Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerators are getting a new kind of update, and not everyone will be thrilled. Starting November 3, Samsung will begin rolling out advertisements to its high-end Family Hub smart refrigerators, which cost anywhere between $1,899 and $3,499.
The move follows a “pilot program” launched earlier this year, and the company is now expanding the feature to more users through a software update that began on October 27 for US-based models.
The new update adds a Cover Screen widget that rotates through four panels: news, calendar events, weather, and now, curated advertisements.
In a statement to The Verge, Shane Higby, Head of Home Appliance Business at Samsung Electronics America, said the widget is designed to function like a tablet’s home screen, combining practical updates with promotional content.
This widget appears at the bottom of the fridge’s screen and automatically rotates every 10 seconds, though users can swipe through the panels manually. Samsung says the widget will only appear on Weather and Color theme screens, not on Art or Album themes.
A new Daily Board screen is also being introduced and although it won’t include the widget, it will show a single ad in one of its six tiles.
Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerators feature large 21.5-inch to 32-inch touch displays, allowing users to do everything from sharing Google Photos, streaming music, and viewing recipes to managing shopping lists.
Premium models go a step further with AI Vision, which recognizes and tracks the items inside the fridge.
How to Turn Off the Ads
Thankfully, Samsung isn’t forcing the ads, at least not yet. Owners can get rid of them in two ways:
- Dismiss Individual Ads: Users can swipe away specific ads from the Cover screen. Once dismissed, those ads won’t appear again during the campaign period.
- Disable Ads Entirely: Users can go to Settings > Advertisements and toggle off the ads completely. However, doing so also disables all widgets, including those that display news and weather.
Samsung has clarified that ads won’t appear when users have Art or Album themes active, meaning you can still enjoy a clean display if you prefer a more aesthetic look.
The company says the ads are designed to create a “personalized and curated experience” for fridge owners, but the rollout has ignited debate among users, especially those who paid thousands of dollars for a premium device.
