If you’ve been selected for this free Roku upgrade, I’m jealous

Abstract

The brand new Roku OS homepage design that Roku is at present testing features a “Fast Entry” part that remembers your favourite apps.
One function Fast Entry is lacking is the power to customise it, by including or eradicating apps, and Roku is conscious of this and contemplating options.
Roku additionally up to date the house button. Whenever you press it, you will be taken to the grid of choices on the homepage now, quite than the sidebar on the left-hand facet of the display.

Roku has had a busy few weeks. It lately launched two brand-new streaming devices, the Roku Streaming Stick and the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, and introduced its 2025 lineup of TVs. Now, with its new merchandise out, Roku is experimenting with its consumer interface.

To make it simpler for customers to search out the content material they watch probably the most, and uncover new content material alongside the best way, Roku has begun testing a new user interface design for its homepage on Roku OS.

Notably, the spotlight of the adjustments Roku is making is the brand new “Fast Entry” part on its homepage, which permits customers to shortly entry their most ceaselessly used streaming apps, corresponding to Netflix and Disney+. Roku is at present launching its new check to a restricted group of customers.

“We’re all the time seeking to make the Roku expertise simply higher, extra intuitive, extra participating, and much more personalised,” mentioned Preston Smalley, Roku’s VP of viewer product, talking to The Verge. “What we need to do is ensure that the house display expertise matches nicely with simply the way you watch TV at this time.”

Model: Roku
Dimensions: 3.7 x 0.80 x .45 inches
Connectivity: HDMI
Weight Capability: 26g

A slim plug and play streaming stick that features 4K/HDR assist and features a voice distant.

Roku Select Series 2025 Cardboard Mounting Guide promotional image

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Roku’s all-new 2025 TV lineup has formally arrived, and it refines the expertise with out breaking the financial institution.

Roku is making an attempt to make its homepage extra handy

Fast Entry is at present lacking one useful function

Roku / The Verge / Pocket-lint

The brand new Fast Entry part on Roku’s homepage sounds fairly useful, and I like the way it mechanically learns primarily based in your streaming habits. So, in the event you watch a variety of Netflix or Prime Video, these apps will mechanically be populated in that part, so you may simply entry them sooner or later. For those who watch a variety of sports activities content material or dwell TV, suggestions for that sort of content material may also pop up within the Fast Entry part.

Nonetheless, one function at present lacking from Fast Entry is the power to customise it, so if you wish to add or take away an app, you may’t achieve this at the moment. Nonetheless, as The Verge notes, Roku is conscious of this and is “making an attempt some completely different approaches” to handle it.

“One of many issues we all know that is going to be actually essential is that it simply must work proper out of the field,” Smalley defined. “We’re undoubtedly making an attempt to see how a lot management individuals need, however that is one thing we need to hear from prospects on.”

Personally, I hope Roku finds a method to repair this as a result of I like the thought of the Fast Entry panel. Nonetheless, being able to customise it or pin sure apps to it might be a lot better, particularly since Roku has additionally modified how the house button operates with this replace.

Roku / The Verge / Pocket-lint

That is proper, together with this new UI change, Roku has additionally modified how the house button works. On this check, if you press the house button in your distant, it’s going to now ship you on to the grid of choices on the homepage, quite than opening the sidebar on the left-hand facet of the display. Within the present check, the sidebar stays collapsed till the consumer opens it by making an attempt to navigate to it.

…I like what I see, and I hope Roku will implement these adjustments for all customers shortly, alongside a customization choice for its new Fast Entry part.

Moreover, Roku has moved two choices from the left-hand sidebar to the homepage, notably its “Dwell TV” and “Featured Free” sections, to make them extra seen and accessible to customers searching the homepage. Roku has additionally added two new options to the homepage: a “Subscriptions” part, the place you’ll find all of the streaming providers you pay for, and a “For You” part, which is a redesigned model of Roku’s “What to Watch” choice that provides personalised suggestions for exhibits and flicks.

Roku’s new consumer interface is at present being rolled out in a restricted check to customers. It is doable issues may change with the UI earlier than a broader rollout is made. To this point, I like what I see, and I hope Roku will implement these adjustments for all customers shortly, alongside a customization choice for its new Fast Entry part. Roku’s new streaming sticks and 2025 lineup of TVs is obtainable now.