If you happen to've been chosen for this free Roku improve, I am jealous

Abstract

The brand new Roku OS homepage design that Roku is at the moment testing features a “Fast Entry” part that remembers your favourite apps.
One function Fast Entry is lacking is the flexibility 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, relatively than the sidebar on the left-hand aspect 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 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 modifications Roku is making is the brand new “Fast Entry” part on its homepage, which permits customers to rapidly entry their most regularly used streaming apps, resembling Netflix and Disney+. Roku is at the moment 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 customized,” mentioned Preston Smalley, Roku’s VP of viewer product, chatting with The Verge. “What we wish to do is be sure that the house display screen expertise matches properly 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 help and features a voice distant.

Roku Select Series 2025 Cardboard Mounting Guide promotional image

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Roku is attempting to make its homepage extra handy

Fast Entry is at the moment 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 based mostly in your streaming habits. So, in the event you watch a whole lot of Netflix or Prime Video, these apps will mechanically be populated in that part, so you may simply entry them sooner or later. If you happen to watch a whole lot of sports activities content material or reside TV, suggestions for that sort of content material may also pop up within the Fast Entry part.

Nevertheless, one function at the moment lacking from Fast Entry is the flexibility to customise it, so if you wish to add or take away an app, you may’t accomplish that right now. Nevertheless, as The Verge notes, Roku is conscious of this and is “attempting some completely different approaches” to deal with 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 positively attempting to see how a lot management individuals need, however that is one thing we wish to hear from prospects 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 will 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, if you press the house button in your distant, it can now ship you on to the grid of choices on the homepage, relatively than opening the sidebar on the left-hand aspect of the display screen. Within the present check, the sidebar stays collapsed till the person opens it by attempting to navigate to it.

…I like what I see, and I hope Roku will implement these modifications 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 looking 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 customized suggestions for exhibits and films.

Roku’s new person interface is at the moment being rolled out in a restricted check to customers. It is doable issues might 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 modifications 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 out there now.