Turn Off Tracking Secria

What is ACR on a TV?

ACR, automatic content recognition, lets a smart TV work out what is on screen by matching a fingerprint of the picture or sound against a catalog of shows, games and ads.1, 4 The result is used for recommendations and ads.1, 3

Checked 29 October 2026 against the sources. Covers US models.

How it recognizes what you watch

Each maker describes the same idea in its own words.

A fingerprint, not a recording

Roku compares it to a music identification app: its ACR makes an encrypted fingerprint from a sample of screen pixels and matches it against Roku's catalog. Content that isn't in the catalog, such as personal videos, doesn't match.1 Hisense's service turns on-screen audio, and may turn video, into hashed digital signatures.4 Samsung says it doesn't record or watch what's on your TV.2

Every input, not only apps

Vizio's ACR covers programs, ads, games, devices plugged into HDMI and third-party apps.3 Roku's covers what you watch through streaming, an antenna or other connected devices.1 Sony says Samba TV recognizes content from the TV's tuner and HDMI devices, but not from installed apps such as Netflix.5

What each TV calls it

Select a brand for the steps to turn it off.

TVACR settingHow it startsWho handles the data
SamsungViewing Information ServicesOnly runs if you opted in, at setup or later in Settings2Samsung: viewing history, TV identifiers and IP address2
LGViewing Information, which powers Live Plus6Off by default at setup on 2025 sets6LG, under its User Agreements6
Roku TVSmart TV Experience › Automatic Content Recognition (ACR)Not enabled out of the box1Roku, which keeps data collected while ACR was on1
VizioViewing DataA notice and a choice before any collection3Vizio, which licenses it to advertisers, ad agencies, analytics and media companies3
HisenseEnhanced Viewing ServiceOptional, at setup or later in Settings4Hisense and its ACR partner, Nexxen Inc.4
SonySamba Interactive TVYou opt in by accepting Samba TV's terms5Samba TV, a separate company5
Fire TVNone: Amazon says it doesn't use ACR to track all shows6Usage and ad switches were on by default in a 2025 test6Amazon6
Google TVNone in the platform, per Google; the TV brand may add one6Depends on the brand6The TV brand, under its own agreements6
 From each maker's notice, read 29 October 2026, and Consumer Reports' 2025 tests.

On some TCL Google TVs, a picture setting is also called Automatic Content Recognition: it switches to a matching picture mode for FILMMAKER MODE or IMAX content.9

Questions people ask

Is my TV spying on me with ACR?

If ACR is on, the TV reports what you watch, and that is used for ads and measurement: Hisense, for example, says its service delivers more relevant ads on other devices that share your TV's IP address.4 Roku, Samsung, Vizio and Hisense say it only runs if you agree to it.1, 2, 3, 4 In 2017 Vizio settled FTC and New Jersey charges that it collected viewing histories without consent, and in December 2025 Texas sued five TV makers with similar allegations.7, 8

Does ACR take screenshots of my TV?

Makers say it doesn't send images. Sony says no image from the screen is captured and sent, only limited pixel information.5 Samsung says it doesn't record or watch what's on screen.2 The Texas Attorney General alleges the software can capture screenshots every 500 milliseconds.8

Should I turn on automatic content recognition?

It's your choice, and what you lose depends on the brand. Roku's More Ways to Watch needs ACR.1 Hisense's service also adjusts picture and sound to what you watch.4 Vizio says turning Viewing Data off doesn't affect the TV's performance.3

Other TV guides

Sources 9
  1. Using 'More Ways to Watch' on your Roku TV, Roku Support, last updated 23 June 2026. Read 29 October 2026.
  2. Samsung Smart TV Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) Feature, Samsung US Support, undated. Read 29 October 2026.
  3. Viewing Data Supplement to the VIZIO Privacy Policy, VIZIO, undated. vizio.com redirects visitors outside the US, so we read the Internet Archive copy made 29 October 2026. Read 29 October 2026.
  4. Enhanced Viewing Service Privacy Notice, Hisense USA, effective 1 March 2025. Read 29 October 2026.
  5. Information about Samba TV, Sony USA, article 00187467, last modified 10 February 2026. sony.com refused our reader, so we read the Internet Archive copy of 23 April 2026. Read 29 October 2026.
  6. How to Turn Off Smart TV Snooping Features, James K. Willcox, Consumer Reports, updated 19 October 2025. Read 29 October 2026.
  7. VIZIO to Pay $2.2 Million to FTC, State of New Jersey to Settle Charges It Collected Viewing Histories, Federal Trade Commission, 6 February 2017. Read 29 October 2026.
  8. Attorney General Paxton Sues Five Major TV Companies, Office of the Texas Attorney General, 15 December 2025. Read 29 October 2026.
  9. TCL Google TV Settings and User Manual Guide, TCL Support, based on the X11L Series manual, undated. Read 29 October 2026.

Every row comes from the maker's own notice or Consumer Reports' tests. How we check