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Freedom251 › Blog › app organization

How to customize the Roku home screen and move apps

By Freedom251 Team · · 12 min read

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On Roku’s current Home Screen, scroll to the Apps section, highlight the app, press the remote’s Star button, then choose Move app or Move app to the top. For the rest of the layout, open Settings > Home Screen, where Roku provides controls for tile size, recommendation rows, and Quick Access. These controls use Roku’s built-in interface and your existing remote; no additional purchase is required.

The newer design places personalized recommendations higher on the page and the familiar app grid farther down. Roku says this layout is now standard, so there is no setting to restore the previous Home Screen.

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What changed on the Roku Home Screen

Roku’s current Home Screen is organized around two areas: personalized content near the top and your installed apps in an Apps section lower down. The app tiles have not been removed; you reach them by scrolling down to the grid. Roku describes the newer design and its controls in Why does my Roku home screen look different?, a support article last updated August 25, 2026.

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Because recommendations are personalized, two Roku devices—or two households using the same type of device—can show different rows and titles. Roku says viewing history is one factor in those selections. The recommendations can be hidden, but Roku does not document a control for choosing each recommended title manually.

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“No, the new Home Screen layout is now the standard Roku experience, and there isn’t a setting to switch back.” — Roku Support

That means customization focuses on the size and visibility of existing sections and on the order of your app tiles, rather than returning to the former design.

Understand the three areas before changing anything

The Home Screen can contain recommendation rows, Quick Access, and the full Apps grid. These areas can look similar because all of them use tiles, but they serve different purposes.

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  • Recommendation rows contain Roku’s personalized suggestions. Their contents can vary by device and household, and Roku cites viewing history as one influence.
  • Quick Access is a row near the top for selected frequently used apps, features, and shortcuts. It is not the complete list of installed apps.
  • Apps is the familiar grid farther down the page. App movement commands apply when an app tile in this section is highlighted.

Knowing which area you are viewing prevents a common mistake: removing a tile from Quick Access or hiding a recommendation row does not mean the corresponding app has been uninstalled. The full app list remains in the Apps section unless the app is no longer installed or cannot be found through Roku’s Search.

Move an app in the Apps section

Use this procedure when you want to change the order of an installed app in the Roku app grid.

  1. Press the Home button on the Roku remote to open the Home Screen.
  2. Scroll down until you reach the Apps section.
  3. Highlight the app tile you want to reposition. Do not open the app; leave it selected in the grid.
  4. Press the remote’s Star button to open the tile’s options.
  5. Choose Move app to reposition the tile, or choose Move app to the top if you want Roku’s available top-placement command.
  6. Follow the on-screen placement prompt and confirm using the controls shown on your Roku. Roku’s support guidance does not promise one fixed grid coordinate or a universal button sequence after you select the command, and menu wording can vary by device and interface version.

The Star menu is contextual: highlight the tile first, then open its options. If you press Star while another Home Screen item is selected, you may see options for that item instead of the app-movement commands.

“Move app” versus “Move app to the top”

Move app is the general reorder command. It is the choice to use when you want to place an app relative to the other tiles in the grid. Move app to the top is a separate shortcut offered by Roku’s newer guidance for making an app easier to reach. Select the command that appears on your screen; Roku cautions that the exact appearance can differ across devices and households.

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There is no need to uninstall or reinstall an app to change its order. Reordering changes the Home Screen arrangement, not the app’s account, subscription, settings, or saved data.

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Change Home Screen settings

Roku identifies the main layout controls at Settings > Home Screen. Open Settings from the Home Screen, select Home Screen, and adjust the options available on your device.

Setting What it changes When to use it
Tile size Changes the size of Home Screen tiles. Use it when tiles are difficult to read or when you want more items visible at once.
Recommendation rows Shows or hides the recommendation rows placed above the app area. Hide them if you want less personalized content between the Home button and your apps; leave them visible if you use Roku’s suggested titles.
Quick Access Shows or hides the Quick Access row of tiles near the top of the Home Screen. Show it for frequently used apps, features, and shortcuts; hide it when you prefer the App Grid in that area.

Roku’s wording is important: these are display and organization controls. They do not provide a documented switch to the former Home Screen, and the recommendation setting does not let you hand-pick every title shown.

Use Quick Access for frequently used items

Quick Access is a row near the top of the Home Screen. Roku describes it as a place for frequently used apps, features, and shortcuts, separate from the full Apps grid.

