How to Turn Off Demo Mode on a Hisense TV

The Demo Mode built into your Hisense TV was useful at first. It gave you a chance to sample what the TV had to offer, including showing you some of its basic settings, and perhaps even letting you play a video or audio file.

But now, you’ve bought the TV and you want to use its full range of features. The problem – you can’t figure out how to deactivate Demo Mode. This article will show you how to do that for a Hisense TV so you unlock the device’s full potential.

Fix 1 – Deactivate Demo Mode with Your Remote Control

Assuming you received a remote with your Hisense TV, that little device is your key to escaping the Demo Mode dilemma. Simply pop some batteries into your remote and follow these steps:

1. Plug your Hisense TV into a power outlet and turn it on.
   
2. Find and press the “Home” button on your remote.
   
3. Navigate to “Settings” and scroll down until you find “Device Preferences.”
   
4. Head into “Device Preferences” and look for a function called “Retail Mode.”
   
5. Select “Retail Mode” to disable it, assuming it’s currently enabled.
   
6. Exit the “Settings” menu.

You should find that you now have full access to your Hisense TV, meaning you can download apps, install any new apps you want to use, and basically use it as a TV.

Fix 2 – Switch the TV to Home Mode

Some Hisense TVs, particularly newer models, switch some of the terminology around compared to older Hisense TVs. Rather than using the Retail Mode setting, you’ll use your remote and the TV’s menu to switch to Home Mode.

As the name suggests, this mode is suitable for home use, and needs to be activated with these steps to get the most out of your TV:

1. Power on your TV and use your remote to access the “Menu” screen.
   
2. Navigate to the “Device Preference” settings screen and select “Usage Mode.”
   
3. Switch the usage mode from “Store Mode” to “Home Mode.”
   

Store Mode and Retail Mode are usually synonyms, meaning they’re terms that stand for the same thing – the mode the retailer uses to demonstrate the TV in-store. You may find that your Hisense TV includes both, but you still make the switch to Home Mode regardless to get away from the demonstration settings.

Fix 3 – Use Advanced System Settings to Deactivate Demo Mode

Some Hisense TVs provide the option to deactivate Demo Mode via the device’s advanced settings, which requires you to use your remote to follow these steps:

1. Power up your TV and press the “Home” button on your remote.
   
2. Navigate to “Settings” and scroll until you find (and select) the “System Settings” option.
   
3. Deactivate the toggle next to “Store Mode” or “Retail Mode” by switching to “Home mode”
   

Your TV should switch from Demo Mode instantly, without rebooting. If it doesn’t, try turning the TV on and off again, and repeat the steps to check that the Store Mode toggle remains off.

Fix 4 – Turn Demo Mode Off Without a Remote

Losing your remote is irritating. Losing it right after accidentally setting your Hisense TV to Demo Mode, or having a remote that doesn’t work out of the box, is downright infuriating. Thankfully, Hisense accounts for both possibilities by giving you a way to deactivate Demo Mode using the TV itself, with no remote needed.

1. Turn your TV on and press the “Menu” button on the device, which is usually on a panel of buttons on the side or at the back of your TV.
   
2. Use the TV’s channel up and down buttons to scroll up or down until you find “Settings.”
   
3. Click “OK” on “Settings” and use the channel down button to find and click on “Device Preferences.”
   
4. Navigate to “Retail Mode” and press “Ok” to toggle it off.
   

With the Retail Mode toggle turned off, you can use the “Menu” button on the TV to get back to its default screen. Only now, you’ll see that Demo Mode isn’t activated anymore, meaning you can open apps and start using your TV properly.

Fix 5 – Update Your TV’s Software

Sometimes, you don’t have any choice in the matter when it comes to Demo Mode. Your TV keeps turning it back on, even if you’ve found ways to turn it off, which suggests one of two things – there’s a bug in the TV’s software or the software is out of date.

You can fix both issues by updating your TV’s software:

1. Using your remote, either press the “Settings” button or press “Home” and navigate to “Settings.”
   
2. Select “About,” followed by “System Update.”
   

Your TV will run a search for any new software or firmware. Assuming it finds an update, hit “OK” to start the update process. Use whatever method you’ve previously tried to switch Demo Mode off, reboot your TV, and check to see that it works. Often, the software update solves configuration issues, allowing you to switch Home Mode on permanently.

Fix 6 – Power Cycle Your Hisense TV

Not all software glitches and errors result from outdated software, and some are so bad that you may not be able to update the software at all. Power cycling your Hisense TV may help. A power cycle removes all of the electricity from your TV, including any that remains from a simple power on and power off, to ensure the power isn’t causing any glitches.

1. Turn your Hisense TV off and unplug it from its power outlet.
   
2. Locate the “Power” button on the TV (not your remote) and hold it for 10 seconds.
   
3. Wait for at least one hour before plugging the TV back into the outlet.
   

The hour-long wait is essential to allow any residual power stored in your TV’s many electronic components to cycle out of the device, leaving it completely without power. Once the cycle is completed, restoring power essentially sets those components to their default operation, which may fix glitches that prevent you from turning off Demo Mode.

Fix 7 – Factory Reset Your Hisense TV

If nothing else works, a factory reset is your last resort. This action restores the settings the TV had when it came out of the factory, deleting any apps, passwords, or other data the TV stores in the process. It’s the equivalent of going nuclear on your TV, and you should only factory reset when you’ve exhausted all other options.

1. Click the “Settings” button on your remote, or access “Settings” through your TV’s “Home” option.
   
2. Scroll to and select “Device Preferences” using the remote’s “OK” button.
   
3. Navigate to “Reset” and press “OK.”
   
4. Press “OK” again and select “Erase Everything” when prompted by your TV.
   

Sadly, a factory reset means you have to redownload your apps and enter your login details for them again.

Ditch the Hisense Demo

As useful as Demo Mode was in showcasing what your Hisense TV can do, it’s not something you’re going to sit at home and watch when there are so many channels and apps waiting for you. Often, a quick toggle of a setting fixes the Demo Mode problem. But in cases where that doesn’t work, you may need to power cycle, or even fully factory reset, your Hisense TV.

Have you ever turned off Demo Mode with your Hisense TV? If so, did you use any of the tips and tricks featured in this article? Tell us in the comments section below.