Income taxes - Deferred income tax assets and liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax [Line Items]
Current deferred income tax assets		$ 0
Noncurrent deferred income tax assets	$ 201	180
Current deferred income tax liabilities		0
Noncurrent deferred income tax liabilities	(37)	(64)
Net deferred income tax asset	$ 164	116
2014 As Reported
Income Tax [Line Items]
Current deferred income tax assets		347
Noncurrent deferred income tax assets		172
Current deferred income tax liabilities		(4)
Noncurrent deferred income tax liabilities		(399)
Net deferred income tax asset		116
Effect of Applying New Standard
Income Tax [Line Items]
Current deferred income tax assets		(347)
Noncurrent deferred income tax assets		8
Current deferred income tax liabilities		4
Noncurrent deferred income tax liabilities		335
Net deferred income tax asset		$ 0

Income tax.

No definition available.

Name:	txn_IncomeTaxLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	txn_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards expected to be realized or consumed within one year or operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32537-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=37586315&loc=d3e31931-109318

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=37586315&loc=d3e31938-109318

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Deferred Tax Asset
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510090

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=37586315&loc=d3e31917-109318

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGrossCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=37586315&loc=d3e31917-109318

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32537-109319

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Deferred Tax Asset
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510090

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=37586315&loc=d3e31931-109318

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGrossNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after allocation of valuation allowances and deferred tax liability, of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible differences and carryforwards, before jurisdictional netting.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32537-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences expected to be realized or consumed within one year or operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGrossCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Gross amount of noncurrent deferred tax liabilities, which result from applying the applicable tax rate to taxable temporary differences pertaining to each jurisdiction to which the entity is obligated to pay income tax.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGrossNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis=us-gaap_ScenarioPreviouslyReportedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis=us-gaap_RestatementAdjustmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: