What Operating System Do Smart TVs Use?

Traditional TVs are being replaced with Smart TVs right now. In the ongoing trend, each brand releases different TV models that run various Operating Systems. So it is necessary to know what TV Operating System your Smart TV uses to make the best use of it. Some of you might not be aware of this information and that’s why I have penned this article to help you find it in different ways.

Common Ways to Find Smart TV’s OS

• Whether you are purchasing a Smart TV online or at a retail store, you can check all the details about the TV from its product information or specifications sheet. This includes the TV’s Operating System details, too.
• Also, check the original packaging box in which your TV was delivered. Whether your Smart TV runs on Android, Roku, Fire, or other Operating Systems, it will be displayed there along with the TV’s name and model.

How to Check the Operating System of Smart TVs On-Screen

If you find your TV’s OS information using the above methods, you can ascertain it on the home screen using the name or logo. If any of these aren’t available there, go to the Settings menu to find out. Some Operating Systems, like webOS, Tizen, and Android, do not display the OS name on the home screen.

The following headings show you how to get the TV’s OS information on-screen.

Android TV OS

Smart TVs with Android OS have a Google Assistant logo on the top-left corner of the screen. This can always help you identify an Android OS TV. You can also find out the exact version of the OS by navigating to the Settings menu and selecting Device Preferences → About. There, you can locate the OS name and its version.

Popular brands such as Hisense, JVC, TCL, Toshiba, Philips, Sharp, Skyworth, and Sony release Android OS Smart TVs.

Google TV OS

The Google TV OS is nearly identical to the Android TV OS, and the main difference is the interface design. You can identify a TV using Google TV OS by looking for the Google TV logo on the top-right or left corner of the screen. Or else, navigate to the Settings menu and select System → About, to view the name of the OS version.

Hisense, JVC, TCL, Toshiba, Philips, Sharp, Skyworth & Sony TV brands have Google OS as one of their operating systems.

Roku TV OS

If you see the word Roku on your TV’s home screen, it is obviously using the Roku OS. However, if you want to know what version it is, select the Settings option on the home screen. Then, select System → About to view the System Info. Here, you can locate the Software version.

You can find Roku OS on the Smart TVs manufactured by the following companies: Hisense TV, JVC TV, TCL TV, Philips TV, Sharp TV, and Insignia TV.

Fire TV OS

You can look at the below picture to identify what a Fire OS TV looks like. If you want to know more details, select the Gear icon on the home screen to open Settings. Then, select the Device & Software/My Fire TV → About. On the right side of the About menu, you can find the OS name & version under the heading, Software Version.

If your Smart TV belongs to any of the following brands, you can check whether it has Fire OS running on it: Hisense, JVC, Insignia, TCL, or Toshiba TV.

VIDAA OS

Smart TVs using VIDAA OS, such as Hisense & Toshiba, display the name VIDAA in multiple places on the home screen. To know the exact version of the VIDAA OS, go to Settings → Support → System Info and select the Version option.

Tizen OS

Samsung TVs use Tizen OS as their native Operating System. If your TV is using this OS, its interface design will be like the picture shown below. To know what version of Tizen OS your TV uses, press the Settings button on your Samsung TV remote. Then, select All Settings → Support → About This TV to find the Software name and version.

Note: Over the years, Tizen OS has released several firmware updates for Samsung TV, and the interface will look different based on the version you are using.

webOS

This is an Operating System developed by LG for its smart TVs. So, if you have an LG smart TV, it definitely uses webOS. You can locate the version of the OS by navigating to Settings. Just press the Settings button on remote & select All Settings → General → About This TV and select TV Information to locate the OS name & version.

MyHomeScreen & Essential Smart TV OS

Both these Operating Systems are available on Panasonic Smart TVs. These are Panasonic’s own Operating Systems, so if you have a Panasonic TV that doesn’t run on Fire OS or Android/Google OS, then it’s probably using MyHomeScreen or Essential Smart TV OS.

• You can identify the MyHomeScreen OS by navigating to the Apps section and looking for the Apps Market app. If your TV has this app, it’s using MyHomeScreen.

• To identify the Essential Smart TV OS, besides the home screen interface, you can check for the App Store icon shown in the picture below.

XUMO OS (XClass)

The XUMO TV OS is mostly used in Hisense TVs, TCL TVs, and Pioneer TVs. Identifying a TV using the XUMO OS is easy. When you turn On the TV and the home screen appears, you can see the XUMO TV logo in the top-right corner. If the logo is not present on your TV, you can look for the XUMO Play app with a pre-installed list of apps. This indicates that the TV is running on XUMO OS.

SmartCast

SmartCast is the OS that is exclusively used by all Vizio Smart TVs. Hence, you don’t need any other indicators to check what OS your Vizio TV is running on. All SmartCast OS home screens will have a menu bar on the left side or top of the screen with various options, including an AirPlay icon.

Whatever Smart TV you are using or whatever TV you may buy in the future, now you’ll be able to easily find out what Operating System Smart TVs use. So, get to know about it and judge whether its limitations and positives suit your requirements.

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