To exit live TV on an LG smart TV, press the Back button on your remote. This action will immediately leave the live TV interface and return you to the previous input or menu.
How to exit live TV on LG smart TV with the back button
The Back button, often marked with a curved arrow pointing left, is the quickest way to exit live TV. A single press navigates you out of the live TV interface, returning you to the previous input or the main home screen. If pressing it once does not fully exit, repeatedly pressing the Back button will take you back through menus and eventually exit LG Channels or live TV. For an even faster exit, a long press of the Back button clears on-screen displays and returns you directly to the last input you were watching.
Return to the home screen to leave live TV
Pressing the Home button on your remote immediately exits live TV and takes you to the home screen, where you can access all your apps, settings, and streaming services. This is the most direct method when you want to switch to a different activity, such as browsing Netflix or adjusting TV settings. The home screen serves as the central hub for all your entertainment options, making it easy to move away from live TV without any extra steps.
Switch to another input source
To exit live TV and switch to a connected device like a game console or streaming stick, press the Input or Source button on your remote. This opens a menu showing all available inputs. Use the arrow keys to highlight the desired input, then press the OK or Wheel button to confirm your selection. Your TV will immediately leave the live TV mode and display the chosen input source. This is particularly useful when you want to stop watching live TV on a smart TV and start gaming or streaming from another device. If you need the opposite setup, here is how to watch live TV on Samsung smart TV.
Stop your LG TV from starting on live TV
If your TV always starts on live TV when you turn it on, you can change the Power On Screen setting. This prevents the TV from defaulting to live TV and instead starts on the home screen or the last input you used.
For TVs from 2023 onwards (webOS23 and later)
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your remote.
- Navigate to All Settings → General → System → Additional Settings → Home Settings → Power On Screen.
- Select either Home or Recent Input.
- Ensure that Quick Start+ is enabled in your TV settings, as the power-on screen feature will not apply otherwise.
For TVs from before 2023 (webOS 4.5 to webOS 22)
The setting is called Home Auto Launch. Follow the menu path for your specific webOS version:
- webOS22 (2022): All Settings → General → System → Additional Settings → Home Settings → Home Auto Launch → On
- webOS 6.0 (2021): All Settings → General → System → Additional Settings → Home Settings → Home Auto Launch → On
- webOS 5.0 (2020): All Settings → General → Home Settings → Home Auto Launch → On
- webOS 4.5 (2019): All Settings → General → Additional Settings → Home Settings → Home Auto Launch → On
Note that this setting applies when the TV is turned on with the remote control. If you use the physical power button on the TV itself, a different external input screen might appear. Also, if you want to use LG smart TV without magic remote, you can still navigate to these settings using the standard remote's arrow and OK buttons.
