20+ hidden Roku TV menus and shortcuts I wish I knew years ago

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Hidden Roku menus help you fix issues and tweak your setup fast.
• You can organize apps, watchlists, and remotes way better than you think.
• Your Roku has tons of shortcuts that make streaming quicker and easier.

I’ve been a Roku user for years and have spent countless hours launching apps, navigating menus, and digging through settings. If you feel like you’ve barely scratched the surface of what Roku can do, take a seat.

I am sharing all the best hidden Roku tips and tricks so you can unlock the full power of your device.

Also: After testing streaming devices for over a decade, this $19 Roku is the best deal I’ve seen

You’ll learn how to stream from Plex or a USB, create a guest mode, quickly find lost remotes, and use special button combos to access hidden screens. There’s a ton of cool stuff hiding in plain sight that makes streaming and binging TV easier than ever.

By the end, you’ll know more about Roku than you ever thought you would.

1. Manage subscriptions in one place

Ever subscribe to a new streaming service and then forget all about it? Guilty. But Roku can help you track down all your subs in one account. Just head to My Subscriptions on Roku. There, you’ll see all the services you’ve added through Roku and can turn on email reminders so Roku pings you a couple of days before any renew and charge you.

1. Go to my.roku.com and sign in to your account.
2. Click Payment Methods and enter your credit card or PayPal details.
3. On any Roku screen, you can now subscribe to supported channels.
4. To manage existing subs, go to my.roku.com > My Subscriptions. You’ll see every active and expired subscription that Roku is billing you for, and you can cancel or renew them with just a click.

If you subscribed to a service outside the Roku platform, like ESPN through the Disney Plus website, you won’t see it listed under My Subscriptions. So I suggest streamlining how and where you subscribe to services and keeping them within Roku.

3. Resume watching with ‘Continue Watching’

Roku automatically tracks in-progress videos across apps and lists them for you in one place. Forget which app had that movie you paused last night? No problem. Roku will show every show or movie you’re able to resume, no matter the app.

1. On the Roku Home screen, select What to Watch.
2. Scroll to the Continue Watching section.
3. Select any paused show or movie to resume playback.

Selecting a movie or show in Continue Watching will jump straight back to where you left off.

5. Use Roku Search (across all apps)

On any Home screen, you can press the Search button (or use the microphone if you have a voice remote or the Roku app) to look for content by title, actor, or director. 

Roku will then search every channel on your device at once and show you where that content is available, including where it’s free or any rental or subscription costs. This saves time and can save you money.

1. On your Roku remote, press Star and select Search, or press the Search key or mic.
2. Enter a title or say it aloud.
3. Roku will list channels that have that content and the price or subscription required.
4. Select an entry to jump directly to that channel.

7. Display your photos

Want to see your vacation photos on the big screen? Use Roku’s Photo Streams to turn your camera roll into a TV slideshow or screensaver. 

Go to photostreams.roku.com on your computer to create a stream. You can upload photos or link Google Photos. Then open Photo Streams on your Roku, pick your stream, and select Slideshow. You can also set any stream as your screensaver.

1. In a web browser, go to photostreams.roku.com and log in.
2. Click Create Stream, upload photos, or link your Google Photos library.
3. On Roku, select Photo Streams and pick Slideshow.
4. For screensaver: Home > Settings > Themes > Screensavers > Photo Streams > Set as Screensaver.

9. Turn your phone into a remote

Roku’s mobile app is more than a backup remote. Once you install the Roku Official Remote app on your iPhone or Android device, you get a full keyboard, swipe and tap navigation, voice search, and channel launching. It’s also great if you lose your physical remote.

1. Download and open the Roku app on your device.
2. Select your Roku on the same Wi-Fi network.
3. Use the Keyboard icon to type quickly.
4. Tap the Voice icon to search by speaking.

11. Link Roku to Apple and Siri

Roku supports AirPlay 2 and HomeKit. After pairing, you can mirror your iPhone, iPad, or Mac screen, stream audio and video directly to your Roku, or use Siri Shortcuts in the Roku app to control playback with voice commands.

1. On Roku: Home > Settings > Apple AirPlay and HomeKit > AirPlay.
2. On iPhone: Open Control Center > Screen Mirroring > select Roku.
3. In the Roku app: Account > Siri Shortcuts to enable Siri control.

13. Calibrate audio, including for nighttime

Roku has Volume Leveling to keep audio consistent across channels and apps. It also features a Night Mode that softens loud commercials and sudden volume spikes so you can continue watching TV late without disturbing anyone. There are other modes too.

1. During playback, press Star.
2. Select Sound Settings > Customize sound mode > Volume Leveling.
3. Next, go back to Sound Settings and choose Sound Mode.
4. Pick from Dialogue, Movie, Music, Night, or Standard.

15. Play games on Roku

Your Roku has a small selection of games you can install and play. These include classic titles like Solitaire, Snake, Sudoku, and other simple arcade-style games. You control them with your Roku remote.

1. On the Home screen, open Streaming Store.
2. Select Games and browse. 
3. From here, you can choose a Roku Zone called Video Games.
4. Install and launch any game.

17. Instant Replay with captions

Want captions when you use Instant Replay? Instant Replay is a built-in feature on most Roku remotes that rewinds the current video with one button press. Roku can also show captions during that jump back so you don’t miss any dialogue.

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions Mode.
2. Select On Replay.
3. Press the Instant Replay button during playback.

19. Watch content from a USB drive

For simple local playback, Roku Media Player lets you play videos, music, and photos directly from a USB drive if your Roku has a USB port. Just plug in your drive, open the Roku Media Player app, and browse your files. It supports formats like MP4, MKV, MP3, and JPG, making it an easy way to view personal media without setting up Plex or a DLNA media server.

1. Load your videos, music, or photos onto a USB drive.
2. Plug the USB drive into your Roku’s USB port.
3. Open the Roku Media Player app.
4. Select Videos, Music, or Photos.
5. Browse your USB folders and choose a file to play.

21. Access hidden screens

Did you know Roku has several secret menus you can access with just a few clicks of the remote? They’re like easter eggs, hidden screens that can reveal diagnostic information, advanced toggles, and developer tools you never knew you wanted (or needed).

Also: I unlocked my Roku TV’s full potential with these hidden settings and menu screens

Here are a few example remote combinations you can enter, but check out my other guide here that rounds them all up.

1. Wireless Info Screen: Home x5, Up, Down, Up, Down, Up.
2. Secret Screen 2 (ads or screenshot controls): Home x5, Up, Right, Down, Left, Up.
3. HDMI Info Screen: Home x5, Down, Left, Up, Up, Up.

23. Follow your favorite teams

You can follow your favorite sports teams on Roku and keep track of upcoming games. Just visit the Sports section, find a game or team, and add it to your favorites to create a personalized My Favorites row on your Home screen.

1. Go to the Home screen and scroll to Sports.
2. Look for an upcoming game.
3. Open the game page and select the heart icon next to the team.
4. Your My Favorites row will appear under Sports with all upcoming games.

25. Limit the data Roku collects

Roku gathers a wide range of information from your device, including search history, voice inputs, channel usage, ad interactions, and personal preferences, and it shares some of this data with advertisers. While you cannot block all tracking, you can reduce it.

1. Open Settings from the main Roku menu.
2. Go to Privacy.
3. Select Advertising, then check Limit Ad Tracking.
4. Go to Microphone > Channel Microphone Access, and select Never Allow.
5. Go to Smart TV Experience, open ACR, and uncheck Use Info from TV Inputs.