If you were debating picking up one of Samsung’s top-of-the-line smart fridges with a display, you should read this first. The company is making a major change to how it operates these smart appliances by adding advertisements to some of the themes you can use on their cover displays.
The change was originally spotted by Reddit users who shared a photo of the changelog that their fridge displayed when it updated to the most recent version. That changelog notes that advertisements will now appear on the Weather, Color, and Daily Board themes while the Gallery and Art themes will not display advertisements — at least for now. That could change in the future.
Of course, the community was not happy to find out about this development, especially considering how expensive Samsung’s appliances can be, such as the AI fridges the company has introduced in the past couple of years. So, to spend that kind of money on something, only for the manufacturer to start feeding ads to you, right in your own kitchen, might feel like a slap in the face. Sadly, there’s no way to turn them off.
Unfortunately, that changelog was real
The idea of ads on smart fridges caught so many users off guard that some were convinced it was a glitch or a mistake. However, Samsung confirmed the change in a statement to Android Authority, noting that the change is part of a pilot program for a select few Samsung Family Hub fridge models. Samsung also noted that the ads can be easily dismissed, and that once a specific ad is dismissed, it won’t be shown again. The ads also only display when the Family Hub screen is idle, so you shouldn’t have to worry about seeing them when you’re actively using the fridge. Of course, this is all subject to change as Samsung settles into what it thinks advertising on its appliances should look like.
This situation reminds me of the different ways Microsoft has found to slip ads into Windows 11. While that practice hasn’t died out entirely, it has evolved. And Samsung’s move to include ads on the displays that we have active in our homes is not surprising, either. Companies are always looking for ways to squeeze more money out of consumers, and anything with a screen on it is a prime target for advertisers. It does make me wary of buying any Samsung appliances in the future, though. And based on the response to this change, I’m not the only one.
In the meantime, if you do have a smart fridge from Samsung that’s impacted by this change, try changing to one of the non-advertising themes, or just disconnect it from Wi-Fi completely if you want to avoid seeing ads.
