Remotes

[JohnB17]

I am on my third remote for the Roku Express 4K+. One or more important buttons (like fast forward) just stop working. My ancient Roku3 remote still works, so I think the build quality is way down with newer products. At $20 a pop to replace these I will not be buying another Roku product.

[Benish007]

Maybe you are only because I am using two Roku devices on one of them I use Instagram Pro, and have never replaced any remote. They are working well and good. Hopefully an expert will get you soon on this.

[Boz]

I've had the exact opposite experience.

I've never had a Roku remote break, going back to my Roku 2 XS 3100R devices starting in 2012. 

I'm currently using (2) Roku Express 4K+ 3941R (2021), (2) Roku Streaming Stick 3800R (2017), and (2) Roku Streaming Stick 3600R (2016) devices, and I've never had any trouble with any of those remotes, either.

Also, if you DO break a remote, if you don't want to use the app, you can simply buy a replacement remote.

[fluke]

I have not had an Roku wireless (RF) remote go bad.  A couple of the remotes have even been chewed on by a puppy.  One was to the point in which the battery door barely stays on.  However, the remote still works.

The one situation in which I have seen a Roku official remote go bad was the simple infrared remote that came packaged with the Roku Express (the non-4K model).  The buttons felt spongy and it took several presses of the button just to get it to eventually register.  We tried replacing the batteries and tried holding up close to the front of the Roku Express.

I recommended replacing it with a Roku Express 4K+ which comes bundled with a wireless RF remote.  Ever since then they have not had any problems.

If you need an universal remote (and are *not* using a Roku Stick) then the Sofabaton U2 works fine.  It is infrared so it requires line of sight to the front of the Roku.  Mostly I only recommend if for people that need to also be able to control an A/V receiver.  However, if you lost faith in Roku remotes the maybe it will work as alternative.

[cfg83]

Thank you for the Sofabaton U2 info.  I will keep it in mind.

[Megdbq]

I am with you I have to Roku and remotes one is new other is 3 years old. The remotes never work new batteries, repairing nothing. I did put app on my phone but you have to pay monthly for hardly anything you use it for. Mad can't watch TV..

[atc98092]

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@Megdbq wrote:

I did put app on my phone but you have to pay monthly for hardly anything you use it for. 

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If you are paying to use the app, then it's not the official Roku app. There is no charge for the Roku app.

[Strega2]

This page links to the actual Roku phone apps from the Roku company.  They are free to use. (Also, based on what I see in the Apple and Android apps stores, they are highly rated and downloaded by tens of millions of people.)

https://www.roku.com/mobile-app

[Duplo9cut]

??????>?> Really?? I can't keep one longer than 2 months. is there a "best" one to get?

[Emissary35]

The Roku mobile app is pretty good for turning your phone or tablet into a Roku remote in order to control your device, and it will add the voice function and private listening feature if your current Roku remote doesn't have those things.

But you can't use it as a full substitute for an actual Roku remote because if you ever needed to do a factory reset on your Roku device you can't set up the Roku with the mobile app remote, you need a real Roku remote. But aside from that one thing I think that the Roku mobile app remote feature is pretty cool.

I haven't tried it yet with private listening enabled, but I am willing to bet you can listen for a lot longer on your mobile device as opposed to an actual Roku Voice Remote which has private listening, because those will drain your double A batteries pretty quick.

Also I would suspect that you won't get the annoying battery notification popping up on your TV screen since the mobile remote is not an actual Roku remote paired to your device, I don't know that for certain I'm just assuming.

That battery notification is so annoying because a lot of the time it malfunctions and pops up when you don't want it to. After all the complaints over the years Roku still will not update the Roku firmware to include an option to disable this broken notification.