If there’s one thing that really puts Roku above other streaming devices and platforms, whether it’s Fire TV, Google TV, or Apple TV, it’s Roku’s major emphasis on free streaming. With the cost of streaming continuing to rise, I love being able to boot up my Roku Ultra, open The Roku Channel, and be inundated with free things to watch, from live TV channels to on-demand movies and TV shows.
That said, while I appreciate Roku’s focus on free streaming, there are some things about its platform that drive me crazy, including its messy home screen. But as I do with all my devices, I like to tinker with them to get the most out of them. So when I booted up my Roku Ultra for the first time earlier this year, I immediately started digging through the settings to see what I could change.
What I found was that by simply turning off a handful of features on my Roku Ultra that I felt detracted from my experience rather than making it better, I was able to easily upgrade my device, enhance my privacy, and make streaming more enjoyable, all without costing me anything.
So whether you have a Roku Streaming Stick, a Roku smart TV, or a Roku Ultra, here’s how you can get a better Roku experience simply by turning off a few settings.
Turn off home screen clutter
Get to your apps faster
The first thing I always recommend anyone do on their Roku is clean up the home screen. Earlier this year, Roku rolled out a new update that introduced a brand-new home screen design. And while I’ll admit I do like the new navigation bar on the left-hand side of the screen, what I don’t like is all the recommendations that now pop up and get in the way of the one thing I want to get to as quickly as possible whenever I turn on my Roku: my apps.
Fortunately, Roku does let you turn off some of the things that clutter up the home screen, including the row of recommended shows and movies that show up at the top, called “Recommendation rows,” as well as the new “Quick Access” section, which highlights some of your most-used apps and shortcuts.
I don’t mind the Quick Access section, but I do find all the recommendations annoying. So I opted to turn off just the Recommendation rows. However, if you’d rather have all of your apps front and center instead of having Roku highlight just a select few, I’d recommend turning off Quick Access as well.
To do this on your Roku, navigate to Settings > Home screen and set Recommendations row to Hide. This will remove most of the recommendations from your home screen. If you want to get rid of Quick Access too, simply scroll down to that option and select Hide.
Turn off Personalized ads
Stop your Roku from delivering targeted advertising
While you can’t get rid of ads entirely on your Roku, you can stop your data from being used to personalize them. You can also customize the types of ads you see, so if you’re tired of seeing the same types of ads over and over again, you can adjust the Sensitive ad content setting to see fewer of them. This lets you select specific ad categories you want to see less of, such as Horror or Gambling.
To make these changes on your Roku, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Advertising. From there, you’ll see the Sensitive ad content option, which lets you select from several different topics you want to see fewer ads about. Just below that, you’ll also see the Personalize ads option. This is enabled by default, so simply select it to turn it off.
One last thing you can do here is select Reset advertising identifier, which will reset the advertising identifier Roku uses to personalize ads based on your activity. If you’re looking to limit how much of your data Roku uses for targeted advertising, these are all settings worth changing.
QuizRoku streaming devices
Trivia challenge
From its humble beginnings to your living room — how well do you really know Roku?
HistoryHardwareFeaturesStreamingFounders
In what year was Roku founded?
Correct! Roku was founded in 2008 by Anthony Wood, who had previously founded ReplayTV. The company launched its first streaming player the same year it was founded, making it a pivotal moment in streaming history.
Not quite. Roku was founded in 2008 by Anthony Wood. It launched its very first streaming device that same year, just months after the company was formed, which was remarkably fast for a hardware startup.
Who is the founder and CEO of Roku?
Correct! Anthony Wood founded Roku in 2008 and has served as its CEO ever since. Before Roku, he founded ReplayTV, one of the first digital video recorder companies, giving him deep roots in home entertainment technology.
Not quite. The answer is Anthony Wood. He founded Roku in 2008 after previously founding ReplayTV. Reed Hastings is associated with Netflix, while Tony Fadell is known as a key figure behind the iPod and Nest.
Roku was originally spun off from which major streaming company?
Correct! Roku started as an internal project at Netflix, which invested in the company and helped shape its early direction. Netflix ultimately decided to spin it off as a separate company to avoid competing with other device manufacturers who might not want to carry a Netflix-branded box.
Not quite. Roku was actually spun off from Netflix. Netflix funded and incubated the project before deciding it was better to keep the streaming device market open and neutral rather than launch a Netflix-branded player that might alienate other hardware partners.
What was the name of Roku’s very first streaming device, launched in 2008?
Correct! The Roku DVP N1000, also known as the Roku Digital Video Player, was the company’s debut product. It launched in May 2008 at a price of $99 and could stream Netflix content directly to your TV — a genuinely groundbreaking feature at the time.
