Ring products will still talk to Samsung TVs released in 2022 and later. It’s unclear why the change has been made, though the news comes hot on the heels of Ring putting up its subscription prices considerably.
Not only that, but all Samsung TVs are also set to lose the ability to make video calls using Google Meet, Google’s video chat app. Meet will disappear from your Samsung screen on 9 March, Google confirmed.
It comes shortly after the news that Google will cut all use of Google Assistant on all Samsung TVs from 1 March. A Samsung support page notes the removal of Google Assistant is due to “a change in Google’s policy”.
Samsung making these compatibility changes will be a blow if you’ve recently bought one of its TVs. Perhaps Ring integration and using Google Assistant or Meet weren’t top of your list when you got the TV, but these are nice features to have and are widely used.
Soon, you’ll only be able to see who’s at your door ringing your bell if your Samsung TV is a 2022 or newer model. But perhaps worse off are those who’ve used their Samsung TV with Google Assistant to control smart home devices such as lights, pick the next TV show to watch without having to pick up the remote control, or do a quick Google search.
It’s also handy to be able to sit in front of a large TV with a built-in camera to make video calls to loved ones or large groups of people for work with Google Meet – but you’ll soon be forced back onto your comparatively poky laptop screen.
Unfortunately the trend of smart TVs losing features or getting worse as they age is a familiar refrain in the tech world. Many TVs released with the ability to run apps grind to a halt as many cheaper models can be underpowered and struggle to keep up with app updates over time.
You can get around such performance issues by using an Amazon Fire TV Stick or Roku stick to stream your favourite apps to your TV, rather than relying on the TV’s operating system.