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Add an app or shortcut

  1. Highlight the app or shortcut you want to place in Quick Access.
  2. Press the Star button.
  3. Select the add option shown in the menu.

The exact option label can vary with the item and the version of the interface. Use the command displayed by your Roku rather than relying on a button sequence from another model.

Remove a Quick Access tile

  1. Highlight the tile in the Quick Access row.
  2. Press Star.
  3. Choose the remove option shown for that tile.

Removing an item from Quick Access does not remove the app from the Apps section. It only removes that tile from the shortcut row.

Hide or show the entire row

Go to Settings > Home Screen and change Quick Access to show or hide it. Roku says that when Quick Access is hidden, the App Grid replaces it in that part of the Home Screen. This is a layout change, not an uninstall operation.

Manage shortcuts separately from apps

Roku also has a dedicated shortcut control. The path is Settings > Home screen > Shortcuts, as described in Roku’s shortcut instructions. The capitalization in the on-screen label may appear as “Home screen,” even though other Roku documentation writes “Home Screen.”

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Shortcut management is distinct from moving an app in the grid and from personal shortcut buttons that may be present on some remotes. To manage a shortcut in the app grid, highlight it and press Star; Roku says the available options can include hiding or moving that shortcut. Use the dedicated Shortcuts menu when you want to control shortcut visibility more broadly.

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Three controls that are easy to confuse

  • Move app: changes an installed app’s position in the Apps grid.
  • Quick Access: controls a row near the top containing selected apps, features, and shortcuts.
  • Shortcuts: controls shortcut items through their own settings path and Star-button options.

Choosing the wrong control can make an item appear to have disappeared when it has only been moved to another section or hidden from a shortcut row.

Find an app that is not visible

If an installed app is not where you expect it, first scroll through the entire Apps section. The current layout places that grid below the recommendation area, so stopping near the top of the Home Screen can make the app seem missing.

If the app is not in the grid, Roku advises using Search and adding it if it appears in the results. Search can also confirm whether Roku recognizes the app on that device. The support guidance does not establish that every app is available on every Roku device or in every region, so an absent search result should not be treated as a movement problem.

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Also check whether you are looking at Quick Access rather than the full Apps section. Hiding a Quick Access tile leaves the app itself in the grid; hiding the Quick Access row causes the App Grid to occupy that area instead.

Why another Roku looks different

Roku says the Home Screen experience can vary across devices and households. Personalized picks and recommendation rows are influenced in part by viewing history, so the order and content near the top will not necessarily match a second Roku in the same room or a device shown in a help article.

Differences in tile size, recommendation visibility, and Quick Access visibility also change how much of the page you see before reaching Apps. Compare settings at Settings > Home Screen before assuming that a tile or section is unavailable.

The support directions describe the current standard interface, but Roku does not guarantee identical labels or appearance on every device. When a menu differs, use the closest command displayed on your screen and avoid relying on a location or remote sequence that is not shown.

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A practical setup sequence

For a clean, app-first Home Screen, make changes in an order that prevents you from confusing layout changes with missing apps.

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  1. Open Settings > Home Screen.
  2. Decide whether to show recommendation rows. Hide them if you want to reduce the content displayed above Apps.
  3. Choose a tile size that makes labels readable while leaving enough tiles visible for your browsing style.
  4. Choose whether Quick Access should be shown. If you hide it, remember that Roku places the App Grid in that area.
  5. Return to Home and scroll to Apps.
  6. Use the Star menu on the apps you use most often, selecting Move app or Move app to the top as appropriate.
  7. Use Settings > Home screen > Shortcuts only for shortcut visibility and organization.

This sequence separates global display choices from individual tile movement, making it easier to identify which change affected the screen.

How to choose settings for different viewing habits

If you primarily open a small number of installed apps, leave Quick Access visible and add those items there. This keeps frequently used destinations near the top while preserving the complete Apps grid below. If you prefer a predictable, app-first page, hide recommendation rows and decide whether Quick Access adds useful shortcuts or visual clutter.

Tile size is a readability choice rather than an app-order command. Larger tiles can make labels easier to recognize; a different size changes how the page is laid out but does not change which apps are installed. After changing the size, scroll through the Apps section again before concluding that an app moved or vanished.

