Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a4156e88a98398f1

Jump to content

Roku OS

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Roku OS
Roku OS home screen
DeveloperRoku, Inc.
Written inC, BrightScript, SceneGraph
OS familyLinux on embedded systems
Working stateCurrent
Released to
manufacturing		2004
Latest release15.0 / October 15, 2025; 11 months ago (2025-10-15)
Marketing targetStreaming television
Available inEnglish, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish
Update methodOver-the-air update
Package managerropm[1]
Supported platforms
List
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux)
Default
user interface		Graphical (Multi-touch)
LicenseProprietary
Official websitewww.roku.com/how-it-works/roku-os

Roku OS is a Linux-based operating system software developed by Roku, Inc. It has powered consumer electronics products such as Roku-branded streaming players and TVs since 2004. The Roku OS is the most popular TV operating system in the U.S., reaching an estimated 90 million households as of 2025.[4][5][6]

The Roku OS works as a streaming platform which hosts both free and paid streaming channels through its graphical user interface.[7][8] The operating system initially powered Roku's streaming players in 2004, extended support for smart TVs in 2014, and since also to Roku-branded home entertainment devices such as smart speakers, as of 2023.[9][8][10]

History

[edit]

2004–2013: Origin as a media player OS

[edit]

In January 2004, Roku's digital media player, called HD1000, was powered by the Roku OS.[9] The Roku OS was reportedly based on Linux with kernel version 2.4.18, and leveraged open-source software, including Samba, Busybox, jpeglib, and zlib. The Roku OS also accompanied a C/C++ based software development kit (SDK), for its media player, in order to provide a development environment supporting Windows, Mac, or Linux-based hosts.[9]

2014–2017: Extension to smart TVs

[edit]

According to a news report in August 2014, The Roku OS featured on a Hisense TV model.[11] Later, in June 2015, it was reported that the operating system powered an Insignia TV model.[12] In October 2015, Roku announced the release of Roku OS 7. This release allowed television viewers using Roku’s streaming devices to "follow" actors, directors, as well as TV shows and films.[13] In June 2016, Roku OS 7.2 was launched,[14] followed by a Roku OS 8 release announcement in October 2017. The latter operating system release featured single sign-on for paid TV customers and integration of TV programming from over-the-air TV, among other updates.[15]

2018–2021: New features, vulnerabilities

[edit]

In June 2018, WIRED wrote that Roku devices running Roku OS 8.0 or lower were found to be vulnerable to a type of web attack known as DNS rebinding.[16] The WIRED article also cited Roku as saying that it had created a software patch in response, and was rolling out the patch to its customers.[16]

April 2019 saw the release of Roku OS 9.1 adding "automatic account linking" (sparing users from re-entering login credentials previously entered on a Roku streaming device or TV), genre search, smarter voice control and other features.[17]

In April 2021, Roku announced the release of Roku OS 10, which featured "instant resume" for streaming channels, automatic configuration for gaming consoles, AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support to Roku HD streaming boxes and TVs etc.[18] In May 2021, Engadget reported on an "exploit" which took advantage of two vulnerabilities, in Roku OS versions lower than 10, to enable a "persistent root jailbreak" on Roku devices. The exploit gave users control over what channels they installed. Roku stated in response that it had mitigated the vulnerabilities by updating Roku OS 9.4.[19]

2022–present: Usage growth

[edit]

In March 2022, Roku announced Roku OS 11, adding new audio options, custom photo screensavers and more.[20]

In March 2023, the Roku OS was reported to have 70 million active accounts[21] and to have led the US smart TV and streaming device sector in 2022.[4][5] In October 2023, Roku announced Roku OS 12.5, which focused on sports, live TV, and easier content discovery.[22]

In April 2024, the Roku OS was reported to be the TV operating system with the largest share of TVs sold in the U.S. and Mexico during January-March 2024, accounting for approximately 40% of sales in each country.[23] In the same month, Roku OS 13 was released. The OS update was announced for all Roku TV models and many Roku streaming players. The update was said to offer enhancements to content discovery, browsing and other features including auto-adjusted picture modes and personalized "backdrops".[24]

In September 2024, Roku announced the release of Roku OS 14. This update featured a new "Kid & Family zone" added to the home screen, an ability to give a thumbs up or thumbs down to content and an option to use voice commands to update smart TV settings, among other changes.[25][26] Starting on 29-Sep-2024 when OS 14 was deployed, many Tablo 4th Generation DVRs either could no longer play at all, or after settings adjustments, would play but without any audio.[27] As of 1-Nov-2024, this issue remains unresolved.[28]

In January 2025, Roku said that the Roku OS was the leading TV OS in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, reaching over 90 million streaming households.[29][6] That same month, a new update to the operating system was rolled out, bringing Roku OS to version 14.1. This update included bug fixes and performance enhancements, but was described as potentially "underwhelming" for users expecting new features or a visual overhaul.[30]

In October 2025, Roku OS 15.0 was released to a small group of Roku device owners. This update aimed at improving system performance through "code optimizations" such as nullifying JSON data processing inefficiencies, removing data management redundancies, and refining the use of Roku's in-house BrightScript programming language. The expected benefits for the users included faster app loading times, more responsive user interface, and a leaner operating system in general.[31][32]

