How do I run a screensaver in my smart TV's browser?

Samsung TVs run the Tizen operating system and include a built-in browser called Internet or Web Browser, accessible from the Home screen apps row. LG TVs run webOS and include a browser under the same name. Most mid-range and premium smart TVs from Sony, Hisense, and TCL also ship with a browser, although the experience varies. Budget and older models sometimes omit the browser entirely, or include one that cannot handle modern JavaScript well enough to run a full web app.

The simplest test: open the TV browser and navigate to framesaver.app. If the page loads and the QR code appears, your browser is capable enough. If the page loads very slowly, renders incorrectly, or crashes, you may need to use an external device (a streaming stick, a Chromecast, or a laptop connected via HDMI) to get a web screensaver reliably.

• Samsung (Tizen): browser included, works well
• LG (webOS): browser included, works well
• Sony, Hisense, TCL: browser usually included; quality varies by model year
• Budget or older smart TVs: browser may be absent or limited
• Fire TV: no preinstalled browser, but you can install one such as Amazon Silk
• Roku: no web browser available; cast from another device or connect a laptop

On your TV, press the Home button and look for Internet, Web Browser, or a globe icon in the apps row. If you do not see one, check the app store for your TV platform. Once the browser opens, navigate to framesaver.app.

FrameSaver uses a phone-first login flow so you do not have to type an email address with a TV remote. The page shows a QR code. Scan it with your phone's camera, open the link on your phone, enter your email address, and type the 6-digit code that arrives by email. The TV logs in automatically once the phone completes the step.

After logging in, choose a photo category (landscapes, space photography, national parks, architecture, and others) and start the screensaver. The display rotates through curated open-access and Creative Commons photographs, showing on-screen attribution for a few seconds at the start of each image.

This is the most common issue when running a web screensaver. A browser screensaver requires the TV to stay on and the screen to stay lit. It is not a low-power always-on mode like the Samsung Frame TV's Art Mode. Most TVs have an eco setting or sleep timer that turns off the screen or cuts power after a fixed period without remote-button input, and a moving web page does not always count as "activity" from the TV's perspective.

The fix is to find the TV's sleep or eco settings and either turn off the auto-sleep timer or set it to its longest interval. On Samsung TVs, look in Settings under General or Eco Solution for "Auto Power Off" or "Screen Saver" settings. On LG TVs, look in Settings under Support or General for "Energy Saving" or "Auto Power Off." The exact menu path differs by model year, so check your TV's manual or settings search if you cannot locate it.

Once the sleep timer is disabled or extended, the TV stays on as long as the browser is showing the screensaver. If you want the display to turn off at night, use a smart plug on a schedule rather than the TV's own timer, which is more reliable across platforms.

• Samsung: Settings, General or Eco Solution, Auto Power Off
• LG: Settings, General or Energy Saving, Auto Power Off
• Sony: Settings, Device Preferences, Power, Daydream or Sleep timer
• Alternative: put the TV on a smart plug with a schedule

A web screensaver keeps the TV's panel running at normal brightness, which uses more power than a low-power standby mode. If energy use is a concern, lower the TV's brightness setting in picture mode before starting the screensaver.

The screensaver fetches new photos from the server, so the TV needs a working internet connection. A slow or unstable Wi-Fi connection can cause loading gaps between photos. If the TV is far from the router, a wired connection (if your TV has an Ethernet port) or a Wi-Fi extender helps.

If you close the browser or the TV restarts, you will need to reopen the browser and navigate back to framesaver.app. The login persists, so you will not need to go through the QR code flow again. On most TVs, the browser remembers your last open tab, which speeds up relaunching.