Why is my Smart TV not recognizing external hard drives?

Check TV connectivity:
Ensure that your TV is connected the the internet as external hard drives typically need the TV to be connected to the internet in order to detect the device.
Ensure external drive is properly formatted:
Make sure that the external drive is formatted in a way that the TV can recognize it. Each TV model has different storage requirements.
Update TV software:
Make sure that your TV is up to date by checking the manufacturer’s website for firmware updates.
Restart TV and external drive:
After checking the connectivity, formatting, and software updates, it is best to restart the TV and the external drive. Unplug the device and plug it back in to see if it is detected.