Remember when Samsung thought it was a good idea to force ads onto its smart refrigerators just a month or so ago? Well, it looks like the company might have actually seen the feedback from its customers, because it’s now adding in a way to disable them.
The change was spotted by folks on Reddit, shedding light on the latest update that introduces a new menu option that will allow users to disable ads. As you can imagine, this is a pretty big deal, because nobody wants ads on their smart devices — especially ones that cost so much.
This is the future, like it or not
Although we don’t like the idea of ads invading every facet of our lives, it’s bound to happen if there’s a way to do it. Companies will always try and find new ways to make revenue, and injecting ads into products, if possible, is one of the simplest ways to do it.
We’ve seen this happen countless times over the years, when a piece of hardware or software starts out relatively pure, and then slowly transforms into something that consumers just can’t stand. Google TV and Amazon smart products are some that come to mind.
Despite brands doing their best to integrate ads into an experience, there’s always a tipping point where it just becomes too much. The irony with Samsung’s smart refrigerators is that most people paid over $2,000 for something elevated, only to have it ruined by ads.
For the time being, this product is not something that’s all that common, but give it a decade and this will become the new normal. So while these ads only reach a small segment now, these screens could be in nearly every home in the very near future.
And while some would deem it completely unnecessary, it does add some conveniences, especially when you can integrate things like calendar details, smart home monitoring, entertainment, and more into the same product.
If you’re someone that owns a Samsung smart fridge and wants to turn off ads on their product, just make sure you update to the latest version of the software available. You’ll want to head into the Settings menu, scroll down to the Advertisements section, and turn it off.
There’s always the chance that this could change, so it’s something you’ll want to monitor every so often. You never know when a future update could enable ads again.
