Devices Smart home and connected devices
How long do smart TVs get security updates?
Samsung, LG, Fire TV, Roku and Chromecast support periods with end dates, why upgrade promises are not security promises, and the 8 year rule people misread.
The short answer
- Big TV brands promise five to seven years of security updates from the model's launch, and streaming sticks carry a fixed end date per model, so the year your model came out matters more than when you bought it.
- Samsung says TVs launched from January 2023 get 7 years of security updates from launch and older ones 5, while its UK legal statements date its 2022 range to December 31, 2027 and its 2024 range to December 31, 2029.
- LG's general webOS policy promises only 2 years of security updates after launch, although its UK statement commits its 2025 TVs to December 31, 2029.
- Most Fire TV sticks, the Fire TV Cube (3rd generation) and Amazon's own TVs are guaranteed until at least December 31, 2030, and Roku's UK statements give the Streaming Stick+ and Premiere until March 2028.
- The eight year rule in Great Britain's display rules only keeps the latest security update downloadable for eight years after a model's last sale; it does not require new fixes.
- When a TV's date passes, take it off the network and stream through a supported stick, which runs its own updated software.
Five to seven years from the model's launch for the big TV brands, and a fixed date per model for streaming sticks. Samsung says TVs launched from January 2023 get security updates for 7 years from launch, and 5 years for older sets. LG's general policy promises only 2 years after launch, while its UK legal statement for its 2025 TVs commits to December 31, 2029. Amazon guarantees most Fire TV sticks and its own Fire TV sets until at least December 31, 2030. Roku's UK statements give its Streaming Stick+ and Premiere until March 2028. Google gives Chromecast with Google TV at least 5 years from its US launch.
Upgrades and security updates are different promises
Two numbers circulate for every TV brand, and they measure different things. An upgrade is a new version of the TV's software: a redesigned home screen, new features,. A security update fixes flaws that would let someone misuse the set or the network it sits on. A maker can promise one without the other.
LG shows the gap most clearly. In January 2024 it announced its webOS Re:New program, bringing new versions of webOS to its 2022 OLED range and some 2022 QNED models for five years. LG's security update policy for webOS TVs, posted in April 2022, is narrower: updates "at least once a year for a minimum period of 2 years after the product launch," and up to 5 years for critical vulnerabilities "where possibly." The upgrade program is not a security guarantee.
Samsung's 7 years appeared in August 2024 as a Tizen OS upgrade program for its AI TVs. Samsung's own security update page now states the same length for security: smart TVs "launched from January 2023 will be supported with security updates for 7 years from their initial launch," and all other smart TVs for 5. So for Samsung the two promises line up, which is not true of every brand.
The other point both camps agree on is the starting line. Like phone support periods, TV periods count from when the model first went on sale, not from the day you bought yours. A 2023 TV bought on clearance in 2025 has already used two of its years.
End dates by brand, in one table
UK filings, which must state an end date, are the most precise source; combined with the makers' own policy pages, as of October 2026:
| Device | Clock starts | Security updates until at least | Where it stands now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung TVs launched from January 2023 | Model launch | 7 years from launch (Samsung security policy) | A 2023 model runs to 2030 |
| Samsung 2024 TVs sold in the UK (for example DU7100, QN90D, S90D, The Frame LS03D) | Initial supply, 2024 | December 31, 2029 (UK statement, 5 years) | About 3 years left on the legal minimum |
| Samsung 2022 TVs sold in the UK (for example BU8000, Q60B, QN90B, S95B) | Initial supply, 2022 | December 31, 2027 (UK statement, 5 years) | About 1 year left |
| LG 2025 TVs on webOS25 (OLED B5, C5, G5, M5, 2025 QNED and NANO) | webOS25 launch | December 31, 2029 (UK statement, 5 years) | About 3 years left |
| LG webOS TVs under the general policy | Model launch | 2 years, up to 5 for critical flaws where possible | Check for a dated statement first |
| Fire TV Stick 4K Max, 4K Select, 4K Plus, Lite, HD; Fire TV Cube (3rd generation) | Listed date, or purchase | December 31, 2030, or 4 years from buying new from Amazon if later | About 4 years left |
| Fire TV Stick 4K (1st generation) | Listed date, or purchase | December 31, 2029 | About 3 years left |
| Amazon-made Fire TV and Ember TVs (2-Series, 4-Series, Omni) | Listed date, or purchase | December 31, 2030 | About 4 years left |
| Roku Streaming Stick+ (3810X), Roku Premiere (3920X) | End of manufacture | March 2028 (UK statement, 4 years) | About 1.5 years left |
| Chromecast with Google TV (4K and HD) | First sale on the US Google Store | At least 5 years from that date | Depends on the model's launch |
Samsung's UK filings for its 2022 and 2024 ranges state 5 years, while its security page says 7 for anything launched from January 2023. The filing is the minimum Samsung formally declared; the 7 years is its stated policy. Plan on the filing's date and treat the rest as likely extra.
