LG is walking back one of its most controversial smart TV decisions of the year, promising that owners will soon be able to remove the Microsoft Copilot shortcut that appeared on their home screens without warning. The reversal turns a small icon into a big test of how far TV makers can push AI integrations before viewers push back.
At stake is more than a single button. The Copilot shortcut saga shows how quickly consumer sentiment can turn when new AI features arrive by default, and how fast a company has to move when those features feel like an intrusion rather than an upgrade.
How an “AI upgrade” turned into a backlash
The trouble started when LG quietly added a prominent Copilot icon to the webOS interface, presenting it as part of an AI upgrade that owners had not explicitly requested. People who turned on their televisions after a routine update suddenly found a shortcut to Microsoft’s assistant sitting alongside Netflix and YouTube, with no obvious way to remove it and no clear explanation of what data it might touch. Some early coverage described the change as an upgrade that was “impossible to remove,” capturing the frustration of viewers who felt they were being drafted into an experiment without consent and warning that companies should let people decide whether they want to keep new AI features before they are pushed to every screen.
That sense of being cornered was amplified by the way the shortcut behaved. The Copilot icon looked like a native app tile, lived in the same space as core streaming services, and resisted the usual tricks that people use to tidy their home screens. Reports noted that what made the move even more aggravating was the lack of a simple opt out, with critics arguing that LG had made a misstep by treating the change as a one way upgrade rather than a choice, a point underscored in early reactions to the AI upgrade.
LG’s promise: the Copilot shortcut will be removable
After days of criticism, LG is now telling customers that the Copilot shortcut will not be permanent. The company has said that a future software update will let people delete the icon from the home screen, turning what had been a locked tile into something that behaves more like any other app shortcut. That means owners who never plan to use Microsoft’s assistant will be able to reclaim that space and restore the layout they had before the update, instead of being forced to live with a feature they did not ask for.
The shift is a direct response to user complaints that the shortcut was cluttering the interface and could not be removed through normal settings. Coverage of the change notes that LG TVs will let users delete unwanted Copilot shortcuts after the outcry, describing how the company moved from insisting the icon was part of the experience to acknowledging that people should be able to remove something they never installed and were unable to delete, a change that was highlighted when it emerged that LG TVs will let users delete unwanted Copilot shortcuts.
What the Copilot icon actually is on webOS
Part of the confusion came from what the Copilot tile technically represents. LG has stressed that this is not a deeply embedded system app but a browser shortcut that launches Microsoft’s assistant in the TV’s web browser. In other words, the icon is closer to a bookmarked website than to a preinstalled program, even if it looks and feels like a native application when it appears on the home screen. That distinction matters for privacy and control, because it suggests that Copilot is not wired into the operating system in the same way as core TV functions.
Even so, the shortcut’s placement and behavior made it feel like something more permanent. Reports on the company’s response to the backlash explain that LG responded swiftly to user complaints and clarified that the Copilot tile is a browser shortcut, not a built in app, while also promising that people will be allowed to remove it in a future update. That clarification, which came alongside a pledge to give users more control, was detailed in coverage of how LG responds swiftly to user backlash.
From unremovable shortcut to user choice
For owners, the most galling part of the Copilot rollout was the sense that the shortcut was unremovable. Several LG smart TV owners, including some Engadget staff, reported that the icon appeared without warning and could not be deleted through the usual long press or settings menus that work for other apps. That experience turned a single tile into a symbol of how little control people sometimes have over devices they bought, especially when manufacturers decide to push new services into the interface after the sale.
LG’s reversal is therefore more than a cosmetic tweak. By committing to let people delete the previously unremovable Microsoft Copilot shortcut, the company is acknowledging that the original approach overstepped and that user choice has to be part of any AI integration on a shared screen in the living room. The change was welcomed by those early testers who had been stuck with the icon, with coverage noting that Several LG smart TV owners were surprised by the initial behavior and are now likely to appreciate the new option.
Why the Copilot saga struck a nerve with TV owners
The anger around the Copilot shortcut is not just about one icon, it reflects a broader unease with how aggressively AI is being woven into everyday devices. Smart TVs already track viewing habits, promote sponsored content, and surface recommendations that are often more useful to advertisers than to viewers. Adding a Copilot entry point without consent felt to many like another step toward turning the TV into a billboard for services, rather than a neutral screen for whatever people choose to watch. That is why the promise to let users remove the shortcut matters, even if the underlying service remains available elsewhere in the interface.
Some analysis has argued that the unremovable Copilot shortcut is actually the least of smart TVs’ AI problems, pointing out that LG still plans to weave the service through other parts of webOS and that the icon can only be removed from the home screen and the TV’s Apps section, not from the broader ecosystem of integrations. Those reports note that LG says it will let people delete the Copilot icon from their TVs soon, but that the company’s long term strategy still involves deeper AI features that may raise fresh questions about data collection and control, a tension captured in coverage of how LG TVs’ unremovable Copilot shortcut fits into a larger pattern.
Customer outcry and the Mildy Infuriating Subway moment
The speed of LG’s course correction shows how quickly a small interface tweak can spiral into a reputational problem once it hits social media. Complaints about the Copilot shortcut spread across forums and feeds, with people sharing screenshots of their home screens and trading tips on whether there was any hidden setting to remove the tile. The story even crossed into meme territory when it was highlighted on the R Mildy Infuriating Subway, a community that delights in small but telling annoyances, turning the Copilot icon into a shorthand for the feeling of being nudged by corporate decisions in your own living room.
