How To Reprogram Roku Remote Buttons Easily
- Select Roku remote models allow the reprogramming of personal shortcut buttons.
- Reprogramming involves holding the button, choosing a shortcut from the onscreen menu, and pressing OK.
- Users can also save voice commands to shortcut buttons or use the push-to-talk feature and the Roku Mobile App for voice commands.
Are you looking to reprogram Roku remote buttons?
In this guide, I’ll swiftly show you how to customize shortcut buttons and use voice commands, ensuring your Roku experience is uniquely tailored to you.
Let’s dive in and personalize your remote!
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Can You Reprogram Your Roku Remote Buttons?
Yes, you can reprogram the personal shortcut buttons 1 and 2 on select Roku remote models.
Certain Roku remote models come equipped with personal shortcut buttons, allowing you to assign specific commands that you frequently use.
The following Roku remote models have personal shortcut buttons:
- Roku Voice Remote Pro.
- Roku Touch Tabletop Remote.
- Roku Voice Remote is included with the Roku Ultra (models 4670, 4800, and 4802), Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ (model 3821), Roku Streambar Pro (model 9101R2), and Roku Plus Series TV.
How to Reprogram the Personal Shortcut Buttons
Reprogramming the personal shortcut buttons on your Roku remote is a straightforward process. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: Press and hold the personal shortcut button 1 or 2 for 5 seconds.
Step 2: An onscreen menu will appear, displaying several shortcut options:
Channel: Start streaming your preferred channels like Netflix or Hulu.
The Roku Channel: Open The Roku Channel to access a wide range of streaming content.
Live TV Guide: Open the Live TV Guide to easily explore and watch live TV channels.
Closed Captions: Enable closed captions for subtitles while watching your favorite shows.
Voice command (or Last voice command): Save a voice command for specific tasks such as searching for a particular movie or TV show, or playing music from a specific artist or genre. You can learn more about this feature in the next section.
Sleep timer: If you have a TV with Roku OS, you can set a sleep timer to automatically turn off the screen after a specific duration.
Step 3: Choose the desired shortcut option from the menu and press OK to set it.
Congratulations! You have now successfully assigned a new command to the personal shortcut button. You can simply press it whenever you want your Roku device to perform the assigned command.
How to Save a Voice Command to a Personal Shortcut Button
In addition to reprogramming the personal shortcut buttons, you can also save a voice command to further enhance your Roku remote’s functionality. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: Press and hold the Voice button on the Roku remote and say a command, such as “Search my Spotify” or “Play classical music.”
Step 2: After your Roku device executes the voice command, press and hold the personal button 1 or 2 for 5 seconds.
Step 3: Select Voice command (or Last voice command) from the menu and press OK to set it.
Now, whenever you press the assigned personal shortcut button, your Roku device will execute the saved voice command.
Workaround For Voice Command: Use the Push-To-Talk Voice Button or the Roku Mobile App
If your Roku remote doesn’t have personal shortcut buttons or you prefer an alternative method, you can still enjoy the voice command feature through the push-to-talk voice button or the Roku Mobile app.
Please note that to take advantage of the latest enhancements for voice search and voice control, you must ensure your compatible Roku streaming devices or Roku TVs are running Roku OS 9.4 or a higher version.
Let’s explore how you can utilize these options.
Push-to-Talk Voice Button
The push-to-talk voice button is available on several Roku remote models, including the Roku Voice Remote, Roku Voice Remote Pro, Roku Enhanced Voice Remote, and Roku Touch tabletop remote.
Follow these steps to use the push-to-talk voice button:
Step 1: Simply press and hold the push-to-talk voice button on your remote.
Step 2: Speak your command, such as “Search for comedies,” “Turn up the volume,” or “Launch The Roku Channel.”
Step 3: Release the button, and your streaming device will carry out your request, taking you to the Roku Search screen or other relevant sections within the Roku interface.
Check out this guide to learn more about the voice commands you can use to operate your Roku device.
Roku Mobile App
If you prefer controlling your Roku device using your smartphone, you can download the Roku Mobile app for iOS or Android.
Please be aware that the Roku Mobile app is only supported in certain countries. Click here to find out if your country is one of them.
In case you’re in a country that isn’t supported, you can utilize a VPN connection to install the app on your smartphone. Take a look at our article for more details on this matter.
Follow these steps to use the Roku Mobile app for voice commands:
Step 1: Download and install the Roku Mobile app on your iOS or Android phone.
Step 2: Ensure that your phone and Roku device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Step 3: Launch the Roku Mobile app on your phone.
Step 4: Tap on the Devices at the bottom of the screen.
Step 5: Choose your Roku device from the list to establish a connection.
Step 6: Tap on the Remote icon.
Step 7: Tap on the Voice button.
Step 8: Speak your command to control your Roku device, just like using the push-to-talk voice button on the remote.
Bonus: Hands-Free Voice Button
The Roku Voice Remote Pro comes with an innovative feature called the hands-free voice button, which allows you to use voice commands without the hassle of pressing a button or handling the remote.
To activate the hands-free voice feature, simply follow these steps:
Step 1: Slide the switch on the side of the remote to the green position to turn on the hands-free voice.
Step 2: Now you can choose to hold the remote or set it down close to you.
Note: The hands-free voice feature can work at a maximum distance of 12 feet from your location.
Step 3: Say “Hey Roku” and wait for the response screen that says “Thinking…”.
Step 4: Speak the desired commands to control your Roku device.
For a more detailed demonstration of using the hands-free voice feature, watch the video below.
Conclusion
Reprogramming your Roku remote buttons is indeed possible, especially when it comes to the personal shortcut buttons 1 and 2.
By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily customize these buttons to suit your preferences and access your favorite functions with ease.
Additionally, the push-to-talk voice button and Roku Mobile app provide alternative methods for controlling your Roku device using voice commands.
Otherwise, you can effortlessly operate your Roku without physically interacting with the remote using the convenient hands-free voice functionality.
So go ahead and enhance your Roku experience by personalizing your remote buttons and enjoying the convenience of voice control. Happy streaming!
Hai Huynh, an Electrical & Electronics Engineering graduate from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, is a passionate technical editor. He discovered his love for technology when he started playing Pokemon on a Gameboy as a child. Now, he writes and edits technical articles, focusing on smart TVs and streaming devices, to help readers solve problems.