If you have a new Roku 4 player or even the older Roku models such as first generation or third generation, you probably think you know everything about the Roku player. In reality, there are a lot of hidden functions and features of the Roku player that you are likely missing out on and did not know existed on the platform. It does not matter which Roku player you have as you can do so much more on the Roku player than people will tell you, and some of these functions and features are really helpful. We are going to tell you some of these really cool features and functions that are relatively hidden and it will help you get the biggest potential out of your Roku player no matter which model you own.
Roku Player Hidden Features and Functions
You can rearrange your streaming channels- Did you know that you can change and arrange all the streaming channels you have on your Roku player? When you first add a new streaming channel, it is arranged on your main screen by the default setting. You can change this however to something you prefer, and just highlight the channel from the “My Channels” section to do this. You then click the options button which is the * and you can select to move this channel.
Screensaver Options- Much like a computer screen, you can customize your Roku player to add a screensaver to it which automatically pops up on your television. Roku offers a ton of screensavers which you will find under the Screensaver option which is right in the Settings menu. There is a Channel Store as well and you can find even more cool screensavers under this menu too, so you can customize your Roku player to show any screensaver on your television that you want.
Add Home Screen Themes- When you first load up the Roku Player, you will notice that purple is the default theme for the Roku player. You can go into Settings and then click the Themes option to check out even more cool themes, such as Daydream or Nebula. If you head to the Roku Channel Store you will also notice even more themes have been added, which is just another way to customize your own Roku player to suite your style.
Remoteless Voice Search- If you have the newer Roku 3 or Roku 4 models, you likely have noticed that there is a microphone on the remote, and you can enable the voice search through this. Whether you are looking for actors, directors, television shows or movies, you can search for it all through the feature. If you want to enable the voice search without the remote, head over to the Roku mobile app on Apple or Google OS, and just go to the main menu, click search and you will find the “voice” button. Use the voice button through the app to enable voice search without needing your remote.
Replay Captions Instantly- Sometimes when you watch a television show or a movie, you might have trouble understanding what the dialogue is of the character. Whether your phone ends up ringing or the character in the show is just not speaking very clearly, we all have ran into situations where you did not know what was just said. You can use your Roku player to find out what was said by instantly replaying the captions. First enable the feature by going into the Settings menu, then clicking Captions and check the instant replay box. After that click on the button that says replay and then the subtitles will be on the screen so you can re-read what was just said.
Add Private Channels- You can add private channels by going into the Roku website, logging in, clicking “Add Private Channel” and then enter the access code. You will not find these in the app or through the Roku Player itself and you need the Channel Access Code to enter it onto your account. These private channels could be in beta, have adult content or be an unofficial third-party channel, but you can definitely add them to your Roku, just it must be done through the website.
