An LG television can scan its local network and list unrelated phones, smartwatches and other devices, even when those devices were never paired with the set. Tests involving an LG G5 OLED captured that behavior, and LG Electronics confirmed that its TVs can scan nearby devices for connectivity and smart-home features.
A screen bought to show films can build a local picture of the other hardware in its home, and the reviewed privacy and agreement materials do not clearly explain that specific capability or document a switch that disables it.
What the LG TV found on the home network
Gamers Nexus, working with Level1Techs and independent cybersecurity researchers MrBruh and uturn, put an LG G5 OLED on a monitored network. Their investigation used Wireshark, a tool that records network traffic, and examined TV firmware, according to Gamers Nexus’ September 6 video investigation and Ars Technica’s reporting.
The result was not simply a TV waiting for its owner to select a phone for screen casting. The set searched the network, identifying devices that had no apparent relationship with the television.
“The [G5] crawled our entire network and found dozens of unrelated devices, including smartwatches and phones of our staff who didn’t even know we were working on this.”
, Steve Burke, editor-in-chief of Gamers Nexus, as quoted by Ars Technica
The investigators’ captures and firmware inspection indicated that LG TVs could identify an owner’s IP address, nearby Wi-Fi network names and signal data, other devices’ internal IP addresses, and devices not connected to the TV. An internal IP address is the local label a router gives a device, usually invisible beyond the home, but useful for mapping what is on that home network.
Ars Technica reported Wireshark results for an OLED65G3PUA as well as the G5 OLED testing discussed by Gamers Nexus. The reporting does not publish exact firmware version numbers. That matters: this is evidence of discovery capability in identified LG sets, not proof that every LG model or every webOS release performs precisely the same scan.
The same investigation also tested whether an offline television could record audio. Gamers Nexus demonstrated that capability, and Ars Technica reported it, but the available record does not establish that an offline TV tracks all activity or later uploads recordings.
Burke’s point was narrower and more useful: the behavior did not depend on somebody breaking into the TV.
“This is the TV’s native functionality. This didn’t require vulnerabilities.”
, Steve Burke, as quoted by Ars Technica
That distinction removes the usual escape hatch. Owners do not need to have installed a suspicious app, clicked a bad link, or paired the wrong device for the set to see equipment sharing its network.
LG calls the scan a smart-TV feature
LG Electronics did not dispute that its televisions scan the network. In a statement reported by Ars Technica, the company said LG TVs identify compatible devices on the same network for “device connectivity, content sharing or smart home functionality”.
“To provide smart TV functionalities, LG TVs feature the ability to scan for and connect to nearby devices on the same network.”
, LG Electronics statement, via Ars Technica
LG described nearby-device discovery as a standard function of smart TVs and smart-home devices. Its own webOS material presents the platform and ThinQ as tools for connecting and managing smart-home devices, which is the company’s stated rationale for looking beyond the television itself.
That rationale can explain why a TV discovers a casting target or a smart bulb. It does not answer what happens after the television finds unrelated staff phones and watches. Ars Technica says it is unclear whether the network information is sent to LG or used for advertising or anything else, including diagnostics.
The distinction is important because LG has a substantial advertising operation. LG Ad Solutions has said it can reach 363 million “addressable secondary devices” in the US. That marketing claim is not evidence that the TV’s LAN inventory feeds ad targeting; the reporting does not establish that connection. It does, however, make a clear account of collection and use more necessary than usual.
LG’s consumer controls cover adjacent functions, not a demonstrated off switch for local-network enumeration. Its support guidance says owners can manage agreements through Settings > Privacy & Terms > User Agreements. Declining the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy leaves ordinary TV use available, but LG says smart services including Netflix and YouTube require those agreements.
Other agreements are optional, according to that guidance. But choosing “Later,” refusing personalized advertising, or turning down voice-related permissions is not documented proof that LAN discovery stops.
LG also documents controls for blocking incoming smartphone screen-share requests and deleting pairing history. Those controls manage connections people can see. They do not demonstrably disable the earlier act of the TV looking for devices.
That is a familiar gap in consumer technology: the control panel offers switches for the visible feature, while the underlying discovery process is harder to find. Check any LG software installed around the display too, such as the company’s monitor app installer for Windows, but the reporting here concerns the television’s own network behavior.
LG’s Privacy Center directs Smart TV users to a separate Smart TV privacy policy. The material reviewed for this reporting does not expressly describe an inventory of unrelated local-network devices in the relevant agreement guidance. Because privacy text and setup screens can vary by model and change over time, that is not proof that no LG document anywhere mentions the practice.
For now, the documented facts are tighter: an LG TV was shown enumerating unrelated devices on a home network; LG confirmed nearby-device scanning; and the available evidence does not show whether that inventory leaves the television. The missing piece is not a technical mystery. It is a disclosure and control question LG has yet to answer publicly.
Key Takeaways
- Testing involving an LG G5 OLED found the television enumerating unrelated phones, smartwatches, and other local-network devices.
- Ars Technica reported Wireshark results for an OLED65G3PUA, but the reporting did not publish firmware version numbers.
- LG Electronics confirmed that its TVs scan nearby devices for connectivity, content-sharing, and smart-home functions.
- The available reporting does not establish that a device inventory is sent to LG or used for advertising, diagnostics, or another purpose.
- LG’s reviewed agreement and support materials do not document a scan-specific setting that disables local-network enumeration.
Further Reading
- LG TV shown scanning LAN for third-party phones and other devices, Ars Technica’s independent report on the packet captures, firmware review, and LG’s response.
- 216,000,000 Spy TVs | The LG Smart TV Problem, Gamers Nexus’ video investigation with Level1Techs and independent security researchers.
- How to Accept the Updated User Agreements on Your LG TV, LG guidance on agreement controls and the smart services affected by declining them.
- LG smart TV monitor: how to block smartphone screen share connection, LG documentation for screen-share request and pairing-history controls.
- LG Electronics Privacy Center, LG’s portal for privacy materials, including Smart TV policies.