How to Delete and Reinstall an App on an LG Smart TV

An app on your LG smart TV can start freezing, showing a black screen, refusing to sign you in, or crashing back to the home screen every time you open it. In most cases the app itself has not broken forever. Its files or saved data have become damaged, and a clean delete and reinstall fixes the problem in a few minutes.

This guide walks you through the full process on LG TVs running webOS. You will learn how to delete an app properly, how to reinstall it from the LG Content Store, and what to check if the app still misbehaves afterwards. No tools are needed, just your remote and a working internet connection.

Quick Answer

To delete an app on an LG smart TV, press the Home button, go into Edit Mode on the launcher bar, select the app, and choose the delete or X option, then confirm. To reinstall it, open the LG Content Store or Apps section, search for the app by name, select Install, and sign in again once it opens. Restart the TV between deleting and reinstalling for the cleanest result.

Before You Start: What Deleting an App Actually Does

Deleting an app removes the app and most of its saved data from the TV. That means you will usually be signed out, and settings inside the app, such as watch profiles, preferences, and downloaded content, may be removed as well.

Your account itself is safe. A Netflix, YouTube, or Prime Video account lives on that service’s servers, not on your TV. As long as you know your email address and password, you can sign back in after reinstalling and your watch history and subscription will still be there.

Check These Two Things First

• Make sure you know the sign-in details for the app, especially if someone else set it up for you.
• Check that the TV is connected to the internet, because you cannot reinstall anything while it is offline.
• Note that built-in apps that came with the TV, such as the web browser, often cannot be deleted. Only apps you installed yourself can normally be removed.

If the app is only frozen right now and has worked well until today, a simple TV restart is worth trying first. Our guide on how to update your smart TV software step by step also helps if several apps have started failing at the same time, because that pattern often points to old TV software rather than one bad app.

How to Delete an App on an LG Smart TV

The exact wording varies slightly between webOS versions, but the flow is the same on most LG TVs from recent years. Take it slowly and the app will be gone in under a minute.

1. Press the Home button on your remote to open the launcher bar at the bottom of the screen.
2. Scroll along the row of apps until you reach the far end, then select the pencil icon or Edit App List option to enter Edit Mode. On some remotes you can instead press and hold the OK or wheel button on the app until Edit Mode opens.
3. Move to the app you want to remove. An X or a trash can icon will appear above it.
4. Select the X or trash can icon, then choose Yes or Delete when the TV asks you to confirm.
5. Select Done or Exit to leave Edit Mode and return to the normal home screen.

If the Delete Option Does Not Appear

If there is no X above the app, you are probably looking at a pre-installed system app. LG does not allow those to be removed. You can still move them to the end of the launcher in Edit Mode so they stay out of your way.

If the TV will not enter Edit Mode at all, restart the TV fully by turning it off at the wall socket for 60 seconds, then try again. A TV that has been on standby for weeks can develop small menu glitches that a proper power cycle clears.

Restart the TV Before You Reinstall

This step is skipped by most people, and it matters. Deleting an app can leave temporary files behind in memory. A full restart clears them, so the fresh copy you install next is not built on top of leftovers from the broken one.

1. Turn the TV off with the remote.
2. Unplug it from the wall socket and wait a full 60 seconds.
3. Plug it back in and turn it on.
4. Wait until the home screen has fully loaded before opening any menus.

Simply pressing the power button on the remote usually only puts the TV into standby, which does not clear memory in the same way. The unplug-and-wait method is the reliable one.

How to Reinstall the App From the LG Content Store

With the old copy gone and the TV restarted, you can now install a clean version. Make sure you install the official app from LG’s own store, not from any website or USB file.

1. Press the Home button and open the LG Content Store. On newer webOS versions it may simply be labelled Apps.
2. Select the search icon, usually a magnifying glass in the top corner, and type the name of the app.
3. Select the app from the results to open its page.
4. Choose Install and wait for the download to finish. Large streaming apps can take a few minutes on a slow connection.
5. Select Launch, or find the app on your home screen launcher, and open it.
6. Sign in with your account details and check that your profiles and settings load correctly.

The official LG support help library has model-specific instructions if your menus look different from the steps above, since LG changes small details between TV ranges and years.

The App Is Not in the Store Anymore

Occasionally an app is removed from the LG Content Store in a particular country, or support ends for older TV models. If the app no longer appears in search, check that your TV’s country setting matches where you live under Settings, then General, then Location or Country. If it is still missing, the practical workaround is a streaming stick or box connected by HDMI, which has its own app store and usually keeps apps supported for longer.

What to Do If the Reinstalled App Still Fails

A clean reinstall fixes most app problems, but not all of them. Work through these checks before assuming the TV itself is faulty.

• Update the TV software. Go to Settings, then All Settings, then Support, then Software Update, and check for updates. App developers build for current webOS versions.
• Test your connection. Open a different streaming app. If everything buffers or fails, the problem is your network, not the app.
• Free up storage. TVs have small storage. Delete apps you never use, then try again, because a nearly full TV can fail installs silently.
• Check the service itself. Sometimes the streaming service is down for everyone. A quick check on your phone will tell you.
• Sign out everywhere. If the app opens but will not play anything, signing out, restarting the TV, and signing back in often clears an account token problem.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Reinstalling without restarting. Installing straight over the leftover files can bring the same fault straight back.
• Forgetting your password. Deleting first and only then realising nobody knows the account password turns a two-minute job into a long one. Check your sign-in details first.
• Deleting the wrong app. In Edit Mode it is easy to select the app next to the one you meant. Read the confirmation screen before pressing Yes.
• Expecting built-in apps to delete. Core LG apps cannot be removed. Moving them out of sight is the correct approach.
• Installing apps from unofficial sources. Only use the LG Content Store. Apps from random websites can be unsafe and usually do not work on webOS anyway.

Conclusion

Deleting and reinstalling an app on an LG smart TV is a safe, simple fix for freezing, crashing, and sign-in problems. Enter Edit Mode from the home screen, remove the app, fully restart the TV by unplugging it for 60 seconds, then install a fresh copy from the LG Content Store and sign back in. If the problem survives a clean reinstall, update the TV software and test your internet connection next, because the cause is then more likely to be the TV system or the network than the app itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting an app on my LG TV cancel my subscription?

No. Deleting an app only removes it from the TV. Your subscription and account stay active with the service provider, and everything returns when you reinstall the app and sign in again.

Why can I not delete some apps on my LG TV?

Apps that LG built into the TV, such as the browser or the Content Store itself, are part of webOS and cannot be deleted. You can only remove apps that were installed afterwards.

Do I need to restart the TV between deleting and reinstalling?

It is strongly recommended. A full restart by unplugging the TV for 60 seconds clears leftover temporary files and memory, which makes the fresh install far more likely to fix the problem.

What if the app is missing from the LG Content Store?

Check your TV’s country setting first, as a wrong region hides apps. If it is still missing, the app may no longer support your TV model, and using a streaming stick or box is the simplest workaround.

How long does it take to delete and reinstall an app?

Usually five to ten minutes in total, including the restart and sign-in. Very large apps or a slow internet connection can make the download part take a little longer.