Features

[edit]

The Roku OS is a Linux-based streaming platform which runs "free channels" and "subscription channels". The operating system powers Roku TVs, streaming devices and smart speakers.[7][8][10] According to Roku, the operating system is able to run on "low power chips" using small memory footprints.[33] The operating system has been reported to be simple and easy to set up and use, yet powerful.[18][34][35][36]

Roku Channel Store

[edit]

The Roku OS includes the Roku Channel Store, featuring a collection of apps Roku calls "channels".[37] The operating system allows users to browse streaming channels available, displayed in a grid format.[8][38] According to mobile app analytics company 42matters, there were over 26,000 apps available in the Roku Channel Store in 2023.[39] Examples of "free channels" available in the store are The Roku Channel, Amazon Freevee, Xumo, NBC, ABC, Tubi, PBS, CBS, Pluto TV and Kiddoodle.tv, whereas the "subscription channels" include Howdy, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hayu, Paramount+, BET+, Curiosity Stream, Eros Now, AMC+, Acorn TV, Shudder, DAZN, Mubi, HBO Max, Discovery+, Crunchyroll, SonyLIV, ZEE5, Hotstar, Disney+, Hulu, Sun NXT, Hallmark+, Peacock, Kidoodle.TV and iWant.[7][8]

Roku Media Player

[edit]

Roku Media Player, which is part of Roku OS, is built to play local media content streamed from a DLNA server, such as Twonky or Windows Media Player, or (for compatible models) content from an inserted USB device, such as a pen drive.[40][41]

User features

[edit]

The Roku OS offers content search, voice control, parental controls, and custom photo screensavers. It also features a "guest mode", "private listening" (using Bluetooth headphones), "continue watching", and "screen mirroring" which allows to mirror a smartphone or computer screen to the Roku device, supporting both Miracast and AirPlay protocols.[42][43][8][44][45] The operating system also includes "Roku City", a screensaver Roku utilizes for advertising.[46][47]

Developer tools

[edit]

According to Roku, the Roku OS integrates tools which allow the company's channel publishers and advertisers to measure the effectiveness of online video advertisements delivered by the company.[48] Roku OS 10.5 or higher supports an "independent developer kit" (IDK), built for Roku devices, which Roku says allows developers to create not only streaming channels but also other applications.[49][50]

Compatibility

[edit]

