From February 2nd, 2026, the SmartDNS feature will no longer be supported. Other Surfshark services will continue to work as usual.
If you are currently using SmartDNS on any of your devices, you will need to disable it manually; otherwise, your TV will be unable to connect to the internet.
Why is SmartDNS being retired?
After careful evaluation, we found that demand for this feature was very limited and decided to retire it. While SmartDNS has been useful for a small group of users, maintaining it requires ongoing resources. By redirecting those resources toward what most of our users rely on every day - speed, security, and advanced VPN features - we can continue improving the overall Surfshark experience.
How to disable SmartDNS?
SmartDNS replaces your TV's automatically acquired DNS addresses, and since it will no longer be supported, you'll need to restore your TV's original DNS addresses/settings. Below, we'll provide general guidance on how to achieve that on most Samsung & LG TVs.
- On Samsung TVs:
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select General.
- Go to Network Status and select IP settings.
- Scroll down until you see DNS settings:
- If there's an option to do so, select Get automatically.
- If not, you can remove the SmartDNS address and manually enter DNS addresses instead. We recommend using Surfshark Public DNS (194.169.169.169), or you can choose any other DNS provider you prefer.
- On LG TVs:
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select All settings.
- Go to the Network menu.
- Select your connected network (Wi-Fi or Wired).
- Select Advanced Wi-Fi Settings (or it may simply say Edit).
- Select the DNS server field:
- Select Set automatically if there's an option to do so.
- If not, you can remove the SmartDNS address and manually enter DNS addresses instead. We recommend using Surfshark Public DNS (194.169.169.169), or you can choose any other DNS provider you prefer.
Note: If you're unable to find DNS settings on your TV by following the steps above, we highly recommend consulting your TV manufacturer's support, or, alternatively, resetting your TV to factory settings (this will erase all your personalized settings as well).
Alternatives to SmartDNS
Instead of SmartDNS, Surfshark currently provides the following alternatives:
- Setting up a VPN-protected Wi-Fi hotspot on Windows and connecting your TV to that Wi-Fi network.
- Setting up Surfshark VPN on your router.
- Install the Surfshark VPN app on a supported TV (Android TV or tvOS).