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Roku normally updates apps automatically when your device is online. To check for updates now, press Home on your remote, then go to Settings > System > Software update > Check now. Some older Roku menus call this System update. Roku calls its installed apps “channels,” and the system check can look for both Roku software and channel updates.

Update Roku apps with a system check

  1. Turn on your Roku device or Roku TV and connect it to the internet.
  2. Press Home on the remote.
  3. Open Settings > System > Software update. On some older interfaces, choose System update.
  4. Select Check now and let the check finish.

If Roku finds an update, it downloads and installs it; the device may restart. Let the process complete before opening the app you were troubleshooting. The update screen also shows your Roku software version, build number, and the date and time of the most recent update. Roku’s software update instructions describe this as the standard way to check for updates.

Can you update just one Roku app?

On some devices and software versions, you can prompt an individual channel to check for an update:

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  1. Go to the Roku Home screen and highlight the channel tile.
  2. Press the remote’s Options button, usually marked with an asterisk (*).
  3. Select Check for updates, if that option appears, and follow any on-screen directions.

Roku documents this option in its channel publishing guidance, but it may not be available for every channel, device, or software version. If you do not see it, use the system-wide check instead.

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Does Roku update apps automatically?

Roku says its devices check for software updates during setup, when powered on, and periodically—typically every 24–36 hours. Available updates download and install automatically, and the device may reboot. This normally covers app or channel updates as well as Roku software, so there is no general phone-style screen listing apps that need to be updated one by one. Automatic checks require the Roku to be connected to the internet and operating normally. See Roku’s explanation of automatic and manual updates.

A manual check is useful after the Roku has been offline, after adding a channel remotely, or when one channel is misbehaving. Repeating the check is unlikely to help if Roku reports that the device is current and the issue is caused by the channel’s service, account, or compatibility.

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A newly added channel is missing

If you added a channel from Roku.com or the Roku mobile app but cannot find it on the TV, Roku recommends checking for a system update. Run Settings > System > Software update > Check now, allow any installation or restart to finish, then return to Home and look at the bottom of the channel list. Roku explains this behavior on its add-channel support page.

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If it still does not appear, restart the Roku and check that the channel is available in your country and for your Roku account region. Availability and compatibility can vary by region, Roku model and software version, and the channel provider’s supported-device policy. Before removing and reinstalling it, check whether the service is experiencing an outage and whether it requires a separate subscription or sign-in.

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If a Roku app will not update or still does not work

  1. Check the connection. Confirm the Roku is connected to the correct Wi-Fi network. Test another device on that network; if needed, restart the router and Roku or re-enter the Wi-Fi password.
  2. Run the system check. Use Check now and let any update or restart finish. Avoid disconnecting the device during installation.
  3. Restart and test again. Reopen the affected channel. Note whether other channels work; a problem limited to one service points more toward that channel, account, or service than a general Roku connection issue.
  4. Try the channel’s update option. Highlight its tile, press *, and choose Check for updates if available.
  5. Reinstall only if appropriate. Removing and adding the channel again can help with damaged local app data, but may erase local settings and require you to sign in again. It will not fix an outage or an unsupported device.
  6. Contact the right support team. For a problem confined to one streaming service, check that provider’s status and help resources or contact the provider. Contact Roku for device, Roku OS, account, or platform-level problems.

If an update prompt keeps returning or the Roku repeatedly restarts, let any genuine update complete, restart once, and check for system updates again. If the loop continues—especially if one channel triggers it—remove and reinstall that channel if appropriate, then contact Roku or the channel provider. A repeated prompt is not proof that a normal channel update is available.

What “up to date” means

If Roku says it is up to date, no newer Roku system update is currently being offered to that device. It does not guarantee that every channel is bug-free, that the channel provider has released a compatible update, or that the problem is an update issue at all. A service outage, sign-in problem, network fault, device limitation, or app-side bug can produce similar symptoms. If only one channel fails after a check and restart, start with that service’s help resources.

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Roku players, Roku TVs, and supported Roku hardware use the same general system-update approach, though labels can differ by software version or TV interface. Roku mentions USB updating as a model-specific option for certain Roku TV software situations without internet access; it is not a general way to update streaming apps. Do not use unofficial firmware downloads.

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Updating the Roku mobile app is separate

If by “Roku app” you mean the remote app on an iPhone or Android phone, update it through the Apple App Store or Google Play. Roku’s support information lists compatibility with Roku OS 6.2 or later, while available features vary by device; the cited mobile-app page lists iOS 11.0 or later and Android 5.0 or later. For device-control features, the phone and Roku generally need to be on the same Wi-Fi network. Updating the phone app does not update channels or Roku software on the TV or player.

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