Everyday Privacy

Is my LG TV listening to me?

Short answer: Only if the "Hi LG" hands-free voice feature is turned on, according to LG. Researchers dispute parts of that, and LG confirms its TVs scan your home network either way. Turning off Hands-free Voice Control and Always Ready, and flipping the TV's microphone switch, closes the listening path LG documents.

In September 2026, Gamers Nexus, working with Level1Techs and independent researchers, published an investigation of LG’s webOS TVs. They reported that a 2025 LG OLED captured microphone audio while the screen looked off, kept voice transcripts, scanned the home network for other devices, and sent location data to LG’s advertising arm. LG called parts of the video “not true” and published a detailed statement on 12 September. Here is where things stand.

What LG says about the microphone. Voice features are off by default. The TV only listens in standby if Hands-free Voice Control (“Hi LG”) is turned on. In that case it checks for the wake word on the TV itself, deletes anything else, and does not send it. A voice session lasts at most about 18 seconds. Holding the microphone button on the remote sends only that command.

What the researchers say. Their recordings show audio being captured while the TV appeared off. Their most alarming demonstrations, such as audio stored offline and uploaded later, were made on a TV they had broken into through security flaws in its network services. That is a real risk, because LG has not yet published fixes, but it is not what an ordinary TV does on its own. Other claims, including a second microphone recording while the main one was muted, have not been independently confirmed.

What both sides agree on. The TV scans your home network and lists other devices on it, even ones you never paired. LG says this is for connecting to devices, not for ads, and there is no setting to turn it off. The TV can also collect nearby Wi-Fi names to estimate your location, which LG says only happens if you accepted the Viewing Information (ACR) agreement.

How to switch off the listening, in two minutes:

  1. Settings → All Settings → General → AI Service → Voice Recognition Settings → Use Hands-free Voice Control → Off.
  2. General → Always Ready → Off. LG’s manual says standby voice needs this.
  3. If your TV has a microphone switch on its underside, switch it off.
  4. Support → Privacy & Terms → Delete My Personal Information → Delete Voice Information to clear what LG already stored.

If you also want to stop the network scanning, the only sure way is to take the TV offline and use a separate streaming box, or put it on a guest network so it cannot see your other devices. The full LG TV privacy guide covers that, plus Live Plus, ads and standby settings.

Is this only an LG problem? No other brand has been through the same public teardown in 2026. Most smart TVs run content recognition, and several support far-field voice. See Is my smart TV watching me? for the other brands.

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