Many people don’t know that one of the benefits of a Samsung Smart TV is that smart TV technology can help you if your TV is ever stolen. Using a few different methods, you can sometimes track the TV down and alert the authorities.

If your Samsung Smart TV was stolen, don’t give up! There are still a few ways you might be able to get it back. Read on to learn more about what to do to track your stolen Samsung smart TV and what to do when it happens.

How to Track Down a Stolen Samsung Smart TV

One of the advantages of having a smart TV is that it gives you a few options for tracking the TV if it goes missing. Often the thief will turn around and use the TV or sell it to someone who will use it as intended, which gives the original owner wireless access to the TV even if they don’t know where it is.

Stolen Samsung Smart TVs can be tracked down using a GPS locator or the IP of your media accounts. A stolen smart TV generally needs to be connected to the Internet to be tracked. With a police complaint, you can also use a smart TV’s serial number to track it via its IP address.

The easiest way to track down a stolen Samsung Smart TV is through reviewing your account activity on your media apps such as Netflix or Hulu. The next time the stolen TV is hooked up to an Internet connection, the app will send its location via its IP address. The police can then use this information to track the TV down. 

Can You Track a Smart TV Without Internet Access?

Unfortunately, the only way to effectively track a Samsung Smart TV or any smart TV is for someone to hook the smart TV back up to the Internet and use your media accounts such as Netflix.

Once the TV is hooked up to the Internet and your accounts are accessed, you can use wireless Internet access and a mobile app to track it down. Without the TV being hooked back up to the Internet, you won’t be able to review your account’s activity to see the new IP address where the TV is being used.

The only way that you can track a smart TV without Internet access is by using a third-party GPS tracking device that you can install somewhere discreet on the TV’s frame. While these devices can track the TV’s location, they’re dependent on the thief not noticing them on the TV. Using a tracking device that blends into the TV can help keep it from being detected.

Here’s the information you should keep handy in case you ever need to track down your stolen smart TV:

  • TV’s serial numberTV’s make and modelPurchase cost of the TV (if possible/logged)Your home IP address

This information is good to have for filing a police report and filing an insurance claim for your stolen TV. Even if the TV isn’t recoverable, keeping information about it available in a file in case of an emergency can make the process of recovering the value of the TV a little easier so it can be replaced.

Use the IP Address

If you file a police report, you can use your Samsung Smart TV’s serial number to track any new use of the television on a different IP than your home IP address. The police can use this information to track the TV down if the TV is discovered to be in use at a different IP location than your own.

You’ll need to file a formal police report for the missing TV to try tracking it by its serial number and IP address.

File a Police Report

The only way to find a stolen Samsung Smart TV without tracking it is to file a police report and register the TV’s serial number with their theft division. While it is unlikely that the TV will be recovered unless you’re lucky enough to catch someone at a different IP address using your media accounts, it’s always best to report the theft for insurance purposes.

Risks and Benefits of Tracking a Smart TV

While you can use your media accounts like Netflix to track your smart TV, this is a slightly risky choice. The reason is that if the people who stole your television have access to your media apps on the smart TV, they also have access to the credit card and identifying information you used to set up those accounts. This can leave you vulnerable to credit card fraud.

However, your credit cards can also be used to help track your smart TV thief. If the credit card information is used to purchase items, those purchases can be used to help track the TV’s new location. Many of these charges can also be refunded through the bank if you file a formal police report and notify the bank to mark the cards as stolen.

Prepare Ahead to Prevent Smart TV Theft

If you’ve spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on a smart TV, it can be a serious blow to have it stolen from your home or business. Knowing how to track down your smart TV when it gets stolen can help you catch a thief and recover your property at the same time.