Sound bar won’t turn on automatically when TV powered ON (HDMI ARC)

Some LG sound bars experienced a software bug that prevents the HDMI-CEC command from telling the sound bar to power on when the TV turns on.

A software update designed to fix this issue was released in late July 2019.

1. If your sound bar is connected to Wi-Fi, it should update automatically when not in use.
2. If your sound bar has never been set up on Wi-Fi, please connect it so it can receive the latest update.

1. Re-seat the HDMI cables

Unplug the HDMI cable from both the TV and sound bar, then plug them back in securely.

2. Power cycle your devices

Turn off the TV and the sound bar → unplug both from the wall → wait 10 seconds → plug them back in → turn on.

3. Make sure HDMI-CEC is turned ON

Your TV must have HDMI-CEC enabled for the sound bar to respond to power commands.

On LG TVs:

Settings > General > External Devices > HDMI Settings > SIMPLINK (HDMI-CEC) → Turn ON

Note HDMI-CEC has different names depending on the TV brand:



TV Brand	HDMI-CEC Name
LG	Simplink
Panasonic	Viera Link
Philips	EasyLink
Samsung	Anynet+
Sharp	Aquos Link
Sony	Bravia Link
Toshiba	Regza Link
Vizio	CEC (varies by model)

4. Check your TV’s audio settings
• Set ARC/eARC to Auto or On
• Set Audio Output to HDMI ARC or External Audio
5. Try a different HDMI cable

A faulty or older HDMI cable may not properly send ARC/CEC signals.

6. Disable Quick Start+

For some users, turning off this feature has fixed the issue.

1. Restart your phone

A simple restart can refresh the app and system functions.

2. Make sure your phone software is up to date

Install the latest available update for your device.

3. Update the Google Home app

Go to the Google Play Store and install the newest version.

4. Confirm all devices are on the same Wi-Fi network

Your phone, the sound bar, and any other connected devices must be on the same home Wi-Fi network.

(Instructions may slightly vary by device.)

• Open Settings
• Select Apps & Notifications
• Tap All Apps
• Select Google Home
• Tap Storage
• Tap Clear Cache and Clear Data

Confirm if a popup message appears.

5. Reinstall the Google Home app

Uninstall the app → reinstall a fresh copy from the Play Store.

After these steps, the Google Home app should respond normally.

Most TV brands can control your LG sound bar’s basic functions through HDMI-CEC. This means your TV remote can adjust:

• Volume
• Mute / Unmute

Supported TV brands include:

LG, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, Vizio.

1. Press the Settings button on the sound bar’s remote.
   The screen will show OFF-AUTO POWER or ON-AUTO POWER.

2. While that message scrolls, press Left/Right to find:
   ON-TV REMOTE or OFF-TV REMOTE

3. When the TV Remote setting appears, press Up/Down to toggle it On or Off