Roku has had a busy few weeks. It recently launchedtwo brand-new streaming devices, the Roku Streaming Stick and the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, and announced its2025 lineup of TVs. Now, with its new products out, Roku is experimenting with its user interface.
To make it easier for users to find the content they watch the most, and discover new content along the way, Roku has begun testinga new user interface designfor its homepage on Roku OS.
Notably, the highlight of the changes Roku is making is the new “Quick Access” section on its homepage, which enables users to quickly access their most frequently used streaming apps, such asNetflixandDisney+. Roku is currently launching its new test to a limited group of users.
“We’re always looking to make the Roku experience just better, more intuitive, more engaging, and even more personalized,” said Preston Smalley, Roku’s VP of viewer product, speaking toThe Verge. “What we want to do is make sure that the home screen experience fits well with just how you watch TV today.”
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Quick Access is currently missing one handy feature
The new Quick Access section on Roku’s homepage sounds quite handy, and I like how it automatically learns based on your streaming habits. So, if you watch a lot of Netflix or Prime Video, those apps will automatically be populated in that section, so you can easily access them in the future. If you watch a lot of sports content or live TV, recommendations for that type of content will also pop up in the Quick Access section.
However, one feature currently missing from Quick Access is the ability to customize it, so if you want to add or remove an app, you can’t do so at this time. However, asThe Vergenotes, Roku is aware of this and is “trying some different approaches” to address it.
“One of the things we know that’s going to be really important is that it just needs to work right out of the box,” Smalley explained. “We’re definitely trying to see how much control people want, but that’s something we want to hear from customers on.”
Personally, I hope Roku finds a way to fix this because I like the idea of the Quick Access panel. However, having the ability to customize it or pin certain apps to it would be much better, especially since Roku has also changed how the home button operates with this update.
That’s right, along with this new UI change, Roku has also changed how the home button works. In this test, when you press the home button on your remote, it will now send you directly to the grid of options on the homepage, rather than opening the sidebar on the left-hand side of the screen. In the current test, the sidebar remains collapsed until the user opens it by trying to navigate to it.
…I like what I see, and I hope Roku will implement these changes for all users shortly, alongside a customization option for its new Quick Access section.
Additionally, Roku has moved two options from the left-hand sidebar to the homepage, notably its “Live TV” and “Featured Free” sections, to make them more visible and accessible to users browsing the homepage. Roku has also added two new features to the homepage: a “Subscriptions” section, where you can find all the streaming services you pay for, and a “For You” section, which is a redesigned version of Roku’s “What to Watch” option that offers personalized recommendations for shows and movies.
Roku’s new user interface is currently being rolled out in a limited test to users. It’s possible things could change with the UI before a broader rollout is made. So far, I like what I see, and I hope Roku will implement these changes for all users shortly, alongside a customization option for its new Quick Access section. Roku’s new streaming sticks and 2025 lineup of TVs is available now.
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