Samsung TV Sound Detection Under Scrutiny, but the Baby Cry Feature Is Already Gone

A researcher says that an analysis of his own Samsung Electronics TV turned up an always-on voice service and outbound data transfers. Samsung had earlier, in April 2025, unveiled AI TV features in South Korea that detect pet sounds and a baby’s cry. The question at the heart of the dispute is how these sound-detection features actually work, and what data leaves the set.

What Korean models are listening for

According to Samsung Electronics’ product documentation, “Pet Care” uses the microphone built into the TV to detect a pet barking. When it picks up the sound, the TV can play video made for pets. That goes a step beyond simply answering spoken commands from a person: the feature is designed to react to an animal’s sounds. Samsung introduced “Family Care,” which detects a baby crying, alongside it.

Samsung’s documentation says Pet Care works while the TV is switched off but still plugged in. To receive alerts, the TV and the phone have to be linked in SmartThings under the same Samsung account. Which features are supported can vary by model and by country.

Why baby cry detection was discontinued

The 2025 AI TV lineup was sold in South Korea, but not every feature announced at launch is still there. Citing a Samsung notice, SBS Biz reported that the baby cry detection service was discontinued on September 22, 2026. Samsung explained that the goal was to concentrate its resources on core features that are more useful to customers. Korean product pages currently list Pet Care.

The purpose Samsung described for the TV microphone in the past differed from today’s. In an official 2015 statement, the company said the microphone built into the TV handled only a fixed set of TV commands. It explained that server interaction came into play when a search command was issued through the microphone on the remote control. The 2025 models added the new ability to detect barking and a baby crying.

What the researcher claims

The researcher claims the TV runs with its voice service always on and sends data outside the TV. Samsung’s official product documentation describes Pet Care’s sound detection, video playback and the conditions required to use it. Verifying the claim would mean pinning down which TV model was analyzed and with what settings, where the sound is processed, and what data was actually transmitted.

The researcher also says his OpenAI account was suspended while he was analyzing the TV. Whether there is any connection between the suspension and the TV analysis is another point that needs checking. OpenAI tells users who believe their account was suspended in error to appeal using the link included in the notification email.

For users in South Korea, two things have changed in practical terms. TVs now have an everyday feature that responds to pet sounds, and some services, such as baby cry detection, have disappeared after launch. When deciding which features to rely on, it is worth first confirming what your specific TV model supports and the conditions under which those features operate.