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You already get ads on your phone, your TV, your computer—and basically every connected device in your house. Now, Samsung thinks your kitchen should join the club.
The company has started rolling out a software update for its premium Family Hub smart refrigerators that brings advertisements to the fridges’ built-in touchscreens. Owners of these high-ticket appliances (priced anywhere from $1,800 to $3,500+) will soon see promotional content appear whenever the fridge’s display goes idle.
Samsung says this is part of a pilot program in the US, framed as a way to “enhance everyday value for our home appliance customers.” The ads show up on the refrigerator’s Cover Screen—the mode that kicks in when the screen isn’t actively being used for other functions, like displaying personal photo albums or Samsung’s digital Art Mode.
A few important caveats:
Ads won’t interrupt active functions like slideshows or art displays.
You can dismiss individual ads, which will prevent that specific promotion from resurfacing during its campaign.
But…there’s currently no way to disable ads entirely, not even with a premium subscription. You can minimize them, but you can’t opt out.
That last point stings a bit, especially considering the sky-high price tag of these refrigerators. A toggle to turn ads off would go a long way.
What makes this move more eyebrow-raising is how quickly Samsung has changed its tune. As recently as April 2025, Jeong Seung Moon, Samsung’s head of R&D for digital appliances, told The Verge that the company had “no plans” to introduce ads on its smart home displays. Just months later, here we are.
Look, ads are already unavoidable across most digital devices, so their existence isn’t shocking. But slipping them into your fridge, washer, or dryer feels like crossing a line. It’s one thing to deal with them while scrolling Instagram—but getting served an ad when you’re just grabbing a snack? That feels a little offensive.
For now, Samsung insists this is just a pilot program, meaning the future of fridge ads could depend on user response. It’s unclear whether the rollout applies only to select Family Hub models or the entire lineup. But honestly—can anyone see this being popular? We’ll have to wait and see how seriously Samsung takes the feedback.
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