Nothing kills a cliffhanger faster than a loading circle that won't go away. If your Roku has started freezing or lagging, it's tempting to assume the hardware is just too old to keep up with modern streaming demands. But before you write it off as e-waste, realize that most performance stutters are caused by software bloat and cache buildup, not a dying processor.
Before you dump your streaming stick in the trash, you've got to try a few ridiculously simple fixes. There are several steps you can take right now to breathe new life into your setup. If your device is a few years old, it's also probably time to finally delete those dozen channels you haven't opened since 2022.
A quick five-minute refresh is honestly all it takes to solve these issues. Stop suffering through laggy video and give your Roku the fast tune-up it needs to handle your streaming without a hitch.
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How to clear your Roku TV cache
This process isn't as straightforward on a Roku TV as it is on other devices. Following these steps will improve your device's performance and clear its cache. Keep in mind that your Roku TV will restart.
Reset Roku TV in the settings
- From the main menu, go to the end of the list and select the Settings menu.
- Within Settings, find System and open it.
- Scroll down to Power and select it.
- Select System Restart and click Restart to confirm.
This will turn off your TV and clear the cache, but it will not factory reset it. Your Roku TV should turn back on in about 30 seconds. If this doesn't work, you can try using the hidden remote function to reset the TV instead.
Reset Roku TV with remote
- Go to the Home menu and make sure the highlight is over the Home option on the left.
- On your remote push the Home button five times.
- Push the Up arrow once.
- Push the Rewind button twice.
- Push the Fast Forward button twice.
- Wait for your Roku to restart.
Uninstall the app
If resetting the Roku TV doesn't solve the issues with slowing, you may have to uninstall and reinstall the app you believe is causing the issue. As a warning, all users and settings will be removed from the app, and you will need to set this back up upon reinstall.
- Highlight the app, but do not open it.
- Push the * button on your remote.
- Select Remove Channel from the popup.
How to factory reset your Roku TV
For those still having issues, you may be better off doing a factory reset of the whole Roku TV. This will remove all your users, sign-ins and apps, making it the same as if you had just brought it home from the store.
- From the menu, click Settings.
- Find System and then select it.
- At the bottom of the System menu, go to Advanced System Settings.
- Select Factory Reset and enter the code underneath the number pad on the right to confirm the reset.
For more coverage, read about how you can set up a VPN on Roku and learn how your streaming device might be tracking you.