The **42** display on a Samsung refrigerator points to **family hub software/system issue**. Treat it as a diagnostic direction rather than a parts order: operating conditions, wiring, sensors, actuators, and control electronics can overlap. The exact stage when the code appears can be as important as the characters themselves. Note whether it happens at startup, during fill, heating, cooling, draining, spinning, drying, or after a power event. The recorded display form is **42**. Search normalization stores it as **42** while preserving the characters a homeowner actually sees.
Reviewed by Ethan Mercer · Last reviewed August 17, 2026
Written by
Ethan Mercer Appliance Repair Content SpecialistPublished August 17, 2026Updated August 22, 2026Technically reviewed August 17, 2026
Content status:
Verified
Error code42
ApplianceRefrigerator
Quick answer
Family Hub software/system issue.
Model compatibility: Samsung can reuse or reformat codes across series and model years, so 42 may mean something different on another appliance or generation. Confirm this against your model’s documentation and record your full model number before acting.
Plain language
What this code means
The **42** display on a Samsung refrigerator points to **family hub software/system issue**. Treat it as a diagnostic direction rather than a parts order: operating conditions, wiring, sensors, actuators, and control electronics can overlap. The exact stage when the code appears can be as important as the characters themselves. Note whether it happens at startup, during fill, heating, cooling, draining, spinning, drying, or after a power event. The recorded display form is **42**. Search normalization stores it as **42** while preserving the characters a homeowner actually sees.
Signs
Symptoms you may notice
When the 42 condition is present, the appliance can stop or limit the affected function when the code is detected.
42 can be accompanied by this pattern: the same code can return at a repeatable stage of operation.
On affected Samsung refrigerator models, other symptoms depend on the model and the subsystem named by Samsung.
One clue that supports the 42 diagnosis is that 42 appears and the refrigerator can show behavior related to family hub software/system issue.
While 42 is active, cooling, airflow, ice-making, defrost, or temperature performance may become intermittent depending on the affected subsystem.
Why it happens
Possible causes
varies by model — official regional/current support — Family Hub software/system issue
Before you call
Safe checks you can make
These are simple, non-hazardous checks only. If anything is unclear, stop and contact a technician.
A safe owner-level check is to record the exact code, model number, and operating stage before resetting power.
For 42, start by doing this: complete only the owner-accessible checks described in the model manual.
With 42 recorded, do not replace parts solely from a display code when wiring, conditions, or control feedback can create the same result.
To rule out an accessible cause, photograph the code before resetting or unplugging the refrigerator.
As an external check for 42, verify doors, visible airflow/ice obstructions, water/ice-bin seating, or demo mode only when relevant.
As an external check for 42, use the exact model manual because Samsung refrigerator codes vary by family.
Important safety warning. Protect food if temperatures are no longer safe. Do not open the sealed refrigeration system or energized inverter/compressor circuits. If resolving 42 would require energized internal access, that is the point to hand the diagnosis to a qualified technician.
Get help
When to request repair service
For 42, the service threshold is straightforward: If the code returns after the documented basic checks, request model-specific diagnosis of the affected subsystem. Bring the exact model number and a photo of the display so the diagnosis stays tied to the documented Samsung code.
Book your repair
Seeing this code on your Samsung appliance?
Book a specialist visit for a clear estimate and approval before any repair.
You can try the one reset Samsung documents for the model, but **42** returning afterward means the condition still exists. Note the operating stage instead of cycling power repeatedly.
Short owner-accessible checks may be reasonable when the appliance is safe. Persistent **42**, worsening performance, or any electrical/water/heat hazard is a reason to stop use.
Treat **42** as a starting point, not a replacement instruction. Wiring, feedback signals, operating conditions, and electronic controls can mimic a failed component.
The same-looking code can be reused on another Samsung appliance family or reformatted by region/model year. Match the appliance type and exact model before applying a meaning. This page therefore keeps **Refrigerator 42** separate from same-looking codes used by other Samsung appliance families.
