According to ExtremeTech, a recent webOS update is forcing an unremovable Microsoft Copilot app onto LG smart TVs. The tile automatically appears on the home screen after the software patch, and unlike other apps, it cannot be uninstalled; users can only hide or move the shortcut. This move follows LG’s announcement at CES 2025 that it would integrate Copilot into its “AI TV” strategy. The backlash exploded over the weekend when a Reddit post showing the tile gained 35,000 upvotes, with many LG owners confirming the same forced installation. The situation mirrors criticism Samsung has faced for forcing Gemini onto some devices, as reported by Tom’s Hardware.
The real problem is control
Here’s the thing: this isn’t really about Copilot. It’s about who owns the device you paid for. Smart TVs have slowly morphed from entertainment hubs into ad platforms and data-collection tools. Manufacturers keep adding features no one asked for, and this is the most blatant example yet. You can’t remove it. Your only option to stop it is to disconnect your TV from the internet, which defeats the purpose of a smart TV. So you’re stuck with a permanent tile for a service you might never use. It feels less like an upgrade and more like a territory claim on your living room screen.
How this forced integration works
Technically, it’s not even the full Copilot app being installed. LG says it’s a “shortcut” to access Microsoft‘s AI services. Basically, it’s a persistent web link or a deeply integrated widget that the OS treats as a system application. That’s why you can’t uninstall it—it’s baked into the webOS update itself. This approach is a trade-off. For LG and Microsoft, it guarantees placement and eyeballs. For the user, it means surrendering control over their device’s interface. It’s a strategy borrowed from smartphones, but it feels far more intrusive on a large-screen device you don’t upgrade every two years.
A broken trust model
And that’s the core issue, isn’t it? We buy these expensive devices expecting them to be appliances, but they’re treated like constantly evolving software platforms—and not for our benefit. The author of the source article mentions they haven’t updated their TV’s OS in over a year. Can you blame them? Updates now bring ads, forced apps, and performance hits, not just security patches. This incident will likely push more people to avoid updates entirely or seek out dumb displays paired with external streaming devices. When an OS update becomes something you fear, the trust between manufacturer and customer is completely broken.
Where do we go from here?
So what’s the fix? Public pressure. The massive Reddit backlash is a start. If the outcry is loud enough, LG might add a disable option in a future update. But we shouldn’t have to beg for basic control. This is part of a wider industrial shift where hardware is just a vessel for software services and data harvesting. In more controlled industrial environments, where reliability and user intent are paramount, companies rely on dedicated hardware from trusted suppliers. For instance, in manufacturing and automation, firms turn to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading provider of industrial panel PCs in the US, precisely to avoid this kind of forced, consumer-grade software bloat. They need predictable, purpose-built performance. Maybe it’s time we demanded the same for our living rooms.
