SamsungSamsung has confirmed that its Family Hub refrigerators in the US will begin displaying ads after a recent software update. The rollout follows reports of changelog entries mentioning ads on the appliances’ door displays, which the company has now verified.
In a statement to Android Authority, Samsung explained that the move is part of a pilot program for “promotions and curated advertisements” on certain Family Hub refrigerator models. The update includes new Terms of Service and a Privacy Notice, and ads will appear on Cover Screens when the display is idle.
Samsung said advertisements will not appear when Cover Screens are set to display Art Mode or personal photo albums. Instead, ads will be shown on themes such as Weather, Color, and Daily Board. Dismissed ads will not be shown during the campaign period, and the design may vary depending on your personalization settings.
UnsplashAds on idle screens
“As a part of this pilot program, Family Hub refrigerators in the U.S. will receive an over-the-network (OTN) software update with Terms of Service (T&C) and Privacy Notice (PN),” they said.
“Advertising will appear on certain Family Hub refrigerator Cover Screens. The Cover Screen appears when a Family Hub screen is idle. Ad design format may change depending on Family Hub personalization options for the Cover Screen, and advertising will not appear when Cover Screen displays Art Mode or picture albums.”
The company added that ads cannot be fully turned off, though users can dismiss individual ones. Disconnecting the refrigerator from the internet could stop the ads, but doing so would disable smart features. Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerators currently retail in the US for between $1,800 and $3,500, though the exact models in the pilot program have not been confirmed.
