We finally found out why rebooting a Samsung TV feels random, and it's not a bug

We finally figured out one of the weirdest Samsung TV quirks, and it explains why reboot instructions — even ours — sometimes feel unreliable.

On paper, rebooting a Samsung TV is easy. Press and hold the power button for a few seconds. Done. Except it isn’t.

Sometimes the TV reboots. Other times it just slips into deep sleep. Same button, same timing, different result. So what gives?

Here’s the trick: you have to point the SolarCell Remote directly at the TV when you do it.

For this one specific action, the SolarCell Remote behaves like an old-school infrared remote, not a Bluetooth one. Point it at the TV, press and hold power, and it will reboot every single time.

And yes, even though it relies on Bluetooth for comfort and convenience, the SolarCell Remote actually has an infrared blaster. That little cover at the top, as seen in the photo below, isn't just for show. It actually conceals the IR blaster.

Oddly enough, IR isn’t used for much else. As far as we can tell, it’s basically reserved for rebooting.

Even stranger, Samsung never tells you this. The built-in remote guide on your TV lists just about every shortcut imaginable, except this one.

Bluetooth remotes work no matter where you point them — even under thick bed covers. Once you get used to that, aiming the remote feels unnecessary. That’s why rebooting a Samsung TV often feels random. Unless the IR sensor happens to be facing the TV, you’ll trigger deep sleep instead.

So no, it was never random. Just weird. But now you know, and rebooting your TV should finally work every time you need it. You'll know your Samsung TV rebooted because you'll see the Tizen/Knox/OLED/NeoQLED logos upon startup.

If you still can't reboot your TV reliably, try this other trick we explored a couple of years ago. It might be an HDMI soundbar issue.