LG forces Copilot AI app onto Smart TVs – no way to delete it

Microsoft and LG have struck a backroom deal to force the Copilot "AI" app upon owners of TVs including high-end LG OLED TVs.
Update: Following the public outcry, LG tells The Verge (link) that it "respects consumer choice and will take steps to allow users to delete the shortcut icon if they wish". No timeline for a fix was provided.
LG first announced its plans to bring Microsoft's struggling Copilot assistant to its TVs at CES 2025 back in January. So did Samsung.

In reality, it is just an app – not a deep integration – and this "app" functions primarily as a simple shortcut to the Copilot website.


Cannot be removed
The Copilot app is being added via firmware updates to LG Smart TVs from 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, and possibly earlier. It is not available through the TVs' app store.

Even worse, the Copilot app cannot be uninstalled, according to reports from LG TV owners on Reddit and Engadget. It is bloatware that can actively collect user data and listen to your voice.

 Also read: Smart TVs screenshot what you watch several times a second – even over HDMI


Use a streaming box
It is the latest move to turn webOS into a platform for ads, sponsored content and data collection. Amazon, Google, Samsung and Roku are doing the same with FireTV, Google TV, Tizen and Roku OS.

It is also yet another good reason to disconnect your Smart TV from the internet and use a streaming device like Apple TV 4K, which can still be controlled with your TV remote – or vice versa.

- Source: Reddit, Engadget