LG to let users delete Copilot AI on TVs after backlash: What happened

LG has said it will let users delete the Microsoft Copilot shortcut on webOS TVs after complaints that the feature appeared unannounced following a software update

LG recently faced user backlash after a software update added Microsoft Copilot to certain webOS-powered smart TVs, with many owners reporting that the feature appeared without warning and could not be removed. The issue came to light over the weekend, when LG TV users shared screenshots on Reddit showing a Microsoft Copilot tile pinned to their home screens after installing a recent webOS update. The post quickly gained traction, with thousands of upvotes and hundreds of comments from users reporting similar behaviour across multiple LG TV models.

 

LG has since said that it will take steps to allow users to delete the Copilot shortcut icon if they wish.

LG TV Copilot issue: What happened

According to affected users, Microsoft Copilot appeared automatically after updating their TVs, sitting alongside regular streaming apps such as Netflix and YouTube. Unlike most apps, however, Copilot could not be uninstalled. LG’s own support documentation notes that certain system or pre-installed apps can only be hidden, not deleted, and users found that this limitation applied to Copilot as well.

LG had previously announced plans to integrate Microsoft Copilot into webOS as part of its broader “AI TV” push, first outlined at CES 2025. At the time, Copilot was positioned as an extension of LG’s AI Search experience, designed to help users ask questions, discover content, and get recommendations. What users actually received, however, appeared to be far more limited.

 

Reports from Tom’s Hardware and PCMag noted that the Copilot tile did not function as a native app. Instead, it acted as a shortcut that opened Microsoft’s Copilot website through the TV’s built-in web browser. For many users, the issue was not what Copilot did, but the fact that it had been added through a software update with no clear opt-out or removal option.

LG responds and clarifies

Following growing criticism, LG issued a clarification to media outlets including Tom’s Hardware and PCMag. The company said that Microsoft Copilot on LG TVs is not a fully embedded application, but a shortcut icon intended to “enhance customer accessibility and convenience.” LG also stated that features such as microphone input are activated only with user consent, since the shortcut simply opens Copilot through the TV’s web browser.

 

More importantly, LG acknowledged user concerns and said it would take steps to allow users to delete the Copilot shortcut icon if they wish. While the company did not provide a specific timeline or detail how this would be implemented, the statement marked a shift from the initial rollout, where no removal option was available.