Roku TVs are great smart TVs capable of generating vibrant images and refined sound quality. It supports different streaming apps and is a worthwhile investment considering its price. Most Roku TVs are partnered with TV manufacturers TCL, Philips, and Insignia.
However, some users have experienced Roku TV lag or their Roku TV running slow. This guide will show you why your Roku TV is so slow and how to fix it. Read this guide to learn more.
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“Why is My Roku TV So Slow?” — Most Common Reasons
Though Roku TVs are excellent choices for smart TVs today, they can sometimes be slow to respond for various reasons. From an unstable internet connection to unused apps, they can easily be a factor in your Roku TV slowing down. Here are the most common reasons why your Roku TV is so slow:
- Slow Internet Connection – Roku streaming devices need a consistent internet connection to load various apps and features. Restarting your router and checking your internet connection can solve this issue.
- Outdated Firmware – Your Roku TVs firmware is critical for app support and optimization. It can contain fixes to specific bugs, potentially increasing your smart TV’s performance.
- Unresponsive Remote – Your Roku remote is responsible for most basic tasks and commands on your smart TV. Hence, your Roku TV will be slow to respond to the remote’s commands when it’s unresponsive due to faulty batteries or a glitch.
- Faulty Apps/Channels – Your Roku TV can slow down due to buggy apps or channels. It’s wise to find and remove all outdated or unused apps that eat up your TV’s memory. This also applies when you have too many installed apps.
How to Speed Up Roku TV
If your Roku TCL TV is slow to respond, try following the fixes below. Remember to review the fixes individually and check which worked best for your smart TV.
Fix #1: Check Your Internet Connection
A slow internet connection on your Roku TV can cause issues with its performance. Some apps will load slower than usual, making you think it’s a hardware problem. To check your connection on your Roku TV, follow these steps:
- Turn on your Roku TV and press the Home button on the Roku remote.
- Go to Settings > Network and select About. Here, you can check your Wi-Fi’s signal strength, connection speed, etc.
- To test your connection, select Check Connection and wait for a few minutes.
If you see an excellent or good result, you have a strong internet connection. However, if you see a fair or bad result, your smart TV has unstable internet. You can verify this by checking your other devices—phone or computer—and see if they also experience a slow connection.
Fix #2: Power Cycle Your Wi-Fi Router and Roku TV
If your devices are all experiencing slow internet speeds, it may be caused by a bug or glitch on your router. Power cycling is a quick fix to this issue and will restore your internet connection to normal.
To power cycle your Wi-Fi router, follow the steps below:
- Turn off your router and unplug its power adapter from the socket.
- Wait for one minute to drain the power.
- Plug the power adapter back in and turn on your Wi-Fi router.
- Let your Roku TV connect to the Wi-Fi network automatically and check if the problem is fixed.
For the same reason, also try power cycling your Roku TV. To do this, proceed to the steps below:
- Turn off your Roku TV and unplug its power cable from the socket.
- Wait for ten minutes to drain its power. You can also press and hold the Power button on the TV for five seconds.
- Reconnect the power cable and turn on your Roku TV.
- Check all apps and see if they now work faster.
Fix #3: Switch to a 5GHz Wi-Fi Band
Typically, your Roku TV’s wireless network settings will be set to the standard 2.4GHz network band, which is ideal for low bandwidth tasks. However, a 5GHz will be more suited for your Roku TV, especially its streaming channels.
Important: For this fix to be effective, your router and Roku TV must be close. Also, avoid interferences between the two devices.
To switch from 2.4GHz to 5GHz Wi-Fi band on your Roku TV, proceed to these steps:
- Navigate to Settings > Network.
- Choose Set up connection and select Wireless.
- Select the 5 GHz band network option and enter your password.
Fix #4: Chance to a Wired Connection
Another fix that you can try is switching to a wired or Ethernet connection. This way, all bandwidth on your router will be streamlined to your Roku TV. It also eliminates interference and slow connections since the connection won’t be shared with other wireless devices.
To switch from a wireless to a wired connection on your Roku TV, follow the steps below:
- Connect both your smart TV and router with an Ethernet cable. You may need to use a longer cable once your router is far from your smart TV.
- Once connected, open the Settings app on your Roku TV and select Network.
- Choose Set new connection and select Wired. Your smart TV will now automatically search for an Ethernet connection.
- After setting up, open your desired apps and see if the issue is solved.
Fix #5: Do a System Restart on Your Roku TV
If power cycling doesn’t work, you can try to do a system restart on your Roku TV. It effectively solves all bugs and glitches that affect your smart TV’s performance. Here’s how you can do a system restart directly on your Roku TV and via its remote:
Via Settings
- Go to Settings > System.
- Select Power and choose System Restart.
- Choose Restart to confirm.
On the Roku Remote
- With your Roku TV turned on, press the Home button five times.
- Next, press the Up button once and the Rewind button two times.
- Then, press the Fast Forward button twice. Your Roku TV will now restart automatically.
Fix #6: Change Your Roku Remote’s Batteries
Your smart TV may appear slow or unresponsive when its remote malfunctions because of dead or faulty batteries. Consider replacing them, especially when you’ve been using the remote for a significant time.
After replacing the batteries for the Roku remote, here’s how you can pair it back to your Roku TV:
- First, remove the batteries from the Roku remote and turn off your Roku TV.
- Next, switch your smart TV back on and insert the batteries on the Roku remote to power it up.
- Press the Pairing button next to the battery compartment. The LED light on the remote will now begin blinking.
- Follow the on-screen steps to finish the pairing process.
Fix #7: Remove Unused Apps and Channels
If you’ve been using your Roku TV for a long time, it’s easy to forget the number of apps you’ve installed. Unfortunately, some apps and channels can cause issues on your smart TV, especially when they’re not updated. Removing those apps can not only improve your TV’s performance but can also free up space.
To remove apps and channels on your Roku TV, do the following:
- Press the Home button on your Roku remote.
- Navigate to the app or channel that you wish to remove.
- Press the Option (*) button on the Roku remote and select Remove Channel.
- Select Remove to confirm.
Fix #8: Factory Reset Your Roku TV
When all fixes above don’t work, the last thing that you can do is to factory reset your Roku TV. It resets your Roku TV to its factory state, restores all TV settings to their factory defaults, and deletes all installed apps and channels.
To factory reset your Roku TV, proceed to the steps below:
- Open the Settings app and choose System.
- Select Advanced System Settings and choose Factory Reset.
- Once the reset is finished, set up your Roku TV.
- Connect it to your Wi-Fi network and download your desired apps and channels.
- Check if it now works normally.
Final Thoughts
Your Roku TV is an excellent device for streaming and connecting to the internet. Besides its helpful features, it supports various streaming apps and channels. However, it can slow down over time due to multiple factors.
Hopefully, this guide will help you to fix the Roku TCL TV slow to respond issue. When your Roku TV or remote has hardware issues, contact Roku Support for further assistance.