The device or Roku device does not have a built-in web browser to access websites or the Internet. However, we can use a third-party browser and install it on Roku to browse the Internet. We have listed some of the ways and apps you can use on Roku to browse the internet. While these aren’t fully optimized for Roku devices, we can test them out. Discover the best internet browsers for Roku in 2021
When it comes to streaming devices, Chromecast and FireStick are two popular names in this domain. Along the same lines, Roku has also established itself as a worthy contender. With the availability of a plethora of channels and streaming services to choose from, users are generally spoiled for choice.
However, there is one region where its shortcomings are fully apparent, and that is the browser segment. First of all, there is no native built-in browser for Roku. Also, it could only be done with a couple of web browsers from its official store.
The ones that are present are also not fully optimized, they just come bundled with the basic features that would do their job. If you’re looking to test browsers outside of the store, then you’ll need to download them from third-party sources.
The irony is that the ones that are not officially available turn out to be a much better alternative than their counterpart. So, keeping all these points in mind, this guide will tell you about seven of the best browsers for your Roku platform. Without further ado, let’s begin.
If you have a Roku device at home, you probably know about this deal. Being one of only two browsers officially available on the Roku Store comes with its own set of benefits.
The most important one is the fact that it is fully compatible with the Roku Remote. Therefore, you can easily navigate between multiple sites directly from your own remote control.
Also, some of its other useful features include :
- Clean, simple and easy to navigate user interface.
- There are also some pre-saved news and sports websites that you can access directly with the push of a button.
- In the same vein, it also gives you the option to bookmark your preferred sites.
However, the biggest drawback of this browser is its inability to handle multimedia content. Let alone videos embedded in websites, it can’t even play YouTube videos.
web video caster
It has set itself apart from its competitors by incorporating tons of TV shows and movies. Well, in some cases, it seems like it even gives Roku itself some stiff competition!
On a serious note, Web Video Caster is more than just your everyday browser. The ability to watch series, watch live TV shows and movies is just the tip of the iceberg.
Some of its other notable features include :
- It supports all popular video formats.
- It can automatically get the subtitle file of the corresponding movie being played.
- If that’s not enough, it also gives you the option to download the subtitles of your choice via the integrated OpenSubtitles website.
- You can also bookmark your favorite sites, view your watch history, create a shortcut on your home screen for easy access, and more.
- Well, you could even send your videos stored on your Android device to this browser.
So where’s the catch? Well, all good things come at a cost, and this is the case here as well. You would have to shell out some money to test most of its feature set.
MediaBrowser
In our tests, MediaBrowser it was right at the top with the X browser when it came to handling large, resource-heavy websites.
Then, to justify its name tag, it has done the media full justice. Be it audio, video or images, it is capable of handling them all with some ease.
Likewise, most of its features are also focused on providing a rich media browsing experience. These include the likes of
- A photo slideshow feature to relive all your memories.
- Live TV streaming functionality
- The ability to remotely control the media browser using other applications from the same publisher.
- And recently, it has come to the Roku store. Therefore, you can download it directly from the store without searching for any trusted third-party site.
However, before you can use this browser, you must install the media browser server on your network. This could be a bit challenging, especially for non-tech savvy users.
Xfinity
Xfinity offers a powerful set of features, with its sights set primarily on the entertainment industry.
So aside from being a decent web browser, it also offers a host of other features, including but not limited to:
- The option to stream videos, songs and movies of your choice, spread across various genres.
- Similarly, you could add more channels to your collection by spending a few bucks.
However, it has added so many features that it could even be mistaken for a streaming media service first and a browser second. If only it had focused more on its navigation interface, it probably could have earned a higher rank on this list.
the roku channel
Whether directly taking the device name as its own brand will work or not, only time will tell. But one thing that seems to have worked in its favor is the addition of various media services.
So whether it’s news, sports, music, or live TV, you can watch them all in one root. Some of its other features that you might find useful include:
- The ability to effortlessly stream all of your favorite shows.
- The contents are obtained directly from Yahoo, which is updated regularly.
- As a result, you could look forward to the updated provision of their services.
However, most of their offers are behind a paywall. So you would have to empty your pockets to be able to enjoy the full potential of this service.
POPRISM
Other than Web Browser X and Media Browser, it’s the only browser you can get directly from the Roku store.
As a result, POPRISM automatically translates into some advantages, such as:
- Easily navigable pages that can be navigated directly from the remote control itself.
- Also, the browser is among the most minimalist and basic, so you can expect an impressive performance score.
- Plus, it’s completely text-based, making it one of the fastest browsers for your Roku device.
Unfortunately, that very feature also leads to its downfall. It is devoid of GUI/CSS/JavaScript and therefore you cannot expect much from it. A few Google searches and checking RSS feeds is about as much as you can handle.
All in all, the downsides of losing such important browser components seem to have outweighed the accrued benefits of their availability in the Roku store.
Screen casting via Android
As you may have noticed, unlike smartphones, Roku does not have good quality browsers. Most of them could only perform some basic tasks. That’s why we decided to share this method with you.
This alternative solution of directly streaming your smartphone screen comes with quite a few advantages, such as:
- You can try any of your preferred browsers on Roku, be it Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
- Plus, you don’t have to go through the hassle of the installation process.
- Pairing is pretty easy too. Just grab your Android device, go to Setting > connected devices > Pair new device and select roku of the list. That’s it.
However, the biggest drawback is the fact that you can only cast an Android device and not an iPhone. This is because Roku uses Miracast, which is only supported by Google’s operating system. Also, streaming requires a good internet connection; otherwise you would notice delays and sync issues.
So, with this, we come to the end of this list of the best Internet browsers for Roku in 2021. We have shared seven different browsers in this article, each with its own USP and drawbacks.
If we keep our focus on just the browsers you can get from the Roku Store, then Web Browser X should be your go-to option. This is because POPRISM is text-based only and is not supported by most current websites.
So if we are talking about downloading from a third party site, Web Video Caster app should be enough for a decent browsing experience.
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