You definitely need a streaming device for your TV, whether you’re cutting the cord or not. The Roku device is a popular choice, especially with the increase in its original content.
Our Top Rated Roku Devices
1. One List to Rule Them All (Credit: Roku)
You have watchlists for all your streaming apps, which means you’ll have to search and scroll when you want to find something to watch. Instead, you can save everything to one universal list using Roku. Use the Roku OS to search for the shows and movies you want to watch, and on the details page for each, select “Add to Watchlist.” Find the list by going to the Roku home screen and selecting “What to Watch.”
2. Resume Watching Where You Left Off
Have you ever wanted to resume watching a movie or TV program from where you left off, but forgot which streaming service it was on? Just go to the Roku home screen, click on “What to Watch,” and scroll to “Continue Watching,” and the program will be listed there.
Watch Free Movies and Shows on the Roku Channel
Video streaming services are great, but most aren’t free. With the Roku Channel, you can log in and access those premium channels (including Max and Netflix), but the channel also offers free access to thousands of movies and TV show episodes, if you can tolerate some ads. Roku has also added more original content as well. Go to the Roku Channel and scroll down to access the live TV channel guide for hundreds of options. You can also watch it in the Roku app, whether you have a Roku device or not: simply download it, log in or create an account, and start streaming.
Search Across Thousands of Channels at Once
Instead of searching each Roku channel individually to find what you want, you can search them all using Roku Search. Enter your search term via the Roku remote, the Roku mobile app, or through voice search, and you’ll see results from over 4,000 channels. Search by title, actor, or director, and you’ll get a comprehensive list. Similarly, use Roku Search to compare streaming content prices: type in a movie or TV show name or a star to get a list of available titles and their prices across different channels and services.
Navigate to Your Favorite Zone
Roku Zones are collections of movies and shows from all channels organized by genre or theme. Go to search, type in a search term like “Comedy,” and navigate to the zone that appears. Roku has also added a live TV zone for quick access to live TV streaming services like Hulu, fuboTV, Philo, Sling, and YouTube TV, to name a few.
Life-size Pictures
If you want to get a closer look at your photos or share them with a group, you can add Google Photos to your Roku. Go to photostreams.roku.com, log in (you may need to verify your email), and you’ll see a link to connect to Google Photos.
Turn Your Phone into a Roku Remote
While Roku is a great device, navigating through it via a remote can be a better experience. To overcome this, download the official Roku remote app (iOS, Android) and get the benefits of a keyboard, easy search, and streaming from your phone or tablet.
Talk to the Roku Remote
And with
You can always talk to your Roku directly using the Roku Voice Remote Pro, Voice Remote, or the Roku mobile app. On the remotes, press and hold the microphone icon while speaking. On the app, select the magnifying glass to access the search page, then tap the microphone, release it, say your request, and press the center of the screen.
Ask Alexa or Google Assistant
If you have an Amazon Echo and Roku, ask Alexa to control your Roku. First, you will need to link both accounts by opening the Alexa mobile app, selecting Skills & Games, and searching for Roku. When you find it, tap “Enable To Use,” log in to your Roku account, and select the Roku device you want to link (or select all if you have more than one device).
Close your Roku account, and Alexa will search for the device on the device discovery screen. Once found, tap “Manage,” then “Link Devices,” and select the Roku you want to link to Alexa. Then add Roku to a group by selecting the device icon. Add it to an existing group or create a new group by clicking the plus button. In the Alexa app, tap the Roku device, ensuring it’s enabled. You will then be able to use commands like “Alexa, open Netflix on Living Room Roku.”
You can also use Google Assistant for voice requests. First, ensure your Roku streaming device is running Roku OS 9.0 or later, or your Roku TV has Roku OS 8.2 or later. Set up Google Assistant on your Google device or app. Open the Google Assistant mobile app, tap “Explore,” then “Settings,” then “Home Control,” then “Add Device,” then “Search,” then “Roku.” Log into your Roku account and choose the device you want to control with Google Assistant.
Find a Lost Remote
The Roku remote can easily get lost between couch cushions and under coffee tables. If you’ve spent a long time looking for it, we have some solutions. If you have a speaker remote, just open the Roku app, tap the microphone, and say “Hey, Roku, find my remote.” The remote will emit a sound similar to a whistle. If you have Roku Ultra, long press the button on the right side of the device, and the remote will emit a whistling sound. If the lost remote is the Voice Remote Pro, say “Hey, Roku, find my remote,” and it will start to whistle. To stop the whistling sound once you find your remote, press any button on the remote.
To change the sound that the Roku remote makes when lost, open the Roku app on your TV and go to Settings and choose “Remote” and select “Change Remote Search Sound.” To listen to the sound it makes, click “Preview Remote Search Sound.”
Make Roku at Home
For iPhone and iPad owners, Roku devices support AirPlay and HomeKit, so you can stream videos, photos, and music from your device to your supported TV and speakers. Set it up in the Roku menu by navigating to Settings and selecting “Apple AirPlay & HomeKit” then “Launch Apple AirPlay & HomeKit Setup.” A QR code will appear. Scan it using your iPhone or iPad camera and follow the instructions on your Apple device to complete the setup. For HomeKit, it allows you to control Roku using Siri and the Apple Home app (“Hey Siri, play jazz music on Living Room TV”).
Let
Siri and Roku Talk
Roku and your iPhone can work together, with Siri as the mediator. The Roku iOS app includes Siri Shortcuts that allow you to control your Roku using your voice. Open the app on your phone, tap the account icon in the top right corner, and select “Siri Shortcuts.” You can enable the ability to open the Roku remote, turn Roku on or off, search on Roku, and turn some models of Roku on and off. Click on each option to keep the suggested phrase or create your own commands.