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There is no documented setting for selecting individual recommendation titles. You can show or hide the recommendation rows as a group, while app order and Quick Access membership are controlled separately with the Star menu.

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Troubleshooting the Star menu and layout

The Move command does not appear

  • Confirm that you are in the Apps section and that an app tile—not a recommendation row or another shortcut—is highlighted.
  • Press Star while the tile is highlighted, then read the options Roku presents for that item.
  • If the wording differs, use the command that explicitly refers to moving the app. Roku’s guidance names Move app and Move app to the top, but the interface may look different across devices.

The app still seems to be missing

  • Scroll farther down to the complete Apps grid.
  • Check Quick Access separately; removing a tile there does not uninstall the app.
  • Use Search and add the app if Roku finds it.

The Home Screen has too much content above Apps

Open Settings > Home Screen and hide recommendation rows. You can also hide Quick Access, although Roku says the App Grid then replaces that row.

The layout does not match a guide or another Roku

Check tile size, recommendation-row visibility, and Quick Access visibility first. Remaining differences can come from Roku’s personalized recommendations, which vary by device and household and are influenced partly by viewing history.

You want the former Home Screen back

Roku’s official answer is that the new layout is now standard and has no switch-back setting. The supported approach is to reduce or hide recommendation rows, adjust tile size, choose whether to show Quick Access, and reorder apps in the current interface.

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You do not have the Roku remote

The documented procedure requires highlighting an item and pressing the remote’s Star button. Roku’s Home Screen instructions do not specify an alternate purchase or a separate product for this task. If the remote is lost or broken, restore access to a compatible control method first; the customization steps themselves remain the same once you can open the Star menu.

What these settings do—and do not do

  • They do: resize tiles, show or hide recommendation rows, show or hide Quick Access, organize shortcut visibility, and change app order in the Apps grid.
  • They do not: restore the old Home Screen, guarantee a particular recommendation title, or require a separate product purchase.
  • They do not move an app between Roku accounts: the documented controls affect the local Home Screen arrangement.

Roku’s documented process assumes you have the Roku remote. If the remote is lost or broken, that is a separate access issue not covered by the Home Screen customization instructions.

Quick reference

Goal Path or action
Reorder an app Home Screen > Apps > highlight app > Star > Move app
Put an app at the available top position Home Screen > Apps > highlight app > Star > Move app to the top
Resize tiles Settings > Home Screen > Tile size
Show or hide recommendation rows Settings > Home Screen > Recommendation rows
Show or hide Quick Access Settings > Home Screen > Quick Access
Manage shortcuts Settings > Home screen > Shortcuts
Find an app absent from the grid Use Search and add it if it appears

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch my Roku back to the old Home Screen?

No. Roku says the newer Home Screen is now the standard experience and there is no setting to switch back. You can hide recommendation rows, change tile size, control Quick Access, and reorder apps instead.

Where did my Roku apps go?

Scroll down to the Apps section. The newer layout puts personalized recommendations higher on the page, but the familiar app grid remains below. If an app is not in the grid, use Search and add it if Roku finds it.

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Does removing an item from Quick Access uninstall it?

No. Removing a Quick Access tile only removes that tile from the row. The app remains in the full Apps section.

Why does my Roku look different from another Roku?

Roku says recommendations vary by device and household and are influenced partly by viewing history. Tile size, recommendation-row visibility, and Quick Access visibility can also differ, so compare Settings > Home Screen before treating a difference as a problem.

Can I choose exactly which recommendation titles appear?

Roku documents a control to show or hide recommendation rows, not a control to hand-pick every title. The titles are personalized.

What is the difference between Move app and Move app to the top?

Move app is the general reorder command. Move app to the top is a separate command Roku provides for placing an app in the available top position. Choose whichever command your device displays.

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Do I need to buy anything to customize the Home Screen?

No. Roku’s documented steps use the built-in Home Screen settings and an existing Roku remote. A replacement control is only a separate issue if your remote is unavailable.

How do I manage Roku shortcuts rather than apps?

Open Settings > Home screen > Shortcuts. You can also highlight a shortcut in the grid, press Star, and use the hide or move option Roku shows for that item.

The Bottom Line

Use the Star menu on an app in the Apps section to choose Move app or Move app to the top. Use Settings > Home Screen for tile size, recommendation rows, and Quick Access; Roku does not provide a switch back to the old layout.

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