25 hidden Roku tips and tricks

You in all probability desire a streaming device(Opens in a new tab) on your TV, whether or not you are a cord cutter(Opens in a new tab) or not. Roku is a standard selection, notably because it ramps up its own original content(Opens in a new tab).

Roku gadgets provide loads of selection and portability, from the price range Roku Express(Opens in a new tab) to the feature-packed Roku Ultra(Opens in a new tab). Whichever one you’ve, there’s extra to know past the fundamentals. This is the right way to get extra out of your streaming gadget.

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1. One Record to Rule Them All

You could have watchlists for your entire streaming apps, which implies it’s a must to scroll and scroll if you wish to discover one thing to observe. As a substitute, it can save you every little thing to at least one common listing with a Roku. Use the Roku OS to seek for the exhibits and motion pictures you wish to watch, and on the main points web page of every, choose Add to Save Record. Discover the listing by going to the Roku house display screen and choosing What to Watch.

2. Decide Up The place You Left Off

Have you ever ever wished to renew watching a film or present the place you left off, however you have forgotten which streaming service(Opens in a new tab) it was on? Simply go to the Roku Residence Display screen, click on What to Watch, scroll to Proceed Watching, and it will be listed there.

3. Watch Free Motion pictures and Exhibits on The Roku Channel

Video-streaming companies are nice, however the majority aren’t free. With The Roku Channel(Opens in a new tab), you possibly can register and entry these premium channels (together with HBO Max(Opens in a new tab) and Netflix)—however the channel additionally gives free entry to hundreds of flicks and TV episodes, for those who can deal with a number of commercials. Roku has been including extra original content(Opens in a new tab) as nicely. Go to The Roku Channel and scroll all the way down to the Dwell TV Channel Information for tons of of selections. You can too watch within the Roku app, whether or not you’ve a Roku gadget or not: Simply obtain it, register or create an account, and begin streaming.

4. Search Hundreds of Channels at As soon as

As a substitute of looking out each Roku channel individually to search out what you need, search throughout them with Roku Search(Opens in a new tab). Enter your search time period by way of the Roku remote(Opens in a new tab), Roku cellular app, or by way of voice search, and you will see outcomes from over 4,000 channels. Search by title, actor, or director, and you will get a complete listing. Equally, use Roku Search to match the prices of streaming content material: Sort in a film, present, or star for an inventory of accessible titles and the costs for every throughout channels and companies.

5. Get within the Zone

Roku Zones (Opens in a new tab)are collections of flicks and exhibits from throughout channels which might be organized by style or matter. Go to look, kind in a search time period akin to “comedy,” and scroll by way of the zone that pops up. Final 12 months, Roku added(Opens in a new tab) a Dwell TV Zone for fast entry to live TV streaming services(Opens in a new tab) like Hulu, fuboTV, Philo, Sling, and YouTube TV, to call a number of. 

6. Uncover ‘Secret’ Roku Channels

Not all out there Roku channels are listed within the Roku Channel Retailer. To seek out and add non-public ones that do not present up underneath the channel information, take a look at the Roku Guide(Opens in a new tab). Click on the hyperlink you need, choose Add Channel, and you will be taken to a Roku account web page. Log in, add the code for the channel, and you are set.

7. Flip Your Cellphone Right into a Roku Distant

As nice a tool because the Roku is, navigating by way of the distant might be a greater expertise. To get round that, obtain the Roku Official Distant Management app (iOS(Opens in a new tab), Android)(Opens in a new tab), and get the advantage of a keyboard, simple looking out, and streaming out of your telephone or pill.

8. Discuss to Your Roku Distant

That mentioned, you might all the time discuss to your Roku straight with a Roku Voice Distant Professional, Voice Distant, or the Roku cellular app. On the remotes, press both the microphone icon and maintain down as you converse your request. On the app, choose the magnifying glass to get to the search web page, then faucet the microphone, let it go, converse your request, and faucet the center of the display screen.

9. Ask Alexa or the Google Assistant

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When you’ve got an Amazon Echo(Opens in a new tab) and a Roku, ask Alexa to control your Roku(Opens in a new window)(Opens in a new tab). First, you will should hyperlink each accounts by opening the Alexa cellular app, choosing Abilities & Video games, and trying to find Roku. If you discover it, faucet Allow to Use, register to your Roku account, and choose the Roku gadget you wish to hyperlink (or Choose All when you’ve got a couple of).

