The Roku App (Official‪)‬ 12+

Best Handy App... Here’s why (Read All)

Honestly, I love this app because it’s greatly convenient!!! Probably one of THE MOST convenient and simple apps for free. Like another reviewer said instead of searching for the remote as long as you have your phone (which is most likely all the time) you’re good. As a wheelchair bound disabled person, some people in my home can leave the remote in places I can’t really reach so that’s were this app come in handy, and really in this household the remote generally has the tendency to disappear. So if you have a remote that has hidden legs and likes to go into hiding then the app is great. On a funny and more truthful note, I originally got the app because my sister and I weren’t getting along at the time and she knows every morning I use the tv. For some reason the next morning I couldn’t find the remote and had a gut feeling she hid it on purpose so that I had no choice but to talk and ask her where it was (in which she probably still wouldn’t have helped to be petty). To avoid needing her help, I downloaded the app and she looked confused and shocked like “😳”. I felt like victory with my phone remote 😎😂. I definitely take back what I said about people who used this app were being lazy but it comes in handy for more than not wanting to get up!!!

Developer Response ,

Hi there! We are thrilled to know that you're enjoying the convenience that the app brings and we appreciate the praise.

Happy Streaming!

Good features, but frequently disconnects from devices and becomes non-responsive

I would have given this app a far better review — it has many very useful features for an app like this — but the one I use the most, "headphone mode", very frequently does not work correctly. It will more often than mot work for an entire move/episode of a show, but whenever the program ends, it will almost invariably stop working. Switching back to the Roku app will yield only a completely non-responsive remote screen. All other components of the app will be nonfunctional in this state, too. Force-quitting the app and restarting it will *sometimes* fix the issue; more often than not, though, it won't, because the app says it can't find the device it was literally just connected to.

This leaves the TV/streaming stick without audio as well, and trying to quit whatever app I am using with the physical Roku remote will result in a black screen, and apparently freezing the system. As Roku is a closed platform, debugging/diagnostic tools are not available, so this necessitates a TV/stick reboot. Obviously, this is not desirable behavior.

In fact, it is annoying enough that I actually wrote an app review: as a beta tester for many, many products, I usually don't, because I can privately submit a bug report. Unfortunately, this is not so with Roku; I applied to their beta program eons ago with no response, leaving me no choice but to make this public.

Need Improvements, Especially on The Rich Eisen Show Channel

I got the Roku app for one reason, and one reason only, The Rich Eisen Show. Despite the app not being user friendly and being able to find the live version of the show difficult at best, I enjoyed being able to live stream the show, so I put up with the issues. For example, despite their being an icon with The Rich Eisen Show logo on the hoescreen, I could not watch the show directly from there on the mobile app. I have to search “The Rich Eisen Show”, then go to that link where I could actually watch the live show. But the functionality of the app has gotten worse over time, especially with the most recent updates. Not only is the app constantly freezing, but the recent changes to where the live version of The Rich Eisen Show is NOT on the Rich Eisen Channel, but you have to go to the Roku Sports Channel is not a good improvement. I enjoyed being able to go right from the live show from 9AM-Noon EST, and into the replay of the same show directly afterwards. That way, if I missed anything from the live show that I wanted to see/hear, I can watch though the replay right away. Now, the only show being replayed on The Rich Eisen Show channel is from the previous day, not the current day like it used to be, AND there is no more immediate replay of the current day’s show. I wasn’t a huge fan of the app to begin with, and now I am even less of a fan.