Roku Voice commands: The ultimate guide

Picture this: It’s movie night. With salty snacks by your side, you’ve nestled into the couch and wrapped yourself into a blanket burrito. You are in your happy place. Then it hits you: The remote is—omg—on the other side of the room. Do you uncurl from your comfy cocoon of relaxation to get up and grab it? Not if you have a Roku device equipped with the Voice Remote Pro.

That’s right! Every Roku Voice Remote can understand a wide range of voice commands, and if you have the Roku Voice Remote Pro, you can operate your Roku device totally hands-free. But just how much can your Roku Voice Remote and Roku Voice Remote Pro understand? More than you probably realize. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide to teach you all the commands you can use. Let’s get talking.

If your Roku remote has a microphone on it, it has Roku Voice capability. While all Roku Voice remotes have push-to-talk (enabled by pressing the button with the microphone on it), only the Roku Voice Remote Pro offers hands-free voice commands. Here’s a breakdown of the difference between the two:

Roku Voice Remote  

• Push-to-talk voice commands
• Shortcut buttons for popular streaming channels like Netflix and HBO Max

Roku Voice Remote Pro has everything the Roku Voice Remote has, plus:  

• Hands-free voice commands
• Rechargeable remote via USB
• Lost remote finder
• Private listening
• Customizable shortcut buttons

Question: Okay, but what can you do with your Roku Voice Remote? Answer: Almost anything you can do by pushing buttons. Here’s a cheat sheet for everything you can say using all Roku Voice remotes.

Traditional remote functions

Streaming TV is the future, but classic remote controls are here to stay. If you’re binge watching that new buzzed about series, you know how an intro can turn into an earworm.

Simply say, “fast forward” or “skip” to get to the good stuff. Watching live sports? Tap the microphone and say “replay” or “rewind” to play the role of referee. Instead of pressing a different button for “pause,” “stop,” and “play,” simply speak the word to your Roku Voice Remote, and your wish is its command. Don’t be afraid to get too basic: You can also control the power (“TV on”/”TV off”) and sound. (“mute”/”unmute”). And if you fall asleep to your favorite titles like me, simply set the sleep timer with “turn off TV in 30 minutes” or “set sleep timer for 30 minutes.” Zzz…

Launching and streaming content

The hardest part of any important task is getting started in the first place. So, we’ve made it easy to start streaming with the Roku Voice Remote and Voice Remote Pro. If you know what you want to watch, simply say “launch,” or “play.” If you’re exploring new waters, try “find,” “show me,” or “search for.” When you follow your command with different content types—like a specific sports team or league, or a specific movie title or genre—your Roku device will show you a selection and how to stream it, whether it’s on a channel you subscribe to or can access for free on your TV.

There’s more than meets the eye, including streaming audio content on your Roku device. Audio-specific commands for music and podcasts include “next,” “previous,” “play again,” “shuffle,” and “loop.”

Preferences and settings 

Does your streaming setup have speakers to amplify all the bells and whistles? Hey, that’s just your preferences. Use “check speakers” to ensure you entertain the full surround sound experience.

Wait—what did they say?! Clear things up with captions. Just say, “turn on closed captioning,” or “turn on captions.” If you’re not trying to read a novel while you stream, you can also say, “turn on captions during replay” or “hide captions.”

New channels are constantly being added to the Roku channel store. You can add any channel to your home screen by saying “install” followed by the channel name.

If you have a rechargeable Roku Voice Remote Pro, check your “battery level” before you go on a streaming spree. (Or, you can always use the free Roku mobile app as a remote control.)

Just for fun

Sometimes you just need someone to listen—or talk back. See what you can get your Roku device to say with “repeat after me.”

Exclusive Roku Voice Remote Pro commands 

If you have the Roku Voice Remote Pro, no need to lift a finger to activate hands-free streaming. Just say “Hey Roku” to start using voice commands.

Shift happens. So, my favorite feature of the Roku Voice Remote Pro has to be the lost remote finder. “Hey Roku, where’s the remote?” will lead you down the right path.

Exclusive Roku TV voice commands 

If you have a Roku TV, there are exclusive voice commands compatible with any Roku Voice Remote and Voice Remote Pro. Try “switch input to HDMI 3” or “switch to Blu-ray player.” Watching live TV? Just say “channel up“/”channel down.” You can also manage audio, like “turn volume up 10%” or “turn volume up to 20.”

You can even use your voice remote when your Roku TV is powered off, just activate Fast TV Start  under Power  settings.  Alternatively, simply say “screen off“/”screen on.”

Roku Voice and smart home devices 

Finally, you can pair your Roku device with your favorite voice assistant for even more hands-free commands.

Apple Home Kit and Siri: For all Roku players and Roku TVs, you can turn your TV on or off, play and pause media, and search for titles with your voice by asking Siri directly from your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and HomePod mini.

Alexa: Roku players and audio devices connected to Amazon Alexa-enabled devices can play and pause media, fast forward/rewind, and search for titles. Roku TVs paired with Alexa can turn your TV on or off, control volume, mute/unmute, and manage input settings.

Google Assistant: Connect your Roku players and audio devices to Google Assistant-enabled devices to play and pause media, fast forward or rewind, and launch channels. For Roku TVs only, just ask Google to turn your TV on or off, control volume, mute/unmute, and manage surround sound and input settings.

So, there you have it. I am willing to bet that your Roku Voice Remote does more than you ever imagined. And remember that with your Roku device’s automatic software updates, you can enjoy our latest features and functions all the time.

Now that you know how to use your Roku Voice Remote, what should you watch? Check out what’s new on Netflix.

Happy Streaming!

Apple, HomeKit and Siri are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Amazon, Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Alexa enabled device is required to work with Alexa. Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Third party features and services may be subject to change or removal without notice.