Shut your Roku account, and Alexa will seek for the gadget on the Machine Discovery display screen. As soon as it is discovered, faucet Handle, Hyperlink Gadgets, and choose the Roku you wish to connect with Alexa. Then add the Roku to a bunch by choosing the Gadgets icon. Both add it to an present group or create a brand new one by tapping the plus button. Within the Alexa app, faucet on the Roku gadget, and be sure that it’s enabled. Then you can use instructions akin to, “Alexa, open Netflix on front room Roku.”

You can too use Google Assistant to make voice requests. First, verify that your Roku participant is operating Roku OS 9.0 or larger or that your Roku TV has Roku OS 8.2 or larger. Set up your Google Assistant(Opens in a new tab) in your Google gadget or app. Open the Google Assistant cellular app, faucet Discover > Settings > Residence Management > Add Machine > Discover > Roku. Check in to your Roku account and then select which gadget you wish to management with Google Assistant.

10. Discover That Misplaced Distant

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The Roku distant is definitely misplaced in sofa cushions and underneath espresso tables. Should you’ve spent far an excessive amount of time trying to find it, we now have some options.

When you’ve got a distant with a speaker grille, open the Roku app, faucet the microphone, and say, “Hey, Roku, discover my distant.” The distant will emit a beeping noise.

When you’ve got a Roku Extremely, long-press the button on the appropriate facet of the gadget, and the distant will emit a beep.

If the distant you have misplaced is the Voice Distant Professional, say, “Hey, Roku, discover my distant,” and it is going to begin beeping.

To cease the beeping noise as soon as you have positioned your distant, press any button on the distant.

To vary the noise your Roku distant emits when it is misplaced, open the Roku app in your TV and go to Settings > Distant > Change Distant Finder Sound. To listen to what it feels like, click on Preview Distant Finder Sound.

11. Make Your Roku at Residence(Equipment)

For iPhone and iPad house owners, Roku gadgets assist AirPlay(Opens in a new tab) and HomeKit, so you possibly can ship movies, photographs, and music out of your gadget to the TV and supported audio system. Set it up within the Roku menu by navigating to Settings > Apple AirPlay & HomeKit > Launch Apple AirPlay & HomeKit setup. A QR code will pop up. Scan it along with your iPhone or iPad’s digital camera and comply with the directions in your Apple gadget to complete setup. HomeKit, in the meantime, helps you to management your Roku utilizing Siri and the Apple Residence app (“Hey Siri, play jazz on the lounge TV”).

12. Let Siri and Roku Chat

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Your Roku and iPhone can work collectively, with Siri appearing because the interpreter. The Roku iOS app(Opens in a new tab) has Siri Shortcuts(Opens in a new tab) that allow you to management your Roku along with your voice. Open the app in your telephone, faucet the account icon on the high proper, and choose Siri Shortcuts. You possibly can activate the power to open the Roku distant, play or pause Roku, search Roku, and flip a Roku on and off for sure fashions. Click on on every choice to preserve the prompt phrasing or provide you with your personal instructions.

13. Roku Display screen Mirroring

With AirPlay enabled, you possibly can mirror your iPhone or iPad display screen by way of the Management Heart to Roku, although most Roku devices(Opens in a new window)(Opens in a new tab) assist display screen mirroring from Android and Home windows gadgets too. To hook it up, press the Residence button in your Roku distant, then go to Settings > System > Display screen Mirroring. You’ll have the choice to decide on between Immediate or All the time Enable.

14. Apply Casting

Should you want Google’s Solid expertise, you possibly can ship music, movies, and photographs from cellular gadgets to most Roku-connected gadgets simply so long as each are linked to the identical Wi-Fi community. Open the content material you wish to share on the gadget, and search for the solid icon. Click on it, and you must see all out there Roku gadgets pop up in a menu.

15. Automated Quantity Leveling

What number of instances have you ever been lulled into somnolence by a present solely to be jolted awake by a business? On most Roku models(Opens in a new tab), you possibly can activate Leveling, so a business or a channel change would not end in a spike in quantity. You can too select to have tender sounds elevated and loud sounds decreased with Evening mode.

Activate the characteristic both from Settings, when you’ve got a Streambar or Good Soundbar(Opens in a brand new tab), or whereas streaming with different Roku gadgets. For Streambars and Soundbars, press the Residence button on the distant and go to Settings > Audio > Quantity Modes. For different gadgets, press the star button on the distant and navigate to Sound Settings > Quantity Mode.