Consumer products running the Roku OS include:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ RokuCommunity (September 2023). "A package manager for the Roku platform". Github. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  2. ↑ Palermo (October 15, 2021). "Roku Streaming Stick 4K Review: Midrange, But Definitely Not Middling". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  3. ↑ Palermo (October 15, 2020). "Roku Ultra 2020 Review: More Speed, More Features, and a Bit More Ultra". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Lee, Wendy (January 12, 2022). "Roku doubles down on L.A. as it makes big programming push". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Android TV, Fire TV grew streaming OS market share with new strategies in 2022". www.spglobal.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Butts, Tom (January 7, 2025). "Roku Surpasses 90 Million Streaming Households Globally". TV Tech. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Price, Dan (December 13, 2019). "What's the Best Smart TV Operating System?". MUO. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cohen, Simon (August 4, 2023). "What is Roku? The streaming platform fully explained". Digital Trends. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 LinuxDevices Staff (January 8, 2004). "SDK, coding contest launch around Linux-based HDTV media player". linuxdevices.org. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 Jarvey, Natalie (January 3, 2018). "CES: Roku Expands Into Audio Devices With Home Entertainment Licensing Program". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  11. ↑ Truong, Alice (August 19, 2014). "For Upcoming TVs, Roku Nixes The Input Button And Slims Down The Remote To 20 Keys". fastcompany.com. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Insignia Roku TV brings streaming video to your living room". Dallas News. June 13, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  13. ↑ Svetlik, Joe (October 6, 2015). "Roku OS 7 coming to all Roku devices this month". Trusted Reviews. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Roku OS software release notes". support.roku.com. October 5, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  15. ↑ Goode, Lauren (October 2, 2017). "Roku rolls out Roku OS 8, refreshes TV hardware with 4K and faster processors". The Verge. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  16. 1 2 Newman, Lily Hay (June 19, 2018). "Millions of Streaming Devices Are Vulnerable to a Retro Web Attack". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  17. ↑ Fingas, Jon (April 9, 2019). "Roku saves you from signing into accounts on a new device". Engadget. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  18. 1 2 Maring, Joseph (April 14, 2021). "Roku OS 10: All The New Features & Upgrades Explained". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  19. ↑ Lawler, Richard (May 18, 2021). "Roku jailbreak gives users control over what channels they install". Engadget. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  20. ↑ Bonifacic, Igor (March 22, 2022). "Roku OS 11 adds new audio options, photo screensavers and more". Engadget. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  21. ↑ Sarangapurkar, Vishnu (March 9, 2023). "Roku is getting a big update, brings its new smart TVs to Best Buy". Android Central. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  22. ↑ Welch, Chris (October 4, 2023). "Roku's next update focuses on sports, live TV, and easier content discovery". The Verge. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  23. ↑ Tamanini, Matt (April 25, 2024). "Roku Reports 81.6 Million Households Used Its Platform in Q1 2024; Streaming Hours on Pace to Pass 120 Billion in 2024". The Streamable. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  24. ↑ Fletcher, Bevin (April 11, 2024). "Roku updates streaming OS experience with art backdrops, discovery features". www.streamtvinsider.com. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  25. ↑ Nickinson, Phil (September 24, 2024). "Roku OS 14 is for the kids, and the voice control users". Digital Trends. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  26. ↑ Washenko, Anna (September 24, 2024). "Roku says its new Ultra streaming box is 30 percent faster". Engadget. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  27. ↑ Rieff, Amanda (September 29, 2024). "Roku 14 and Live Grid Concerns". Tablo Community. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  28. ↑ D, Emmanuel (October 25, 2024). "Re: Tablo 4 not working after 14.0 update". Roku Community. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  29. ↑ Clover, Julian (January 7, 2025). "Roku reaches 90 million streaming households". Broadband TV News. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  30. ↑ Bouma, Luke (January 8, 2025). "Roku Rolls Out a New Update to Roku TVs & Roku Players". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  31. ↑ Kanellakos, John (October 10, 2025). "Roku supercharging some devices with quiet update rollout". Pocket-lint. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  32. ↑ Bouma, Luke (October 10, 2025). "Roku OS 15 Begins Limited Rollout to Select Roku TV & Roku Player Owners". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  33. ↑ Frankellast, Daniel (September 17, 2020). "Roku Devices Are 'Much Cheaper to Build' vs. Android TV, CFO Says". NextTV. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  34. ↑ McGregor, Janhoi. "Roku Prices Have Tumbled By Up To 33% For Amazon Prime Day". Forbes. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  35. ↑ Shanto, Abid Ahsan (July 1, 2024). "Top Roku OS Features to Get the Most Out of Your Smart TV". Gizchina.com. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  36. ↑ Woo, Kelly (February 17, 2022). "Roku not working? How to solve common Roku problems". Tom's Guide. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  37. ↑ Krol, Jake (December 23, 2018). "Roku Premiere and Premiere+ review: You should consider only one". Mashable. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  38. ↑ Button, Chris (November 4, 2022). "Roku TV finally comes to Australia courtesy of TCL". GadgetGuy. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  39. ↑ Casey, Henry T. (March 23, 2023). "Roku Streaming Stick 4K review: The new best streaming device". Tom's Guide. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  40. ↑ Roku. "How to use Roku Media Player to play your videos, music and photos|Share media over USB or network". Roku. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  41. ↑ "Roku Media Player | TV app | Roku Channel Store". Roku. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  42. ↑ Woo, Marshall HonorofContributions from Kelly (February 17, 2022). "How to Mirror Your Android or Windows Screen With Roku". Tom's Guide. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  43. ↑ Roku. "Apple AirPlay and HomeKit now available on 4K Roku devices". Roku. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  44. ↑ Rahmat, Omid (March 10, 2023). "Roku and Google Updated Their TV Apps". displaydaily.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  45. ↑ Patterson, Ben (September 12, 2022). "Roku OS 11.5 boosts "continue watching" and "save list" features". TechHive. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  46. ↑ Walker, Rob (July 28, 2023). "Why is Roku's stock soaring? Take a look at Roku City". www.fastcompany.com. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  47. ↑ Winkie, Luke (November 2, 2022). "Pack Your Bags, We're Moving to 'Roku City'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  48. ↑ Snider, Mike (April 30, 2015). "Nielsen teams with Roku to measure Net video viewership". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  49. ↑ Keck, Catie (October 29, 2021). "Roku launches new personal-use developer kit". The Verge. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  50. ↑ Siegal, Jacob (February 26, 2022). "Roku just added a great new feature that Netflix has had for years". BGR. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  51. ↑ Onawole, Habeeb (September 13, 2022). "Roku OS 11.5: All The New Features Coming To Your Roku Device". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  52. ↑ Spangler, Todd (January 4, 2023). "Roku Announces First Smart TVs Designed and Made by the Company". Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  53. ↑ Hecht, Anna (January 27, 2020). "Roku was the top tech stock in 2019; here's how much you'd have if you invested at IPO". CNBC. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  54. ↑ Baig, Edward C. "First Look: New Roku 4 adds 4K streaming". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  55. ↑ Silva, Robert (March 17, 2020). "Spotlight on Hitachi 4K Ultra HD TVs with Built-in Roku Streaming". Lifewire. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  56. ↑ Spangler, Todd (October 13, 2022). "Roku Channel Launches in Mexico". Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  57. ↑ KRIEGER, JÖRN (September 1, 2022). "Roku launches Roku TV OS in Germany". Broadband TV News. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  58. ↑ Archer, John (July 23, 2023). "New Roku TVs Launch In UK Courtesy Of Polaroid". Forbes. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  59. ↑ Willcox, James K. (March 19, 2022). "TV Brands Aren't Always What They Seem". Consumer Reports. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roku_OS&oldid=1372893450"