Not quite. The first Roku device was the Roku DVP N1000, launched in May 2008. Priced at $99, it was primarily designed to stream Netflix and helped pioneer the idea of a dedicated, affordable streaming box for the living room.
What is the name of Roku’s free, ad-supported streaming channel built directly into its platform?
Correct! The Roku Channel launched in 2017 and offers thousands of free, ad-supported movies and TV shows. It has since become one of the most-watched channels on the Roku platform and is also available on other devices and the web.
Not quite. The correct answer is The Roku Channel, which launched in 2017. It provides free, ad-supported content and has grown into a major part of Roku’s business strategy, helping the company earn revenue beyond just hardware sales.
Roku’s business model relies heavily on which of the following revenue streams?
Correct! While Roku does sell hardware, its primary revenue engine is its platform business, which includes advertising, revenue sharing with streaming partners, and The Roku Channel. This platform-first approach is what makes Roku more than just a device maker.
Not quite. Roku makes the majority of its money from its platform business, which includes advertising and revenue-sharing arrangements with streaming services. Hardware sales are actually sold at low margins, with the real profit coming from keeping users engaged on the platform.
Which of the following form factors did Roku introduce to make streaming even more portable and discreet?
Correct! Roku introduced the Roku Streaming Stick, a compact dongle that plugs directly into a TV’s HDMI port. It was a game-changer for portability, making it easy to turn any modern TV into a smart TV without a bulky box sitting on your shelf.
Not quite. Roku launched the Roku Streaming Stick, a small dongle that plugs straight into an HDMI port. This compact form factor made Roku devices far more discreet and portable, competing directly with Amazon’s Fire TV Stick.
In which year did Roku go public on the Nasdaq stock exchange?
Correct! Roku went public on September 28, 2017, trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ROKU. Its IPO was considered a major success, and the stock surged significantly in the months that followed, reflecting strong investor confidence in the streaming market.
Not quite. Roku held its IPO on September 28, 2017, listing on the Nasdaq under the ticker ROKU. The offering was well-received by investors and marked a major milestone in the company’s journey from a Netflix spin-off to a publicly traded streaming powerhouse.
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Say goodbye to background ads
One thing that used to bother me with my Roku was turning on my device and finding the wallpaper had been replaced with a massive ad instead of the Roku City background I had set. This has happened to me several times this year, including when the wallpaper on my Roku Ultra was replaced with a huge ad for The Devil Wears Prada 2 in the spring, and again in the summer, when it was replaced with an ad promoting the FIFA World Cup.
Personally, I’d rather not have the entire background on my device changed just to serve me an ad, since it can be pretty jarring to turn on your TV and suddenly find the whole Roku experience looks completely different. And, simply put, I just don’t want to see ads presented that way in the first place.
Fortunately, despite Roku’s heavy focus on ads, it lets you turn off Sponsored Wallpapers. Just navigate to Settings > Theme and turn Sponsored Wallpapers off.
While you’re in this menu, you can also turn off Seasonal wallpapers. So if you’d rather your Roku’s background stay the same instead of changing for seasonal events, you can disable that here as well.
Turn off Speech Recognition
Protect your privacy
Another setting worth turning off on your Roku is Speech Recognition. Essentially, this setting allows Roku to use your voice recordings to help improve its speech recognition software. I don’t use voice prompts that often in the first place, but even when I do, I don’t want Roku saving and using those recordings.
In the settings menu, Roku explains exactly what happens what Speech Recognition does:
“Your voice recordings help us fine-tune and improve our speech recognition software. When this setting is checked, you’re allowing Roku to improve its software by storing and using your voice. If the setting is not checked, Roku will delete your voice recordings after converting them to text.”
If you don’t like the sound of any of that and want to protect your privacy, you can turn off Speech Recognition on your Roku by going to Settings > Privacy > Voice and setting Speech Recognition to off.
Turn off ACR
Don’t let Roku spy on what you’re watching
This next setting applies specifically to Roku smart TVs, as it relates to ACR (Automatic Content Recognition). If you’re not familiar with ACR, it’s a technology found on most smart TVs that can take snapshots of what’s playing on your screen to identify what you’re watching. Roku can then use that data to better understand viewing habits, which it can use to sell advertising and deliver more targeted ads.
So if you’d rather not have data about what you’re watching used for advertising purposes, it’s best to turn ACR off entirely.
To do so on your Roku TV, go to Settings > Privacy > Smart TV Experience and turn off Use Info from TV Inputs, or any other setting that specifically references ACR.
