router, Pi-hole and VPN
If you want a whole-home solution, you can apply the DNS change directly to the router. This causes all devices on the network, including the TV, to go through the same filter and benefit from the same filter. blocking advertising domains.
An even more powerful approach is to mount Pi-hole on a Raspberry Pi. Pi-hole acts as a local DNS with very comprehensive lists and options to allow or block specific domains, ideal if you want to fine-tune and have control over all network traffic. In return, it requires something more than setup and maintenance time.
As an alternative route, a VPN It can help reduce some of the advertising pressure depending on the region you're using. Changing the location can sometimes significantly reduce the advertising footprint of certain services, and some trusted VPNs, like NordVPN or Surfshark, also offer tracker and ad blocking features at the DNS or tunnel level. However, the experience varies by app and country.
Android TV: Reset or delete the advertising ID
En Android On TV, there is a unique advertising identifier for each device that apps use to personalize ads. You can't turn off ads completely, but you can control the use of this identifier. You can reset it to a different one or delete it so that a new one is not assigned.
By resetting your ID, apps can continue to show you personalized ads, although they will be less relevant to you for a while. If you delete it, another ID is not automatically created and apps will continue to show you ads, but They will not be able to rely on that identifier. However, they may use other data you've provided.
Guiding steps from the home screen of Android TV: Open Settings, go to Device Preferences, About, and look for the Remove Advertising ID option. To activate it, double-tap the D-pad and confirm with Select. After that, the device will will no longer have an active ID.
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