16. Use Roku Non-public Listening

If you wish to watch one thing in your Roku with out disturbing these round you, use Non-public Listening. The Roku Voice Distant Professional, Enhanced Voice Distant, and Gaming Distant embody built-in headphone jacks; simply plug in and preserve watching. Or obtain the Roku cellular app, join your headphones to your gadget, and faucet the headphones icon.

17. Save That Display screen

Perhaps you paused no matter you are watching and walked out of the room. Otherwise you fell asleep, and now the Roku emblem is bouncing round your display screen just like the flying toasters of yore. Give your self one thing nicer to have a look at with Roku’s screensavers(Opens in a new tab). Click on the Residence button in your distant, then go to Settings > Theme > Screensavers.

18. Get Your Sport On

It isn’t a Nintendo Switch(Opens in a new tab), however your Roku is still in the game(Opens in a new window)(Opens in a new tab). Hit the Residence button, go to Streaming Channels > Video games, and you possibly can go retro with Snake or go on a sugar-fueled rampage in Candy Bear(Opens in a new window)(Opens in a new tab). The Roku Enhanced Gaming Distant with Voice Search helps motion-control gaming.

19. Transfer the Apps on Your Roku Residence Display screen

Roku shows channels within the order by which you add them, however you possibly can transfer them round. Discover the app you wish to transfer, press the star button in your Roku distant, and choose “Transfer channel” from the pop-up menu. Use the directional pad to maneuver it to the specified location.

20. Say What?

Should you missed these previous couple of strains in a present or film, there is a fast solution to catch up. Arrange instantaneous replay by going to Settings > Accessibility > Captions Mode and choosing On Replay. Then, if you hit the Immediate Replay button on the distant, you will additionally get the textual content on the display screen.

21. Stream Your Personal Stuff By way of Plex

Although Roku gives a ton of various channels and issues to observe, you will in all probability nonetheless wish to entry your regionally saved content material in your TV. Join Plex Move(Opens in a brand new window)(Opens in a brand new tab) ($4.99 per thirty days, $39.99 per 12 months, $119.99 for a lifetime), and you possibly can. Plex(Opens in a new tab) organizes your scattered content material and helps you to watch it from tablets, TVs, telephones, and extra; you possibly can record and watch(Opens in a new tab) stay broadcast TV, too.

Obtain the Plex app. Then set up the Plex channel in your Roku, launch it, then go to plex.tv/pin(Opens(Opens in a new tab) in a new window)(Opens in a new tab). Log in and enter the code from the Roku Plex channel on the web site.

22. Faucet Into Dwell TV Streaming Providers

New live TV services(Opens in a new tab) are popping up usually to fulfill your sports activities and Hallmark film wants. To see what’s on provide, click on the Residence button in your distant, and go to Streaming Channels > Cable Different to log into companies together with Sling and Hulu(Opens in a new tab), or go to Streaming Channels > Watch With Cable to log in with a pay TV supplier, akin to Comcast or Spectrum. You can too go to the Roku Channel, scroll all the way down to the Dwell TV Channel Information, and flip by way of tons of of channels with out paying for any of them. That features NewsOn(Opens in a new tab), which streams native information broadcasts from retailers nationwide.

23. Cloud DVRs

Plenty of stay TV streaming companies provide cloud DVR, which means you possibly can file stay TV and entry your exhibits later by way of the service’s Roku app.

24. Be Our Visitor

Your friends could make themselves at house by accessing their Roku settings with out disturbing yours. All it’s a must to do is allow Visitor Mode (beforehand Auto Signal Out Mode). Go to my.roku.com/account/PIN(Opens(Opens in a new tab) in a new window)(Opens in a new tab), arrange a PIN, and then press the Residence button on the Roku distant. Go to Settings > System > Visitor Mode > Enter Visitor Mode. Then enter your PIN and choose OK. When friends come to remain, direct them to the Roku guide(Opens in a new window)(Opens in a new tab) on utilizing Visitor Mode.

25. Keep As much as Date

To get probably the most out of your Roku, you must set up the newest software program model. The gadget usually handles this by itself, however for those who’ve not too long ago added a channel, or your Roku has been disconnected for some time, you might need missed an replace. In that case, you possibly can replace manually by going to Settings > System > System Replace.

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