How to fix common Roku problems –

Roku streaming devices don’t always work smoothly. Roku is a prevalent name in the world of home streaming. The company offers tons of streaming devices and smart TVs, and reported more than 60.1 million active users in the US as of Q4 2021. Learn how to fix common Roku issues

Many of you are using the platform, so we can understand how important it can be whenever your Roku is down. What do you do if your Roku is down? We can give you many troubleshooting tips. Here’s our guide on how to fix common Roku issues

Editor’s note: the The steps in this article were performed on a Roku Ultra running Roku OS 11. Please note that the steps may differ depending on your hardware and software version.

How to fix common Roku problems

Roku is down?

It’s not a common occurrence, but sometimes Roku services crash. You should first check if the Roku servers or services are having issues.

You can use a website like , which collects user reports to determine if a service is down or not. It even has a map function to determine if an outage is local or widespread.

Try a simple reset

There are many reasons why your Roku may not be working. We can’t always find the problem directly, but we can tell you that most small issues are usually fixed with a simple reboot. Give it a try!

Reboot with remote:

1. Press the button Start on your remote.
2. Select the Setting .
3. Go into System .
4. Go to the can .
5. click on Restart system .
6. press Restart .

Reboot when frozen:

1. Press the button Of start five times.
2. select arrow up once.
3. touch the button Rewind twice.
4. press the button fast forward twice.

Is your device overheating?

Placing your Roku on top of another device or in a confined space can cause it to overheat. It shouldn’t be a common occurrence, but you’ll see a warning on the screen if your Roku is overheating. Some Roku devices also feature an LED light that will glow bright red when it overheats.

When you see the on-screen warning or LED light, immediately turn off your Roku and unplug it. Wait ten minutes or more before reconnecting your device and turning it back on. If the problem persists, turn off your Roku again and unplug it. You may need to contact Roku if you can’t find a way to cool down your device, as it may indicate larger hardware issues.

look for a red light

Speaking of a red light, you can identify more than just overheating issues. You may also run into an issue where your Roku is not getting enough power, indicated by a red LED or on-screen warning.

If you connected your USB-powered Roku device to your TV in a closed circuit, that may cause your problem. Some TVs come with USB outlets that deliver less power than others, and some are not designed to deliver power at all.

The easiest way to fix this Roku issue is to connect your USB to power adapter, which should come in the original box. Roku designed their adapter to deliver the right level of power, so trust the hardware! If you still have problems, try moving the power adapter to a different outlet or power strip.

check your remote

Most Roku products ship with simple IR remotes, but newer units can get Wi-Fi remotes. Arguably these are better, but they can also complicate things a bit.

Sure, they let you point anywhere with good results, but you might run into connection issues. Most of these issues should be easy to fix in settings, but here’s what you can try if they’re not.

Roku IR Remotes

Unfortunately, IR remotes still require direct lines of sight to your transmitting device. This means that you will have to move all the obstacles between you and your streaming device. Be sure to check your line of sight from anywhere you like to sit in front of your TV.

You can also replace the batteries in your IR remote for a stronger connection. The IR blaster works like a flashlight, and is only as good as the strength of its beam. A new set of batteries should help fix this type of Roku issue.

Roku Wi-Fi Remotes

Roku’s Wi-Fi remotes are a bit more complicated, but they’re also significantly more powerful. You can try the battery trick we mentioned above, but it can also help to restart or re-pair your remote and streaming device.

Force restart your remote and Roku device:

1. Remove your Roku device from power.
2. Take the batteries out of your remote.
3. Reconnect your Roku device to power and wait for it to boot up.
4. Reinsert the batteries into your remote and wait 30 seconds to a minute.

This should reset both components, but may also cause your remote to lose connection with the device. Here’s what you can do if this happens.

How to re-pair your Roku remote:

1. Repeat the first four steps above, but do not replace the battery cover.
2. Press and hold the pairing button inside the compartment for three seconds. After that, you should see the pairing light start flashing on your remote.
3. Wait 30 seconds while your remote completes its pairing process.
4. Follow the pairing prompts on your TV screen.

Note: If you are not sure which remote you have, remove the battery cover. You will see a small pairing button if you have a Wi-Fi remote, but this will not be present on IR remotes.

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It could be your internet connection

Still, having problems with Roku not working? Maybe it’s time to start looking outside of your Roku hardware. It is possible that you have problems with the Internet. To find out, grab another device connected using the same Wi-Fi network. It can be a smartphone, a tablet or a computer. Check if your internet is working on other devices. If other devices don’t work, you know what the problem is.

Check if your router and modem are working properly. You can try resetting them. There’s usually a dedicated reset button on these, but you can also use the universal method of unplugging the router, waiting a minute or so, and then plugging it back in. If a simple method to fix your Internet is not working, you should probably call your Internet Service Provider for help.

Roku also has a dedicated tool to check your internet connection.

How to check your Internet connection from a Roku device:

1. Get into the Settings .
2. go to Net .
3. Select check connection .

You should see Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor indicators in the section About of . If you have a fair or poor connection, you may want to try improving your connection.

If your Roku device has an Ethernet port, try connecting to the Internet that way to see if the problem is coming from your Wi-Fi. This may mean you’ll need to reset your router, or you may want to reposition your Roku.

It’s not always possible, especially if you have a streaming device, but you can also try moving your TV. Error code 009 on your Roku means it’s connected to your router, just no internet. If that happens, restart your Roku and router to see if that helps.

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Keep your Roku up to date

Most Roku updates are meant to happen automatically in the background, but no one is perfect. From time to time, you may have to roll up your sleeves and do the update yourself.

How to update your Roku device:

1. Press the button Start on your remote.
2. Get into the Settings .
3. Select System .
4. Choose the option Upgrade system .
5. Press Check now to check for updates manually.
6. If an update is available, your Roku should start the process automatically. Do not interrupt it while the update is being installed.

Audio and video problems

Audio and video issues on your Roku can be coming from a few different locations. It could be a problem with your apps or software settings, but it could also be a hardware issue if something is offline.

Before trying any of these more complex solutions, try restarting your Roku first. Then unplug it and wait a few seconds before turning it back on. It might sound like a silly answer, but it often works wonders.

Still having problems? Here are some potential solutions:

Check your connections and inputs

If you have a Roku set-top box, check your HDMI input on both ends. All of your cables should be securely connected to both the TV and your streaming device. You can also check that you are connected to the correct audio input. Finally, make sure the mute feature is off and try adjusting the volume on your TV.

Check your Roku settings

You can use the Settings menu to adjust your audio input. Press the button Start on your remote and go to Setting where you should find the option Audio . If you are connected via HDMI, adjust your settings to Stereo and change your HDMI to PCM-Stereo .

Audio and visual sync issues

You may notice that your audio and visual playback is out of sync. If this is the case, you may need to play around with your video update settings.

Edit Roku Video Update Settings:

1. Press the button Start on your remote.
2. Enter the menu Setting .
3. choose System and then Advanced system settings .
4. click on Advanced display settings .
5. choose Automatically adjust screen refresh rate and select Deactivate .

Common Roku App Problems

The Roku Companion App is an essential add-on for Android and iOS users, but it can be a source of some common issues. You can use the app as a remote and it is the easiest way to add content to your streaming device.

First, though, you need to make sure you get the correct connection settings. Like most issues, the root cause is likely to be found in your Wi-Fi connection, so here are some solutions.