The Roku Channel is free, and also you don’t want a Roku system to observe

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Roku is greatest identified for its streaming packing containers and sticks, however it additionally provides free TV leisure on its Roku Channel, together with stay linear TV and a few authentic motion pictures, and also you don’t must have Roku’s {hardware}—or a Roku TV—to observe it. We’ll present you all of the methods you may benefit from the bounty.

You may entry the Roku Channel through an internet browser or through Roku’s cell apps for Android and iOS. To look at on a wise TV or one other model of streaming system (an Amazon Hearth TV, Google TV, Samsung sensible TV), you’ll want to put in the Roku Channel app from that system’s app retailer.

Sadly, Roku doesn’t have a model of the Roku Channel app for LG sensible TVs or the Apple TV streamer. However we’ll present you some workarounds for these platforms later.

Should you do desire a Roku streamer, we’ll allow you to discover the correct one.

<img decoding="async" data-wp-init="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async--click="actions.showLightbox" data-wp-on-async--load="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async-window--resize="callbacks.setButtonStyles" src="https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Roku-Channel-in-a-web-browser.png?w=1200" alt="Roku Channel in a web browser" class="wp-image-2766551" width="1200" height="800" loading="lazy"/> You don’t want a Roku-powered streaming system or TV to observe the free leisure on the Roku Channel; in truth, you don’t want a media streamer in any respect. Simply level your net browser to theRokuChannel.com and choose what you need to watch.

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What’s out there on the Roku Channel?

The Roku Channel provides a big selection of FAST (free ad-supported TV) channels, motion pictures and TV sequence you may watch on demand, in addition to stay linear TV (motion pictures and reveals are streamed on a hard and fast schedule—as within the good ol’ days of broadcast tv—however you may drop in everytime you need).

You’ll discover a few of this similar content material on different FAST companies, reminiscent of Pluto and Tubi, however Roku all the time has a choice of fashionable movies and reveals which can be unique to the Roku Channel. Roku’s most high-profile authentic venture up to now is the Emmy-winning Bizarre: The Al Yankovic Story, starring Daniel Radcliffe because the satirical singer.

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Different authentic reveals embody The Nice American Baking Present, Sincere Renovations, and Visionaries: The Arch Undertaking with Keanu Reeves. It’s a tiny catalog when in comparison with what’s streaming on Max or Netflix, however you may watch all these reveals totally free (with adverts).

Roku has additionally gone discount looking, selecting up worthy tasks different streaming companies have dropped. That features your entire library of Quibi, the failed “fast bites” quick kind video service that Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg (former chief govt of Disney and co-founder of Dreamworks), designed for telephones.

Roku rescued a whole library of Quibi reveals like Die Hart with Kevin Hart, Most Harmful Sport, a Punk’d revival with Probability the Rapper, the Reno 911! revival, and Invoice Burr Presents Immoral Compass. Roku additionally picked up The Spiderwick Chronicles TV sequence from Disney+.

Roku acquired your entire Quibi library of quick movies and provides it totally free on the Roku Channel.

Quibi

Since The Roku Channel was designed as a hub for Roku streaming gadgets, there’s loads of emphasis on luring customers to subscribe to different streaming companies, reminiscent of Prime Video, Peacock, MGM+, and Paramount+. Should you’re not accustomed to the catalogs of these streaming companies, you may end up routed to their apps or web sites if you click on on a title.

If you're thinking about subscribing to these companies, it’s greatest to join them straight, in order that your buyer relationship is with the service supplier and never a go-between.

How one can use a browser to observe the Roku Channel

First, level your browser to therokuchannel.com. You’ll see a big grid with thumbnail photographs of the films and TV reveals on supply. On the threat of contradicting every little thing I’ve stated about this leisure being free and advert supported; effectively, a few of it—slightly of it—isn’t. However the Roku Channel consumer interface makes it simple to inform the distinction.Roku’s browser view makes it simple to determine which content material is free with adverts and which requires a subscription to at least one service or one other. Every part options tiles that slide to the left or proper with arrows on either side of the display, very similar to the navigation on Netflix.

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What you may’t do is alter the view of the web page to cover the Premium Subscription content material. That is smart—for Roku, at the least—as a result of a part of the corporate’s enterprise mannequin revolves round you subscribing to exterior companies from inside its web site, for which Roku collects a fee. However it might be good if customers might cover the subscription choices they don’t plan to make use of.

A Browse tab permits a viewer to give attention to such classes as Roku Originals, Motion pictures, Sequence, Comedy, Drama, Western, and dozens of others. You may click on a + button subsequent to a program’s description so as to add it to a Saved tab.

The Reside TV tab reveals what’s streaming now with the identical sliding tile interface the remainder of The Roku Channel web site makes use of. It’s a bit counterintuitive for anybody who grew up with the normal cable information grid interface that Pluto and Tubi use for his or her stay TV choices.

How one can use the Roku Channel cell app

The Roku Channel lives contained in the Roku app for iOS and Android. That app is primarily designed to behave as a distant for a Roku system or Roku-powered tv, so that you’ll must get used to working round that functionality should you’re primarily utilizing the app to only watch the Roku Channel.

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For instance, I take advantage of an Apple TV streamer with a TCL tv that occurs to have the Roku software program in-built. I don’t use the Roku software program on the tv, however I do have a Roku account. Press the mistaken icon on the display, and the Roku interface launches on the TV display. There’s no technique to flip that off or get rid of the icons for apps you will have put in on a Roku system or tv.

The cell app makes use of the identical sliding tile interface as the online model, however it’s far harder to make use of on a smaller display. There’s no technique to get an summary of what’s streaming stay, and it’s unimaginable to floor an inventory of Roku Originals should you’re seeking to give attention to motion pictures and reveals unique to the channel.

Should you personal an Apple TV, you may watch The Roku Channel in your tv display through mirroring. There’s no help for AirPlay. Meaning you received’t have entry to something however the streaming video when watching.

What’s one of the simplest ways to observe the Roku Channel?

If have a Google-, Amazon Hearth- or Roku-powered streaming system or tv, obtain the Roku Channel app on your respective system, as that’s the simplest technique to watch the service, as you’ll have the ability to use a distant management. Should you don’t have a type of gadgets, the simplest technique to watch the Roku Channel is on an internet browser on a pc or pill.

Should you’re wanting to make use of your cell system and need to have entry to the complete catalog of films and reveals, your greatest guess is to log in through an internet browser and add what you need to your Save Record. That content material will then be simply accessed on the cell app.

Free streaming has change into a serious participant in dwelling leisure. Should you’re prepared to place up with a number of commercials (and typically the identical commercials taking part in throughout each single advert break), there’s all kinds of basic and comparatively new motion pictures and reveals out there on the Roku Channel—and different FAST companies—to go the time.