Although HDMI are probably the most popular sockets on a Smart TV, if you look at the back of your television you will also find a series of USB ports that will be very useful in your daily life.
Some, such as connecting an external storage device, are popular, but there are surely other lesser-known ones that can get you out of trouble or improve your experience with your television: these are the best uses you can give to your USB devices. Smart TV.

We start with the most mainstream but no less important: connecting an external hard drive or USB memory to play the compatible audiovisual content contained inside: it can be series or movies, but also music or photographs.
If you have a movie collection or your favorite series stored safely locally, you can watch it simply by connecting it without depending on the internet, servers, streaming or clouds.

There are several aspects to recording content here. On the one hand, there is the possibility of recording that DTT series, program or movie that interests you on an external storage device, although in that case make sure that the socket is USB 3.0 or higher for speed, enough available space and that is formatted in a supported file system.
Another option is to record general content directly from the TV, since there are models that allow it and that this content is also saved on an external disk or USB memory. Likewise, if you use Android TV/Google TV, there are applications that allow you to record the screen with minimal initial configuration.

It may be that the available space on your Smart TV is limited or that you have simply installed so many applications that it is running out.
In that case, depending on the manufacturer and with operating systems such as Android TV/Google TV, it is possible that when connecting the storage unit it allows the action of configuring it as if it were internal memory, so that by always leaving it connected you can continue installing more apps using its storage.

Another quite popular application due to its practicality is to use the USB ports as a kind of charging station. Although it can be used for emergencies such as powering a Chromecast under certain conditions, it is best to plug in small devices such as a cell phone, headphones, and the like.
Why small? Because in general this type of charging is slow and although it works in scenarios such as a hotel room with few plugs, it is not the best if what we want is a fast charge.

This USB port can be used to provide connectivity to the television, for example with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and even to connect it to the internet directly with an Ethernet cable. As? With a dongle or adapter that allows it.

It is likely that your Smart TV already has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but if it does not work well or components such as the network card break down, you can add that accessory to update, improve or have that connectivity.

You don't need to connect a console to play, since there are games in the application stores, on devices like the Chromecast and even on content streaming platforms like Netflix you can play a game.

Although there are games that allow you to play with the remote control or mobile phone, in the end the most comfortable and agile way is usually with a gaming controller that connects through the USB port.

A USB port can connect that gaming controller, a keyboard, a mouse and even a webcam for video calls. However, the most normal thing is to use a keyboard or mouse to be able to write more comfortably, to install applications or to navigate.

Although this is a particular case of the previous one, it is less known and can also have the consequence of significantly improving the sound experience of your television: connect a DAC.
If we have a compatible audio adapter that works via USB, we can level up the sound of the Smart TV as long as we then have decent speakers to link them to.

Although the standard and simplest method to install applications on a Smart TV is by going to the official store, there is also another way to do it as long as the software in question is obviously suitable for that operating system: save the installable app in a USB, connect it to the TV and install it.
This is the case, for example, of those Smart TVs with Android TV/Google TV OS, in which you can search and save the APK file of the app, use a file explorer to locate it and start the installation. In any case, keep in mind that if they are out of the app store it is for a reason, so make sure it is a safe app.

Normally, a television can update itself, but this may not be the case for your TV or it may simply not be connected to the internet. In that case you have the option of preparing the update from a computer, storing it on a USB and then connecting it and proceeding with the update.