How I would arrange a Roku for a 90-year-old

A pair weeks in the past, a reader in Advisorator’s Tech Buds discussion board requested me about the very best streaming TV setup for a 90-year-old neighbor who just isn’t tech-savvy.

My thoughts instantly jumped to Roku, whose sensible TVs and streaming gamers have at all times emphasised simplicity. However I additionally know that Roku’s streaming platform has turn out to be extra sophisticated in recent times, and its once-basic menu system just isn’t what it was.

Whereas I’d nonetheless advocate Roku to somebody who’s on the decrease finish of the tech studying curve, our neighbor on this state of affairs would profit from some out-of-the-box settings tweaks. Whether or not you’re organising a Roku for your self of another person, right here’s methods to make the streamer as simple to make use of as attainable:

Take away any cost strategies on file with Roku

Roku is now requiring new customers to place a cost technique on file throughout setup. Many streaming providers will use this cost technique to hurry up the subscription course of, and the checkout stream is so frictionless that one might simply find yourself with sudden expenses.

My recommendation: When you’re completed with setup, instantly head to my.roku.com/cost/account in an online browser, hit the “…” button subsequent to the cost technique, then hit “Take away.” The machine will nonetheless work simply positive, however with out the potential for undesirable subscriptions by way of Roku.

In case you do wish to maintain a cost technique on file, take into account organising a limited-use digital card with spending limits to keep away from any billing surprises.

Jared Newman / Foundry

Whereas finishing the setup in your telephone or laptop, Roku additionally tries to load up your machine with further apps and free trials (which can auto-bill the aforementioned cost technique on the finish). In case you’re setting this Roku up for another person, simply skip all these presents and add the particular apps you need exterior of the setup course of. There are often higher methods to get free trials and reductions anyway.

Get off Roku’s mailing record

After creating an account, Roku will instantly begin pelting you with promotional emails. There’s no strategy to choose out as a part of the setup course of, so take the chance to unsubscribe whereas it’s contemporary in your thoughts. Find the welcome e mail Roku sends at sign-up, scroll to the underside, and click on the unsubscribe button.

Whilst you’re at it, head to my.roku.com/account/e mail in an online browser and uncheck the “Emails with product ideas, the most recent releases, sizzling new channels, and buyer unique reductions” field as properly.

Take away pointless apps

Jared Newman / Foundry

Even when you choose nothing in the course of the setup course of, your Roku will nonetheless embody some pre-installed apps, comparable to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, and Apple TV. Roku additionally promotes its personal providers on the house web page, together with the Roku Channel, a Children and Household hub, the reside TV information, and the lately acquired Frndly TV.

We’re retaining issues easy right here, so eliminate any residence display screen tiles that the person isn’t prone to want. To delete an app on Roku, hit the distant’s * button, then hit “Take away app.”

(Personally, I’d recommend retaining the free Roku Channel and reside TV information, that are stable sources of free content material.)

Watch out with Prime Video

Amazon’s Prime Video app comes pre-installed on Roku, and it’s a precious supply of content material for Prime subscribers. The app has its personal subscription and rental market in-built, nonetheless, that are tied to the person’s Prime cost technique. Like Roku’s personal billing system, it’s an sadly frictionless strategy to wind up with a bunch of undesirable subscription expenses.

That doesn’t imply it’s essential to delete the Prime Video app, however speak it over with the individual for whom you’re setting the machine up, and ensure they perceive about the way it can invoice them with out their needing to enter any new cost particulars.

Jared Newman / Foundry

Roku’s once-simple navigation menu now has 9 submenus as of this writing, a few of which will be redundant. You don’t want a “Stay TV” aspect menu, for example, when there’s additionally a “Stay TV Information” button on the primary residence display screen.

Head to Settings > Dwelling Display screen > Menu Objects, and also you’ll have the choice to cover the Stay TV, What to Watch, Featured Free, Day by day Trivia, and Sports activities menus. I recommend hiding most of them, besides Featured Free and perhaps Day by day Trivia, if the individual you’re setting it up for is into quiz video games.

Conceal the house web page suggestions

Jared Newman / Foundry

Roku additionally now provides a row of content material tiles to what was simply an app grid. These are promotional in nature and never all that useful, so disguise them by heading to Settings > Dwelling Display screen > Suggestion rows.

Observe that this setting can even disguise the genre-based menus that Roku lately added to its residence display screen. These are a bit extra useful than Roku’s “High Picks for You” tiles, however you’ll be able to’t eliminate one with out the opposite, and so they do result in a extra cluttered menu total.

Hold the app icons giant

Roku now helps smaller app icons on the house display screen, letting you match 4 of them in every row as a substitute of three. This may be useful in case you’re utilizing a whole lot of apps, however sticking with bigger icons makes extra sense for our simplified setup.

A newly put in Roku ought to use giant icons by default, but when that ever adjustments, otherwise you’re repurposing an outdated Roku that’s been arrange with small tiles already, you’ll be able to head to Settings > Dwelling Display screen > Tile Measurement and set them to “Bigger.”

Arrange voice management apps

Jared Newman / Foundry

Roku units will be nice for enjoying music and podcasts, particularly on fashions with voice management constructed into the distant. As a substitute of needing to navigate by way of the app, you’ll be able to simply say issues like “play classical guitar.”

To make this work as easily as attainable, head to my.roku.com/account/voice and select the music, radio, and podcast apps to play by default. (You may as well select a information app to make use of with a “play the information” voice command.) Observe that for these apps to work, they’ll must be put in and arrange on the Roku first.

Flip off autoplay

Jared Newman / Foundry

Roku’s default settings permit it to auto-play movies on components of the house display screen. This may be jarring, so flip it off by heading to Settings > Accessibility > Auto-play video and choosing “Off.”

In my expertise to date, this additionally seems to disable video advertisements on the Roku residence display screen, reverting to static banner advertisements as a substitute. I’m unsure if this alteration will stick, however it’s price attempting at any age.

This story is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the very best media-streaming units.

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