Samsung Frame TV asks for subscription to view photos

Samsung suddenly told users after an update they would require a subscription to display a slideshow on their Samsung Frame TV.

Background

Samsung's Frame TV line includes an "Art Mode" feature that lets people show artwork or personal photos when the TV is not in active use. Before the July 2025 update, users could upload personal photos & have them displayed as a rotating slideshow without any subscription requirement. This feature was a selling point for many customers, as discussed in Samsung's own marketing & customer testimonials on its community forum.

Incident

On or around 2025-07-31, after an update to the Samsung Art app, many Frame TV owners reported that the ability to run a slideshow of their own personal photos in Art Mode was disabled unless they purchased a subscription to the Samsung Art Store. While users could still display a single personal photo, attempting to run a slideshow triggered a subscription paywall message.

The change affected many Frame TV models, with reports from owners of LS03B (2022), LS03C (2023), & LS03D (2024) models. Customers described this as a "Bait-and-switch," claiming that Samsung had retroactively removed a feature that influenced their purchase decision.

Samsung's response

In a statement to Tek.no, Samsung said the change was "a mistake" and not intentional. The company promised to restore slideshow functionality for personal photos in a future software update, but did not provide an exact timeline. As of the latest user reports in the Samsung Community threads, the issue remained unresolved.

A Samsung Community Manager responded on 2025-07-30 on the EU Samsung Forums saying the following:

Frame TVs LS03B , LS03C & LS03D (Y22, Y23 & Y24)

Some Frame TV owners may see a message asking them to subscribe to the Samsung Art Store when they attempt to display a slide show of their own photos using the My Photos feature of the Art app. This has been occurring following a recent update to the Art app.

A version of the Art app that does not require a paid subscription to use the My Photos feature is currently being prepared. The improved app is expected to be released in early August (WK32). This update will be applied automatically to the TV.

Samsung's inconsistent responses

Depending on what channel consumers contacted Samsung through, they were told that they must pay a subscription, or to contact a different department. From user spike27 on Samsung's forums:

UPDATE:

I contacted Samsung (via their support website, and then via Twitter, and then via the SmartThings app, and then SmartThings Support form). They are all deflecting.

First they said I must purchase subscription, and closed the ticket.

Then I opened another ticket, and they have passed it on to "higher support" (no response yet).

SamsungHelpUK on Twitter said I must pay, then when I argued they said I should contact SmartThings

SmartThings said it's not their department and closed the ticket.

The response saying that there have been no changes and this is available to all customers came from a PR firm, suggesting crisis management began on the situation.

– Vi er klare over at noen kunder har problemer med å laste opp bilder til TV-ene sine via Samsung Art Store og Smartthings. Det har ikke skjedd noen endring i systemet for å laste opp bilder, dette er tilgjengelig for alle kunder, inkludert både abonnenter og ikke-abonnenter på Art Store, heter det i en uttalelse sendt via det norske PR-byrået.

Consumer response

The update prompted hundreds of complaints on Samsung's official community forum. Many users expressed frustration that a paid subscription was now required for a feature they used to use for free, with some stating they would return their TVs or file complaints with consumer protection agencies. The Tek.no article covering the controversy was widely shared among Norwegian technology readers and amplified the backlash.

Unfulfilled promise

Despite Samsung's commitment in late July 2025 to release a fix by early August (Week 32, spanning August 5-11), no evidence exists that the promised update was ever delivered. As of September 2025, users continue to report that the slideshow functionality remains paywalled, with no automatic fix having been applied to affected Frame TV models.

The absence of any official Samsung announcements, firmware update documentation, or media coverage about the promised fix suggests it was never released. Major technology outlets that initially covered the controversy have published no follow-up articles confirming a resolution. User forums show no celebration posts or confirmations that the free slideshow feature has been restored, which would typically appear after such a widely anticipated fix.

Continued workarounds

Instead of enjoying restored native functionality, Frame TV owners continue relying on various workarounds to display photo slideshows. Some users report partial success using the SmartThings mobile app to initiate slideshows remotely, though this method is described as unreliable. Others discovered that logging out and back into their Samsung account temporarily restored access, suggesting the restriction may be account-based rather than a fundamental software limitation.

The continued reliance on these imperfect solutions throughout August and September 2025 provides evidence that Samsung's promised automatic fix never materialized, leaving customers without the free slideshow functionality they had purchased with their TVs.