The Roku remote is simple except for its versatile star button.
The remote control for a Roku system is one of the simplest remote control designs you will find. The function behind almost every button is clear by its icon, except for one: the mysterious star button hiding above the fast-forward button. Whether you use the physical remote or the remote in the Roku mobile app, you’re going to encounter it, but what is it for?
Its goal is not as simple as something like the ALL RIGHT Or Netflix button, because its use is contextual depending on when you press it. It’s essentially a mix of an “options” button and an accessibility shortcut, with some functionality depending on whether you have a Roku TV or one of the company’s streaming boxes. Once you know all the scenarios in which you can use it, you will be able to improve several facets of your Roku viewing experience.
Everything the Roku Star Button Can Do
What the star button does depends on where you are on your Roku device. Let’s consider the main three.
On the home screen
When you’re on the Roku Home screen, the functionality of the star button depends on whether you’re in the Quick Access section or the general app selection screen. In Quick Access, tapping the star while an app is highlighted will only give you the option to remove it from the section; In the full list of apps you will have more options.
When an app is highlighted here, tapping the star will show you the version and build number of the app, allow you to move the channel placement or remove it, rate the app, give feedback, or check for app updates. On a Roku TV, if you highlight an external device like a video game console, you’ll have the option to rename it.
When I look at something
If you’re actively streaming video to your Roku TV, the star button opens a host of viewing options in a sidebar. Here you can improve your Roku’s picture quality, set a sleep timer, enable closed captions, change the volume mode, and much more. The specific options vary slightly from app to app depending on their capabilities, but in general, this is where you need to precisely customize your viewing experience. On a Roku streaming box, this menu won’t have as many options as a Roku TV.
As an accessibility shortcut
Some Roku devices support a text-to-speech screen reader (formerly called Audio Guide), an accessibility feature that makes navigation easier. This feature is currently only available in the United States. Roku devices that support the screen reader include:
- Roku TV
- Roku Streambar and Streambar Pro
- Roku Smart Soundbar
- Roku Express and Express+
- Roku Express 4K and 4K+
- Roku streaming stick and streaming stick+
- Roku 4K and 4K+ streaming stick
- Roku Premiere and Premiere+
- Roku Ultra and Ultra LT
Although the screen reader can be enabled through the accessibility settings menu, you can also enable it by quickly tapping the star button four times in a row. To adjust controls like precise speech rate and screen reader volume, you’ll need to go to the Accessibility category of Settings page, but the star button allows you to activate the functionality without venturing into the menus.
Gn tech
