How to reset a Roku TV for an aging parent over the phone

The Roku is "broken." It says "no signal" or it is stuck on a black screen or the remote does nothing. Your dad called you. You are in another time zone. Here is the script that fixes this without you having to drive over.

First, figure out which problem you have

The three most common Roku problems sound the same to your parent but have different fixes:

1. Roku is frozen. Screen stuck. Remote does nothing.
2. Roku lost its WiFi. Streaming apps will not load. "Cannot connect" message.
3. Roku booted to the wrong input. "No signal" message on the TV (this is actually a TV input problem, not a Roku problem).

Ask your parent: "What does the screen say?" If they cannot read the screen, ask them to take a photo with their phone and text it to you. That ends a lot of guessing.

Problem 1: Roku is frozen

The fix is a power cycle. There are two ways to do this.

The remote way (easier)

1. Pick up the Roku remote.
2. Press these buttons in order: Home (5 times), Up (1 time), Rewind (2 times), Fast Forward (2 times).
3. Wait. The Roku will restart on its own.

This is the secret combo to soft-reset a Roku. Works on every model.

The unplug way

1. Find the Roku. On a Roku TV the device is built in. On a separate Roku, it is the small black or purple box near the TV.
2. Unplug the power cable.
3. Wait 30 seconds.
4. Plug it back in.
5. Wait 2 minutes for the Roku to boot back up.

Problem 2: Roku lost WiFi

If apps will not load (Netflix says "Cannot connect to internet" or YouTube hangs at a spinner), the WiFi is the issue.

1. On the Roku remote, press Home.
2. Scroll left to Settings.
3. Network > Set up connection > Wireless.
4. Pick the home WiFi network.
5. Type the WiFi password.

If the WiFi password is something you cannot easily walk your parent through typing on a TV remote (every letter, scrolling with arrows), this gets brutal fast. Have them flip the router over and read the printed password if needed.

If the whole WiFi is down, see why your parent's WiFi keeps breaking.

Problem 3: TV is on the wrong input

If the TV screen says "No signal" or "HDMI 2 No input," the Roku is not the problem. The TV is just showing the wrong input.

1. Pick up the TV remote (not the Roku remote, the original TV remote).
2. Press the Input or Source button.
3. Cycle through the inputs until you see the Roku home screen.

If they do not have the TV remote anymore (lost behind a couch in 2019), you can usually press the actual power button on the side of the TV to cycle inputs. Or buy a universal remote on Amazon for $15.

The remote itself does not work

One more failure mode worth knowing. If the Roku remote does nothing:

1. New batteries. 90% of the time this fixes it.
2. If still nothing, take the batteries out, hold any button for 5 seconds, then put batteries back in.
3. Last resort: re-pair. Hold the pairing button (inside the battery compartment) for 5 seconds while the Roku is on. Some Rokus do this automatically.

Keep spare batteries (AA or AAA depending on the remote) somewhere obvious in their house.

What to do so this is the last time you walk through this

Two upgrades:

• Label the remotes. Tape a label on the back: "Roku remote" or "TV remote." When you say "use the Roku remote," they will know which.
• Print this card and tape it to the TV stand:
  "If Roku is stuck: pick up Roku remote, press Home 5 times, Up 1 time, Rewind 2 times, Fast Forward 2 times."

Or: give them a number to call. Kinline picks up, asks them what the screen says, and walks them through the right fix. Read our guide to smart home setup for aging parents for more on TVs, streaming devices, and connected stuff.