Mirror Your Roku Screen
With AirPlay enabled, you can mirror your iPhone or iPad screen to Roku via the Control Center, although most Roku devices also support screen mirroring from Android and Windows devices. To connect, press the Home button on your Roku remote, then go to Settings and select “System” then “Screen Mirroring.” You will get an option to choose between “Prompt” or “Always Allow.”
Cast Training
If you prefer Google’s casting technology, you can easily send music, videos, and photos from mobile devices to most connected Roku devices as long as they are on the same Wi-Fi network. Open the content you wish to share on the device, look for the cast icon. Click on it, and you will see all available Roku devices appear in the list.
Automatic Volume Leveling
How many times have you been immersed in a TV show only to be startled awake by a commercial? On most Roku models, you can enable the leveling feature so that a commercial or channel change doesn’t result in a volume spike. You can also choose to increase quiet sounds and reduce loud sounds using Night Mode.
Turn on the feature either from Settings, if you have a Streambar or Smart Soundbar, or during streaming with other Roku devices. For Streambars and Soundbars, press the Home button on the remote and go to Settings and select “Audio” then “Audio Mode.” For other devices, press the star button on the remote and go to Audio Settings then “Audio Mode.”
Listen Privately with Roku Private Listening
When you want to watch something on your Roku without disturbing those around you, use Private Listening. The Roku Voice Remote Pro, Enhanced Voice Remote, and Gaming Remote feature built-in headphone jacks. Just plug them in and continue watching. Alternatively, download the Roku mobile app and connect your headphones to your device and tap the headphone icon.
Save That Screen
You might have paused what you were watching and left the room. Or maybe you fell asleep, and now the Roku logo is bouncing on your screen like flying toasters of old. Give yourself something nicer to look at with Roku’s screensavers. Click the Home button on the remote, then go to Settings and select “Theme” then “Screensavers.”
Enjoy Games
It’s not a Nintendo Switch, but Roku is still in the game. Press the Home button, then go to Streaming Channels and select “Games,” and you can go back with Snake or take a sugary tour in Candy Bear. The enhanced Roku gaming controller supports voice search.
Move Apps on Roku’s Home Screen
Roku displays channels in the order you add them, but you can move them. Find the app you want to move, then press the star button on your Roku remote, and select “Move Channel” from the pop-up menu. Use the directional pad to move it to the desired location.
What?
If
You have missed many of the last lines in a show or movie; there is a quick way to compensate. Set up instant replay by going to settings and selecting “Accessibility” then “Instant Replay Mode” and selecting “On Replay.” Then, when you press the instant replay button on the remote, you will also get the text on the screen.
Stream Your Content via Plex
Although Roku offers many channels and different things to watch, you may still want to access the content that is stored locally on your TV. Subscribe to Plex Pass ($4.99 a month, $39.99 a year, $119.99 for a lifetime), and you can do that. Plex organizes your scattered content and allows you to watch it from tablets, TVs, phones, and more; you can also record and watch live TV.
Download the Plex app. Then install the Plex channel on your Roku, turn it on, and go to plex.tv/pin. Log in and enter the code from the Roku Plex channel on the site.
Take Advantage of Live TV Streaming Services
New live TV services regularly emerge to meet your needs for sports and Hallmark movies. To see what’s available, click the home button on your remote, scroll to Streaming Channels, and select “Cable Alternatives” to log into services like Sling and Hulu, or go to the Roku Channel and scroll down to the Live TV Channel Guide and browse through hundreds of channels without paying for any of them. This includes NewsOn, which streams local news from stations across the country.
Show Your Team Spirit
You can follow your favorite sports teams on Roku by going to the home screen on your device, scrolling to Sports, searching for the upcoming game, going to that page, and then selecting the heart icon next to your team’s name. This will create a row titled “My Favorites” under Sports with all upcoming games.
Cloud DVR Records
Many live TV streaming services offer cloud DVR, meaning you can record live TV and access your shows later via the service’s Roku app. If you have an antenna for watching live TV, you can record it using a device like Tablo TV. Set it up, download the app on your Roku, and you can watch, pause, and record shows.
YouTube TV subscriptions come with a cloud DVR that keeps an unlimited number of hours of programming for nine months. Sling TV customers get 50 hours of free DVR storage. Upgrade to DVR Plus for 200 hours of storage starting at $5 a month. DirecTV Stream comes with a cloud DVR that holds 20 hours of content for nine months. Hulu with Live TV includes the ability to record news, sports, TV shows, movies, and live events unlimited, saved for up to nine months. Philo subscribers can save anything that streams to the integrated DVR for a year. fuboTV offers subscribers a DVR feature that can be set to capture the entire show while it’s streaming. The amount of storage depends on your plan.
Be Our Guest
Your guests can feel at home by accessing their own Roku settings without disturbing yours. All you need to do is enable Guest Mode (previously known as Automatic Sign-Out Mode). Go to my.roku.com/account/PIN, set up a PIN, then press the home button on your Roku remote. Go to settings and choose “System” then “Guest Mode” then “Enter Guest Mode.” Then enter your PIN and select “OK.” When guests come to stay, direct them to Roku’s guide on using Guest Mode.
Stay
Informed
To get the most out of your Roku, you should install the latest version of the software. The device generally handles this automatically, but if you have recently added a channel, or if your Roku has been unplugged for a while, you might have missed an update. In this case, you can update manually by going to settings and selecting “System” then “System Update”.
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