LG OLED TV F26 Error Code Guide (Real-World Fix)

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What This Error Means

F26 on an LG OLED TV means the TV has detected an internal hardware fault and has gone into protection mode.

What’s actually happening: the set tries to start, one of the boards reports something out of spec (power, communication, or panel-related), and the TV shuts itself down instead of powering the OLED panel.

Real-world symptoms usually look like this:

  • TV clicks or boots, shows F26, then shuts off or reboots.
  • Screen may stay black while the standby light blinks or cycles.
  • Remote seems dead because the TV never completes startup.

There is no menu option to “turn off” F26. The code is the TV telling you it doesn’t trust its own hardware right now.

Official Fix

LG’s official playbook is basically: rule out a glitch, then send it in. Do this in order:

  • 1. Hard power reset (the script LG support will walk you through)
    • Turn the TV off.
    • Unplug it from the wall. Not from a strip – straight out of the outlet.
    • With it unplugged, press and hold the physical power button on the TV for 15–20 seconds.
    • Wait at least 60 seconds more with it still unplugged.
    • Plug the TV directly into a wall outlet (no surge bar, no UPS) and try powering it on.
  • 2. Strip off all external devices
    • Disconnect everything from the TV: HDMI, USB drives, soundbar, game consoles, antenna, cable box – all of it.
    • Leave only: power cord to the wall.
    • Turn the TV on again and see if F26 still shows up or if it now boots clean.
  • 3. Software check (only if the TV will stay on long enough)
    • On the remote: Settings > All Settings > Support > Software Update.
    • Run Check for Updates and install anything pending.
    • After update, power the TV off and back on once.
    • If issues continue, do a full reset: Settings > All Settings > General > System > Reset to Initial Settings (names vary slightly by year, but path is similar).
  • 4. If F26 keeps coming back
    • At this point, LG’s official answer is: stop troubleshooting and book service.
    • They expect an authorized tech to open the TV, run diagnostics, and usually swap the suspect board (power supply, main board, or panel-related board).
    • If the set is under warranty, do not open it yourself – you’ll void coverage. Call LG support with your model and serial number.

If you’ve done all of the above and F26 still shows, LG’s own documentation basically treats it as a hardware failure, not a user-fixable setting.

The Technician’s Trick

Here’s the stuff we try in the field to catch the borderline cases before ordering expensive boards.

  • 1. Real hard reset, not the 60-second version
    • Unplug the TV from the wall.
    • Hold the TV’s physical power button for a full 60 seconds.
    • Walk away and leave it unplugged for 20–30 minutes. That lets the power supply discharge fully.
    • Plug it into a different wall outlet on a different circuit if possible (no surge strip).
    • Turn it on using the button on the TV first, not the remote.
  • 2. Kill “instant on” / low-power modes (if you can get into menus)
    • If the TV stays on long enough to navigate: go to Settings > General > Devices > TV Management (or similar) and turn off things like Quick Start+ or Instant On.
    • These modes keep parts of the power supply semi-awake. When they get flaky, you see random boot faults like F26.
    • After disabling, power the TV off, unplug for a minute, then try again.
  • 3. Input isolation test
    • Reconnect one HDMI device at a time.
    • If F26 only shows when a certain box or console is plugged in, that source may be surging or browning out the HDMI line.
    • Try a different HDMI cable and a different HDMI port. If that cures it, you dodged a board swap.
  • 4. For the brave: board reseat (only if you’re comfortable opening electronics)
    • Warning: Unplug the TV and let it sit at least 30 minutes. There are high-voltage capacitors inside. If that sounds sketchy, skip this.
    • Remove the back cover carefully and locate the main board and power supply board (two big boards near the power cord area and HDMI ports).
    • Gently unplug and replug the low-voltage harnesses and ribbon cables between the power board and main board.
    • Look for obvious burn marks, cracked components, or swollen capacitors. If you see any of that, stop and plan on a board replacement.
    • Reassemble, power up, and see if F26 is gone. A bad connection is a lot cheaper than a new OLED.

If none of that changes the behavior, you’re almost certainly looking at a failing power board, main board, or panel driver hardware – not a settings issue.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: TV is <5–6 years old, no burn-in, panel looks good, and a shop quotes up to about $300–$400 for a board repair or replacement.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: TV is 5–7+ years old, mild image retention or other issues already showing, or repair quote is in the $400–$600 range.
  • ❌ Replace: Heavy burn-in, cracks or impact damage, multiple board faults, or repair cost is over half the price of a new OLED.

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