In case you've been chosen for this free Roku improve, I am jealous

Abstract

The brand new Roku OS homepage design that Roku is at present testing features a “Fast Entry” part that remembers your favourite apps.
One characteristic Fast Entry is lacking is the power 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. While you press it, you will be taken to the grid of choices on the homepage now, reasonably than the sidebar on the left-hand facet of the display screen.

Roku has had a busy few weeks. It lately 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 essentially the most, and uncover new content material alongside the way in which, Roku has begun testing a new user interface design for its homepage on Roku OS.

Notably, the spotlight of the adjustments Roku is making is the brand new “Fast Entry” part on its homepage, which permits customers to shortly entry their most often used streaming apps, reminiscent of Netflix and Disney+. Roku is at present launching its new take a look at to a restricted group of customers.

“We’re at all times seeking to make the Roku expertise simply higher, extra intuitive, extra participating, and much more personalised,” mentioned Preston Smalley, Roku’s VP of viewer product, talking to The Verge. “What we wish to do is make it possible for the house display screen expertise matches effectively with simply the way you watch TV in the present day.”

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 making an attempt to make its homepage extra handy

Fast Entry is at present lacking one useful characteristic

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 plenty of Netflix or Prime Video, these apps will mechanically be populated in that part, so you possibly can simply entry them sooner or later. In case you watch plenty of sports activities content material or dwell TV, suggestions for that kind of content material may even pop up within the Fast Entry part.

Nonetheless, one characteristic at present lacking from Fast Entry is the power to customise it, so if you wish to add or take away an app, you possibly can’t accomplish that at the moment. Nonetheless, as The Verge notes, Roku is conscious of this and is “making an attempt some completely different approaches” to handle it.

“One of many issues we all know that is going to be actually vital is that it simply must work proper out of the field,” Smalley defined. “We’re positively making an attempt to see how a lot management folks need, however that is one thing we wish to hear from clients on.”

Personally, I hope Roku finds a technique to repair this as a result of I like the concept of the Fast Entry panel. Nonetheless, being able to customise it or pin sure apps to it might be a lot 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 take a look at, whenever you press the house button in your distant, it’s going to now ship you on to the grid of choices on the homepage, reasonably than opening the sidebar on the left-hand facet of the display screen. Within the present take a look at, the sidebar stays collapsed till the person opens it by making an attempt to navigate to it.

…I like what I see, and I hope Roku will implement these adjustments for all customers shortly, alongside a customization possibility 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 yow will discover all of the streaming providers you pay for, and a “For You” part, which is a redesigned model of Roku’s “What to Watch” possibility that provides personalised suggestions for reveals and flicks.

Roku’s new person interface is at present being rolled out in a restricted take a look at to customers. It is potential issues may change with the UI earlier than a broader rollout is made. Up to now, I like what I see, and I hope Roku will implement these adjustments for all customers shortly, alongside a customization possibility for its new Fast Entry part. Roku’s new streaming sticks and 2025 lineup of TVs is offered now.