How To Update Apps on an Element Smart TV

If you’re  proud new owner of an Element smart TV, you’re going to want to know how to get it loaded with apps, perform updates and do all the admin before you can watch. This tutorial will walk you through the entire process, including how to add and update apps on Element smart TV.

The instruction manual for most Element smart TVs is okay but doesn’t go into too much detail. It’s one of those manuals designed to cover as many situations and as many types of user as possible. That’s fine and all but can leave some new TV owners out in the cold. That’s what we will address here.

I’ll walk you through updating the TV, adding apps and updating those apps. The three main things you’re going to want to do as soon as you have connected everything.

Updating your Element smart TV

To be able to use the smart part of your Element smart TV, you will need to follow the initial setup wizard that walks you through connecting to Ethernet or WiFi, registering your TV, verifying a network connection and performing basic setup. Updating the TV is often part of that initial setup but it is something you’re going to need to know how to do at a later date anyway.

Some TV models are going to have different menu layouts. If you don’t see the exact name or navigation as I have here, don’t worry, just look around for something similar.

To update your TV:

1. Turn on the TV and press the Menu button on your remote.
2. Select TV Settings from the main menu.
3. Select Support and Software Update.

On some models of TV, the update menu is in General and Software Update. Depending on the last time you performed an update, this could take a few minutes. You may see a progress bar or percentage counter telling you how far the process has to go to finish.

Occasionally you will see that this doesn’t work for some reason and the update will either partially complete and freeze or fail altogether. In that case, you can perform a manual update using a USB drive. This involves downloading the firmware file from Element, copying it to a USB drive and installing it into the TV.

Unfortunately, the URL is not publicly available so you have to contact Element customer support to get it.

Update an Element smart TV using USB:

1. Call Element customer support and get the firmware URL for your TV.
2. Download it onto your computer.
3. Format a USB drive and copy the firmware onto it.
4. Plug the USB drive into the TV.
5. Select Settings and General using the remote.
6. Select Software Update USB from the menu.

The TV should read your USB drive, find the file and update the firmware accordingly. Why the firmware URL isn’t published I do not know but to the best of my knowledge it’s not.

Adding apps to an Element smart TV

Adding apps is usually the second thing you do when unboxing a new smart TV but with an Element you’re out of luck. The built-in apps are pretty much it for Element TVs so if you only have YouTube and Netflix, that’s likely all you’ll have. As far as I can tell, there are only a few apps available, Netflix, YouTube, VUDU, AccuWeather, Pandora and Toon Toggles.

That may be different by the time you read this but that’s all the E2SW5018 I tested has available right now.

Updating apps on the Element smart TV

Updating apps on the Element smart TV happens either automatically or when you update the TV firmware. I have not seen a separate update option for apps anywhere. The manual just refers to TV updates and using the apps so presumably, update the TV and it updates the apps too.

That’s:

1. Turn on the TV and press the Menu button on your remote.
2. Select TV Settings from the main menu.
3. Select Support and Software Update.

If you already did that during your reading of this article, there’s no need to do it again. Your apps should already be up to date.

It would be nice to have more apps for the Element smart TV but having YouTube and Netflix is enough for my needs. I’m sure other apps are available for other TV models but the main selling point of Element TVs is the price. Few other smart TVs are available for this kind of money so there has to be a compromise somewhere!

Do you know of a specific app update option on an Element smart TV? Know how to add more apps? Tell us below if you do!