Amazon takes whichever of two dates is later: four years from buying new with Amazon as the seller, or the listed date. Bought elsewhere or refurbished, the listed date is the whole guarantee. Amazon also drops discontinued models from its list: the Fire TV Cube (2nd generation) no longer appears, and a May 2024 tally by AFTVnews put its guarantee at 2026.
The TV and the stick behind it have separate dates
A streaming stick runs its own operating system and its own apps. When you watch through one, the TV is only a screen and the software talking to the internet is the stick's. So when a TV's support runs out, a supported stick is the cheap fix, with the TV itself taken off the network.
A current Fire TV Stick bought this year is guaranteed until the end of 2030, longer than an LG under its general 2 year policy or a 2022 Samsung. The trade is one more device to keep updated, and it is worth checking whether a stick tucked behind the screen is causing your buffering before you blame the TV or the line.
Every TV and stick reaches the internet through your router, which runs on its own security update clock, and a laptop you cast from has yet another, explained in how long laptops get security updates.
Past the date is not the same as switched off
Every period above is a floor. Amazon writes that after its period it "may continue to provide software security updates for as long as we can (subject to technical and other limitations)." LG's policy treats fixes beyond 2 years as something it will do where it can. Nothing obliges either to continue.
Roku sorts its hardware into three groups: current models it still makes and fully supports, updatable models it no longer makes but that "can still be updated with the latest Roku OS," and legacy models that "cannot support newer versions of the Roku OS." A legacy player keeps working, but every flaw found after it was frozen stays open.
It is the same pattern as smart speakers and cameras past their end dates: the device keeps working, which is why it stays connected long after anyone is fixing it.
What the law requires, and the eight year rule people misread
- United Kingdom, security period. Since April 29, 2024 the PSTI regime has required makers to publish "the minimum length of time security updates will be provided along with an end date." It does not set how long that period must be, which is why LG can file 5 years while Roku files 4.
- Great Britain, the eight year rule. The ecodesign rules for electronic displays say the latest available security update to a TV's firmware must be made available free of charge for at least eight years after the last unit of the model is placed on the market. That keeps the newest fix downloadable. It does not require the maker to write any new ones.
- European Union. The Cyber Resilience Act requires a maker to set a support period, during which it must handle vulnerabilities, and to show its end date, with month and year, at the time of purchase. Its main obligations apply from December 11, 2027.
- United States. No rule sets or requires a period for TVs. The maker's published policy is the commitment you have.
That eight year figure gets misquoted as "TVs must get eight years of updates." A set whose last patch came in year three still complies if that patch stays downloadable until year eight.
How to check your TV and what to do next
- Find the exact model number. It is on the back label and in the About screen in settings. The letter that marks the year matters: in Samsung's UK model numbers a B marks a 2022 set and a D a 2024 one, and LG's 2025 OLEDs end in 5, as in C5.
- Look for a dated statement. In the UK, search for the maker's PSTI statement of compliance for that model. For Amazon devices you already own, Manage Your Content and Devices shows the date for your unit.
- Leave automatic updates on,, because a guarantee is worth nothing on a set that never installs what it is sent; see which updates to install at once and which can wait.
- Past the date, take the TV off the network and stream through a supported stick or box instead. If the set also acts as a hub for lights or sensors, move that job to another device first, as covered in how smart home devices connect.
- Before selling or giving it away, sign out of every streaming account and reset it using the steps for wiping a device properly, because a TV stays signed in to every app on it.
- When buying, treat the end date as a specification next to screen size and price.
Common questions
Is it safe to use a smart TV that no longer gets updates?
It is safe as a screen, and riskier as a connected device. Every flaw found after support ends stays open, and the TV sits on the same network as your laptop and phone. The low risk setup is to disconnect the TV from wifi and the network cable and watch through a supported streaming stick, game console or set top box, which keeps the internet facing software current.
How do I find out when my TV stops getting updates?
Start with the model number from the label on the back or the About screen in settings. In the UK, search for the maker's PSTI statement of compliance for that model, which states an end date. Elsewhere, check the maker's security update policy and count from the year the model launched. Amazon shows the date for an owned Fire TV device in Manage Your Content and Devices.
Do Samsung TVs really get 7 years of updates?
For TVs launched from January 2023, Samsung's security update page says yes: 7 years from initial launch, with 5 years for older smart TVs. The 7 year figure first appeared in August 2024 as a Tizen OS upgrade program. Samsung's UK compliance statements are more conservative, declaring 5 years and a December 31, 2029 end date for its 2024 range.
Does a Fire TV Stick get updates for longer than the TV it is plugged into?
Often, yes. Amazon guarantees most current Fire TV sticks until at least December 31, 2030, or four years from purchase if you bought new from Amazon and that is later. That outlasts an LG set under its 2 year general policy or a 2022 Samsung dated to the end of 2027. The stick's apps run on the stick, so its updates are the ones that count while you use it.