Your Roku device will be upgraded with a swathe of new features, the US company has announced.
The next major operating system upgrade — RokuOS 14 — will bring improvements to voice commands, IMDb ratings and trailers to listings, a boost to AI-powered suggestions, and a family-friendly hub of television shows and films for those with young children. If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is.
Neala Gollomp, Senior Director of Product Management at Roku, published a blog post about everything included in RokuOS 14, writing: “Roku’s simple, intuitive platform connects you to the content you love — and it keeps getting better.
“Our latest features are all about enhancing your streaming experience, from making family-friendly content easier to find to simplifying how you browse and discover content on both TV and mobile and expanding voice controls. With Roku as your entertainment guide, exploring popular apps — plus free movies, shows, and Live TV — is as easy as it is fun.”
For the first time, you’ll be able to use a voice command to adjust core system settings, like wallpaper, switch to guest mode, and check for new updates
ROKU PRESS OFFICE
First up, RokuOS 14 adds a dedicated Kids & Family hub, which is designed to be a safe haven for younger viewers and parents to access some 50,000 family-friendly shows and films from various streaming apps installed on your Roku device. This new menu will organise content by age range and genre, with curated selections such as Animated Movies, Characters, and Teen Movies.
A number of streaming services — like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube — already offer dedicated children’s sections with tough restrictions on age ratings, so parents can rest assured that younger viewers won’t stumble across blood-soaked horror films, sex scenes, or swear words in adult-orientated shows and films.
Roku overhauled the way its platform recommends new shows and films at the end of last year, with the introduction of its What to Watch carousel. With the release of RokuOS 14, it wants to take things a step further with new thumbs up and thumbs down icons under everything you watch to improve the algorithms that suggest new shows from across all of your subscriptions.
Over time, Roku’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) will improve its recommendations based on these ratings, as well as the other data gathered — like watch history and the amount of time spent streaming a show.
“The more you engage with this feature, the better we can tailor our recommendations to match your interests and make your experience effortless,” Roku’s Neala Gollomp explains in the blog post.
Additionally, listings for TV shows and films will now include trailers, IMDb ratings, and a breakdown of each individual episode title and description, providing you with more information on your choices.
But perhaps the biggest upgrade coming with RokuOS 14 is the expansion to voice control capabilities. For the first time, you’ll be able to use your voice to change core system settings — saving time digging around the depths of the settings menus.
Roku says the feature is inspired by a recent Harris Poll survey, conducted at the end of last year, that showed 60% of television owners find manually updating the settings on their Smart TV frustrating. With the new update, users can access most device settings using voice commands.
But now, you’ll be able to bark a command like “customize my home screen” to launch the relevant settings page. You’ll also be able to tweak screensavers, wallpapers, kickstart system updates, launch guest mode, and begin screen mirroring from another device with a simple voice command.
According to Roku, the new functionality will simplify the user experience for millions, making it easier for viewers to manage their Roku devices without navigating complex menus.
The Roku Mobile App is also receiving updates to enhance content discovery and navigation. For the first time, it doubles up as a digital remote — so, if your remote is lost down the back of the sofa, or too far across the room, you’ll now be able to whip-out your phone and navigate the menus on-screen.
Conveniently positioned at the bottom of your remote screen, the overlay showcases personalized recommendations, content categories like sports and Live TV, quick-launch apps, and all at your fingertips.
We’re also adding IMDb ratings to the app, letting you check TV show and movie ratings instantly, without having to launch a new window. Plus, you can now favorite your go-to sports teams and stay updated on live and upcoming events, even when you’re on the move.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Roku has announced that the RokuOS 14 update will be rolled out to all supported devices in the United States “in the coming months”. Roku is the most popular Smart TV and streaming device platform in the US, with the likes of Fire TV from Amazon, Apple TV, and Google TV trailing.
Sadly, there’s no confirmed UK release date for RokuOS 14.
To update a Roku device, you’ll need to make sure your device is connected to the internet and navigate to Settings > System > System Update, and then check for and install any available updates.
It’s worth noting that Roku devices often update automatically when not in use. However, manually checking for updates can ensure users receive the latest features as soon as they become available.