Samsung really wants you to know that you should be running a virus scan on your stupid smart TVs

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You might not know that your smart TV can get a virus, but it can. That’s the message sent out by Samsung earlier today, letting owners of its QLED TVs know that they should periodically check with the inbuilt anti-virus software.

Samsung’s Smart TVs can get computer viruses, just like anything else

I guess the important thing from the (now deleted) tweet is that your smart TV is really a small computer with a big screen. That means it’s just as big a target for hackers and malware, and should be considered when thinking of security.

It’s not just Samsung’s QLED range, pretty much any TV the company makes over 40-inches has smart features, most running Samsung’s own Tizen operating system.

Image: Samsung (technically)

READ MORE: 13 best Samsung Smart TV apps for free films & shows

Since Samsung has deleted the tweet, you might be wondering how to actually scan your TV for viruses. I mean, it’s not like you can plug it into your PC and run whatever antivirus you have.

Here’s how:

1. Turn on your Samsung TV and head to Settings > General
2. Scroll to System Manager
3. Select the tab Smart Security and then select Scan
4. Then it’s just a case of waiting while the built-in antivirus scans your TV

Can we go back to having ‘dumb’ TVs, please?

What do you think? Have you ever scanned your smart TV for viruses? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.