Your $2,000 Samsung Smart Fridge Will Soon Show Ads
▼ Summary
– Samsung is introducing ads to its Family Hub smart fridges via a new widget that rotates between news, calendar, weather, and curated advertisements, starting November 3rd in the US.
– The ads will appear by default on specific screen themes but can be disabled in settings, and initially, they will only feature Samsung products and services.
– This move follows a trend of ads appearing on smart home devices, such as Amazon’s Echo Show, raising concerns about post-purchase ad additions without prior consumer consent.
– Samsung claims the ads are part of a pilot program to deliver useful, contextual information and will be non-personal, but there are worries about future data use and third-party ads.
– The software update also includes new AI features and security enhancements, but the ad introduction has sparked trust issues and user feedback on its acceptability.
Samsung has officially confirmed that its premium Family Hub smart refrigerators will soon display advertisements directly on their large built-in screens. This development follows a warning issued by the company last month and marks a significant shift for owners of these high-end appliances. Shane Higby, who leads the Home Appliance Business at Samsung Electronics America, verified to The Verge that a new widget featuring ads will appear on certain models starting November 3rd.
The advertisements will be integrated into a rotating widget on select “Cover screen themes,” similar to a tablet or smartphone home screen layout. This widget cycles through four distinct panels: one for news, another for calendar events, a third for weather forecasts, and a fourth dedicated to “curated advertisements.” Positioned in the lower section of the refrigerator’s display, the widget automatically advances every ten seconds, though users can manually swipe to navigate faster. According to Samsung, this feature will only be active on the Weather and Color theme screens, leaving Art and Album themes unaffected. A separate Daily Board screen will also avoid the widget but will incorporate an advertisement within one of its six available tiles.
This software update is scheduled to reach all U.S. Family Hub refrigerators equipped with the larger 21.5-inch and 32-inch displays beginning Monday, October 27th, with advertisements becoming visible approximately one week afterward.
For many consumers, the introduction of ads on a device already inside their home feels intrusive. Unlike services such as Telly, which provide free hardware in exchange for advertising, smart refrigerator buyers made their purchase without any expectation of promotional content. The move raises concerns about a future where household screens routinely interrupt daily life with commercial messages.
Samsung’s current advertising approach appears somewhat less aggressive than the full-screen ads observed on Amazon’s Echo Show devices. Initially, promotions will be limited to Samsung’s own products and services, such as replacement water filters. However, the company has hinted at potential expansion. In communications, Higby indicated that future advertising content will depend on user feedback, while a presentation by Samsung Ads executive Travis Scott Howe earlier this year promoted the program as a method to extend brand messaging to every connected screen within the home.
Fortunately, Samsung is providing a way to disable these advertisements. Owners can navigate to the Settings menu on their refrigerator, select the Advertisements option, and toggle the feature off, which removes the widget completely. For those who appreciate the non-ad components of the widget, such as news, weather, and calendar, individual ads can be dismissed with an “X,” though new promotions will eventually take their place.
It’s important to note that this advertising initiative currently applies only to Family Hub models in the U.S. with larger screens. Refrigerators with 9-inch displays, along with other recently launched Samsung appliances like ovens, washers, and dryers featuring 7-inch or 9-inch AI Home screens, are not included in this pilot, at least for now. Earlier statements from Samsung’s R&D leadership indicated no plans for ads on AI Home screens, though the distinction between these and Family Hub interfaces remains somewhat unclear.
When questioned about the rationale behind incorporating ads, Higby explained that the pilot aims to explore how connected appliances can deliver useful, context-aware information. He described the refrigerator as a natural daily hub and emphasized the company’s intention to test a “responsible, user-controlled” method to enhance that space. This justification echoes similar remarks from Amazon regarding its Echo devices, with both companies advocating for “curated” and “relevant” advertising that could potentially improve the user experience.
Yet, the underlying issue extends beyond mere inconvenience. Trust and data privacy represent significant concerns for smart home users. While Samsung asserts that the ads will be “contextual or non-personal” and that no personal information is being collected or tracked, skepticism remains. The possibility of future data usage for targeted advertising, especially within multi-person households, introduces risks related to personal privacy and unintended information disclosure.
On a more positive note, the same over-the-air update bringing advertisements also includes several valuable new features:
- AI Vision now identifies additional fresh foods like apples, cherries, cucumbers, and kiwis, plus up to 50 packaged items.
- Bixby’s new Voice ID function recognizes different household members and offers personalized calendar results and phone-finding assistance.
- One UI interface, previously exclusive to 2025 models, is coming to 2026 units, harmonizing the fridge’s display with Samsung TVs and tablets and adding the Daily Board cover screen.
- SmartThings Pet Care, Home Care, and Family Care services are now accessible on 2026 models.
- Enhanced security options, including encrypted Credential Sync, Passkey support, and the Knox Security Dashboard, have been expanded to more devices.
The update will be delivered via on-screen notification to eligible U.S. models starting October 27th. As this advertising program is still in a pilot phase, Samsung has committed to monitoring feedback from customer service and social media channels, inviting users to share their opinions on the new feature.
(Source: The Verge)
