In case you've been chosen for this free Roku improve, I am jealous

Abstract

The brand new Roku OS homepage design that Roku is presently 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. If you press it, you may be taken to the grid of choices on the homepage now, relatively than the sidebar on the left-hand facet of the display screen.

Roku has had a busy few weeks. It not too long ago 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 person interface.

To make it simpler for customers to seek out the content material they watch essentially the most, and uncover new content material alongside the way in which, 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 allows customers to shortly entry their most regularly used streaming apps, equivalent to Netflix and Disney+. Roku is presently launching its new check to a restricted group of customers.

“We’re all the time trying to make the Roku expertise simply higher, extra intuitive, extra partaking, and much more customized,” mentioned Preston Smalley, Roku’s VP of viewer product, chatting with The Verge. “What we wish to do is guarantee that the house display screen expertise suits effectively with simply the way you watch TV at present.”

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 help and features a voice distant.

Roku Select Series 2025 Cardboard Mounting Guide promotional image

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Roku is making an attempt to make its homepage extra handy

Fast Entry is presently lacking one helpful function

Roku / The Verge / Pocket-lint

The brand new Fast Entry part on Roku’s homepage sounds fairly helpful, and I like the way it routinely learns based mostly in your streaming habits. So, when you watch a number of Netflix or Prime Video, these apps will routinely be populated in that part, so you may simply entry them sooner or later. In case you watch a number of sports activities content material or reside TV, suggestions for that sort of content material may even pop up within the Fast Entry part.

Nevertheless, one function presently lacking from Fast Entry is the power to customise it, so if you wish to add or take away an app, you may’t accomplish that presently. Nevertheless, as The Verge notes, Roku is conscious of this and is “making an attempt some completely different approaches” to deal with it.

“One of many issues we all know that is going to be actually vital 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 folks need, however that is one thing we wish to hear from clients on.”

Personally, I hope Roku finds a strategy to repair this as a result of I like the concept of the Fast Entry panel. Nevertheless, being able to customise it or pin sure apps to it could be significantly 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, while you press the house button in your distant, it would now ship you on to the grid of choices on the homepage, relatively than opening the sidebar on the left-hand facet of the display screen. Within the present check, the sidebar stays collapsed till the person 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 shopping the homepage. Roku has additionally added two new options to the homepage: a “Subscriptions” part, the place you’ll find all of the streaming companies you pay for, and a “For You” part, which is a redesigned model of Roku’s “What to Watch” choice that gives customized suggestions for reveals and flicks.

Roku’s new person interface is presently being rolled out in a restricted check to customers. It is potential issues might change with the UI earlier than a broader rollout is made. Thus far, 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 on the market now.