Which major tech company quietly added an unremovable Microsoft Copilot app to its smart TVs in December 2025?

In December 2025, the major tech company LG quietly added a Microsoft Copilot app to its smart TVs through a webOS software update. This addition sparked widespread user frustration because, unlike most other applications, the Copilot shortcut initially appeared to be unremovable from the home screen. Users took to online forums to express their displeasure, viewing it as an example of artificial intelligence technologies being forced upon consumers.

The "app" itself was not a fully native application embedded within the TV's operating system as some might have expected. Instead, it functioned primarily as a shortcut that, when selected, would open Microsoft's Copilot website through the TV's built-in web browser. This approach meant that features like microphone input for the AI assistant were only activated with explicit user consent.

This move by LG was part of a broader industry trend to integrate AI into smart TV platforms, with both LG and Samsung announcing plans for Copilot integration at CES 2025. However, LG's quiet rollout and the initial inability to delete the shortcut caused significant backlash, highlighting consumer concerns about bloatware and data collection on their personal devices. In response to the strong user reaction, LG later clarified its stance and committed to providing users with the option to delete the Copilot shortcut, a change that was subsequently rolled out in a future update.