That viral moment helped frame the issue as a case study in how not to roll out AI features. One widely shared clip joked about the timing of the story and noted that it had 36 reactions, using humor to underline how a seemingly minor change could resonate with communities that are already sick of rising intrusions into their digital spaces. The same clip, which referenced the Mildy Infuriating Subway and the way the story breaks with a tone of “Which is perfect,” was part of a broader wave of posts that pressured LG to respond, as seen in a Mildy Infuriating Subway reel that captured the mood.
LG’s official backtrack and what changes on your TV
Once the backlash was impossible to ignore, LG publicly committed to changing course. The company has said it will let TV owners delete Microsoft Copilot after customer outcry, a notable shift from the initial stance that treated the shortcut as a fixed part of the interface. That promise means that, after the update arrives, people should be able to highlight the Copilot tile and remove it in much the same way they can uninstall or hide other apps, restoring a sense of control over what appears on the home screen.
The move was framed as a response to clear feedback from viewers who did not want an AI assistant front and center on their televisions. Reports on the decision describe how LG said it will let users delete the Copilot icon and acknowledged that the earlier approach had frustrated customers, with one summary capturing the mood under the headline Will Let TV Owners Delete Microsoft Copilot After Customer Outcry. That phrase, which appears in coverage of how LG Will Let TV Owners Delete Microsoft Copilot After Customer Outcry, underscores how central user pressure was to the reversal.
How deletion will likely work, based on current LG TV behavior
LG has not yet published a step by step guide for removing the Copilot shortcut, but the company’s existing interface offers some clues. On current webOS models, deleting an app usually involves highlighting its tile, pressing and holding the select button until an edit mode appears, then choosing a delete or remove option. Tutorials that walk through how to delete applications off an LG TV show this process in detail, with one guide by Tim explaining how to navigate the home screen, enter edit mode, and confirm the removal of unwanted apps, a pattern that is likely to be adapted for the Copilot tile once the update lands.
Owners who want to keep their home screen clean can also adjust what appears at startup. Another tutorial on how to stop the start menu at start up on an LG Smart TV demonstrates how to dive into settings, find the relevant toggle, and prevent the TV from automatically surfacing certain menus when it powers on. Those existing controls suggest that LG already has the framework to let people decide which elements of webOS they see first, and that the Copilot shortcut will eventually slot into the same system, as seen in guides on How to Delete Apps off your LG TV and how to stop the start menu from appearing.
What this means for AI on TVs beyond a single icon
Even with the promise of deletion, the Copilot episode raises bigger questions about how AI will live on televisions. LG has indicated that Copilot will continue to be available on webOS, and that the shortcut is only one of several ways to access the assistant. That means the service could still appear in voice search, recommendations, or contextual prompts, even if the main tile is gone. For viewers who are wary of AI, the ability to remove the icon is a welcome start, but it does not fully address concerns about how much data is being collected or how deeply AI is being integrated into the viewing experience.
Some coverage has framed the change as a partial victory for privacy advocates, noting that LG says Copilot can be deleted on webOS TVs after backlash, while also pointing out that Microsoft will allow users to adjust privacy and viewing information settings related to the assistant. Those reports suggest that the next phase of the debate will focus less on a single shortcut and more on the underlying controls that govern what Copilot can see and do, a shift reflected in analysis of how Copilot can be deleted on webOS TVs but will still be woven into the platform.
The broader industry signal: AI features must be optional
For the wider tech industry, LG’s retreat sends a clear message. AI features that arrive uninvited, especially on devices that sit at the center of family life, are likely to face fierce resistance unless they are clearly optional and easy to disable. The Copilot shortcut was not the first time a company tried to push an assistant into a familiar interface, but the speed and intensity of the backlash show that people are increasingly sensitive to how AI is introduced, particularly when it appears to be driven by corporate partnerships rather than user demand.
Commentary on the episode has placed it alongside other controversial moves, such as when Controversial News Posts highlighted Micron’s decision to Exit Crucial Consumer Business, Ending Retail SSD and DRAM Sales, or when AMD product changes sparked 195 comments from readers who felt blindsided by shifts in strategy. In the same way, the Copilot shortcut became a flashpoint for broader anxieties about corporate overreach, with one analysis of how LG TVs can delete Microsoft Copilot AI app in the future arguing that whether it can be deleted should never have been a question for a corpo in 2025, a sentiment captured in coverage of LG TVs Can Delete Microsoft Copilot AI App in the Future.
LG’s lesson: opt in beats opt out for AI on the big screen
LG’s decision to let people remove the Copilot shortcut is a pragmatic response to a self inflicted problem, but it also offers a template for how AI should be introduced on televisions. If companies want viewers to embrace assistants like Copilot, they will have to make them feel like optional tools rather than mandatory fixtures, with clear explanations of what they do, what data they use, and how to turn them off. An opt in approach, where people actively choose to add an AI tile to their home screen, is far less likely to trigger the kind of backlash that forced LG to backtrack.
Some reporting has already described how LG backtracks and will soon let users delete Copilot from its smart TVs, noting that the company has faced backlash after a webOS update automatically installed Microsoft Copilot on its smart TVs and that it has now announced it would do more to avoid problems like this in the future. On the bright side for new buyers, there are indications that future models may give people the option to decline Copilot from the get go, a shift that aligns with the idea that AI should be something viewers invite onto their screens, not something that simply appears there, as seen in analysis of how LG backtracks, will soon let users delete Copilot.
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