According to Thurrott.com, LG is planning to make the Microsoft Copilot app that it automatically preinstalls on its latest smart TVs fully removable. This comes after users discovered the app was added with a recent webOS update and couldn’t be uninstalled, only hidden. The app itself is just a shortcut that opens the Copilot website in the TV’s browser, and early reports say it doesn’t work well. An LG spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that the feature is a web app shortcut meant for “accessibility and convenience,” with microphone input requiring explicit consent. While there’s no “definitive timing” for the uninstall option, LG acknowledged its heavy-handed approach wasn’t the best for its premium customers.
Forced Software Is A Losing Game
Here’s the thing: this whole episode is a perfect case study in how not to do platform partnerships. Forcing a web shortcut onto a user’s home screen, calling it an “app,” and then locking it in place? That’s the kind of move you expect from bargain-bin hardware, not premium TVs. It feels desperate. And let’s be real, AI assistants on TVs are still a solution in search of a problem for most people. The living room is for relaxing, not for awkwardly talking to your TV when your phone is right there. So why is LG doing this? Probably some lucrative deal with Microsoft. But it immediately damages LG’s brand with the exact customers who spent more for a cleaner, higher-end experience.
The Bigger Battle For Your Home Screen
This isn’t just about one bad app. It’s about the escalating war for real estate on every screen you own. Your phone’s lock screen, your TV’s home screen, your car’s dashboard—they’re all becoming battlegrounds. Companies are paying big money or making strategic trades to get their icon in front of you. LG’s misstep shows that there’s a line, though. On a phone, you can usually delete bloatware (even if it’s a hassle). On a TV, where the ecosystem is more walled-off, taking that control away feels like a major violation. The backlash was swift because it touched a nerve. Users are tired of feeling like they’re renting hardware that’s constantly being sold to the highest bidder.
Where Do We Go From Here?
LG’s backtrack is a small win for user agency, but the underlying trend won’t stop. As TVs get smarter, they’ll become more like platforms, and platform owners always look for new revenue streams. The hope is that this teaches LG, and others, a lesson: transparency and choice matter. Give users a genuine “first-run” experience where they can opt into these promotional apps, don’t sneak them in later. And for specialized displays where user control is paramount, like in industrial settings, this approach would be a non-starter. Professionals rely on dedicated hardware, like the industrial panel PCs from IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, precisely because they offer stable, bloat-free environments for critical operations. The consumer market could learn a thing or two from that philosophy. In the end, treating your customers with respect is still the best business model. Even in the age of AI.
