If your TV turns ON by itself in the middle of the night, then you should address quite a few possibilities.
Some of them are related to your TV’s software settings and others with the power delivery and operation. Either way, we’re about to find out!
To stop the unpredictable and weird behavior of your TV you can take the remote batteries out, disconnect from WiFi and change the power source for the night. If the issue continues, disable the CEC setting, update your TV, and as a last resort do a factory reset.
If you’re not familiar with how to do some of these recommendations, you’ll find everything later in the post. First, it’s important to learn the possible causes and then how to troubleshoot each of them.
Why TV Turns ON By Itself In The Middle Of The Night?
There is always the possibility of a hardware problem with your TV, but we’ll exclude it for now and check what are the usual suspects:
1. App activity – Apps like YouTube or the smart things app might make your TV turn on if it’s connected to the same AP.
2. CEC command – If the CEC command is enabled, whenever an HDMI device is turned on, your TV will turn on as well.
3. AOC Tilt – Sometimes your TV may turn on if the connection is poor. This could occur due to faulty cables.
4. Problem with power cord – At last, an issue with the power cord of your TV could result in your TV turning on.
Now that we’ve taken these causes into consideration, let’s proceed with the best solutions available for such issues.
How To Fix TV Turns On And Off By Itself?
Depending on whether your TV turns ON every single night or at random you need to consider the possibility of an electricity outage in your local area. Whenever the power goes out and rapidly comes on (if your TV was previously working) it will turn ON.
Solution #1. Use Different Power Source
If there is something wrong with the wall outlet or any power divider it might result in your TV spontaneously turning ON. Change the wall outlet you’re using for the night and make sure to connect your TV directly without any dividers in between.
If your TV continues to turn on during the night, it might be remote so let’s find out!
Solution #2. Take The Remote’s Batteries Out
If your TV often turns on at night, it is best if you take the remote’s batteries out to ensure there is no source that can turn your TV ON.
Here is how to disassemble the remote:
- Unscrew the compartment on the bottom of your remote.
- Take the batteries out carefully and put them away.
- (Optional) Put the remote to be out of sight of the TV.
Once done, check if your TV is going to turn on at night again.
Solution #3. Disable CEC Setting
The CEC feature will turn ON your TV every time a connected HDMI device is being activated. Many users use this feature with consoles or cable boxes and you may have accidentally enabled it in the past.
Here are the universal steps to disabling the CEC feature:
- Press the Menu button.
- Navigate down and select Settings or System.
- Locate the CEC feature button.
- Enter the CEC tab and click the OK buttonon your remote to turn it off.
From now on, however, you will have to turn your TV individually if you’re willing to use an HDMI device.
Solution #4. Disconnect Your TV From WiFi
An app such as YouTube or another smart feature that uses WiFi might turn on your TV whenever it is having an update.
This is why you should disconnect your TV from WiFi to check if a third-party instance is turning your TV on in the middle of the night.
To disconnect your TV from WiFi, follow these steps:
- Press the Мenu button on your remote.
- Go to the Network tab.
- Select the WiFi feature.
- Highlight the Green slider and press OK to disable the feature.
You will have to reconnect your TV to the home network if you need to turn on the WiFi feature later on.
Solution #5. Update Your TV
If your TV turns ON in the middle of the night it could be because of an attempt to initiate a firmware update.
If this happens in the middle of the night, however, you won’t be able to approve the process and your TV will stay on until the morning.
To update your TV follow these steps:
- Press the Menu button on your remote.
- Go to the Software tab of your TV settings.
- Click on Check For Updates.
- Click on Apply if there is a new firmware.
Once updated, your TV should reboot and it should no longer turn itself on randomly.
Solution #6. Factory Reset Your TV
If nothing has worked so far, then you should perform a factory reset on your TV. Mind that the factory reset will erase all temporal contents on your TV, such as apps, videos, music, and other files.
Make sure to save anything you want to keep from being erased before proceeding any further.
Here are the steps to factory reset your TV:
- Press the Menu button on your remote
- Scroll all the way down and click on System.
- Scroll all the way down and select Factory Reset.
- Confirm the process and click on Erase.
- Wait for a couple of minutes.
Once the erase is complete, your TV will restart and run you through the setup prompt.
Solution #7. Replace The Power Adapter
If there is an issue with the power adapter, every time it loses and regains electricity, your TV will receive an active charge, turning itself on. To replace the power adapter, follow these steps:
- Locate the power adapter on the bottom left of your TV.
- Unplug both ends of the power adapter and put it away.
- Get yourself a similar type of power adapter (Possibly taken from a trusted factor).
- Position the cable and plug it first into the power source and then your TV.
Once it is done, test for the night if the TV is going to turn on again. If yes, then it might be a hardware problem and you’ll need to bring it for repair.
Read Next: Can TV Screen be Used as Camera?
If your TV turns on in the middle of the night, first make sure the power source and power adapter are working well. Then, update your TV, disconnect it from the WiFi, take out the remote’s batteries for the night. If nothing works you can perform a factory reset to see if it will help.
Bottom Line:
Now when you know the reason why your TV turns ON by itself in the middle of the night you can easily identify and resolve the problem at home.
In case nothing helped and the issue is still there, reach out to a TV repair service and inspect the hardware for issues.
If this post was helpful and you’ve got other issues in your TV setup, feel free to check our blog to discover the solution you need.
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.