Roku launches new home screen on smart TVs and streaming players
Roku launches new home screen on smart TVs and streaming players
The redesign preserves the Roku feel while adding more dyamic options.
Brace yourselves, Roku owners: your device’s user interface is about to get a big update. On Wednesday, Roku announced that it was launching the biggest remake of its home screen in years, with a particular focus on showing viewers new TV shows and movie recommendations as soon as they turn on their device.
Key Details:
- Major change: Roku is launching a new home screen experience.
- For you: The new home screen has an emphasis on providing content recommendations.
- Join the club: The change makes Roku’s home screen more like Amazon Fire TV and Google TV.
Roku’s new home screen doesn’t reinvent the wheel as viewers will still have quick access to their favorite apps, and will be able to scroll live channels, sports, and other categories via the left-hand menu that pops out when one of its icons is highlighted. However, now this collapsible menu is more streamlined, with icons taking the place of the text destination names that were previously found in those spots.
The biggest change that Roku owners will note with the updated home screen is the increased number of content recommendations they’ll see. Roku will use customer viewing habits to offer a greater quantity of personalized TV and movie recommendations to help cut down on browsing time and connect viewers with new titles faster.
A sample of Roku’s new home screen. Click to expand.
“When we set out to rethink the Home Screen, we knew we should listen to the people who use it every day. So we talked to the viewers, we tested extensively, and we pushed until the design and the data lined up for a meaningful update,” Roku CEO Anthony Wood said. “Now, our new Home Screen puts entertainment at the center of everything, while staying true to Roku’s simple, intuitive roots. More than 100 million households will feel the difference the moment they turn on their TV—and it opens up a better, more powerful experience for our partners as well.”
The updated Roku home screen includes:
- Quick Access, which allows viewers to jump immediately into their favorite apps.
- Top Picks for You, an intelligence-driven section that recommends new titles based on your viewing preferences.
- Genre-based tile groupings like For You and Subscriptions that offer more personalized viewing recommendations.
- Your Daily Scoop, a row that includes a curated digest of culturally relevant content.
Get a preview of the new Roku home screen
Viewers can also search from key destinations on the Roku home page, and access a Roku City tile to enter an interactive version of Roku’s popular screensaver. Shortcuts such as Continue Watching and a Save List function are also available.
The new Roku home screen is launching across Roku streaming players and smart TVs in the United States as of Wednesday. Additional global territories will get the new Roku home screen experience in the coming months.
Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free, ad-supported streaming service that offers a broad mix of movies, TV shows, live linear channels, and original programming. Available to all viewers — not just Roku device owners — the service features licensed content from major studios alongside Roku Originals, which include exclusive series, movies, and specials previously produced for Quibi, as well as new original projects developed specifically for the platform.