Getting access to premier movies and TV series is exciting for anybody. Doesn’t matter if it’s a show or movie that you’ve seen a hundred times or if you’re seeing it for the first time. Something from your own home is a perfect way to relax, and Roku helps you do just that.

With its user-friendly interface and reliable operating system, Roku is a fan favorite for a reason. You may think you can plug in your Roku and start using it right away, but you should think twice. You’ll get a decent experience right away, but you should make a few changes to optimize performance. Some of them are as easy as a few clicks on your Roku remote.

Make life easier with one-touch play

Set your remote up for success

Having to juggle multiple remotes is a hassle for anyone. Keeping track of your Roku remote as well as your TV remote and potentially any other ones you have is a foolish task for any new Roku owner.

Make your Roku remote your main one by setting up One-Touch Play. This is a setting that allows you to control your TV from your Roku remote in the sense that any time you touch the Roku remote, it switches to the HDMI input that you have the Roku plugged into. You don’t have to pick up the TV remote and press Input to switch to the Roku’s selected port.

To set this, you go to Settings on the Roku home page and then click System. From there, click Control other devices > One-Touch Play. After setting that, your Roku remote will be able to jump right into your Roku menu.

Hide recommendation row and more on the home screen

Get a less personalized experience

One of the newest features of Roku OS is the Recommendation row, which appears at the top of the home screen. It shows suggested options you might like, based on your viewing choices.

If you don’t want to look at potential suggestions for shows and movies you might like, you can shut them off in another setting. But for now, you can hide the Recommendation row by going to Settings > Home screen.

On the Home screen, you can choose to eliminate the Recommendation row. You can also get rid of quick access apps, which are the ones that populate near the top as well. These can bring you right into a show or a movie that you have previously watched.

Another setting you can adjust on the Home screen is the tile size. When you’re using Roku OS as it is regularly planned, you will see lineups of four tiles representing the apps that you can use on Roku. If you want to rearrange them, you just have to hold down the OK button on the remote and then move them around with the arrow keys. But if you want to change their size, perhaps making them easier to see for those with poor eyesight, you can do that through the Home screen settings.

There is also sponsored wallpaper that traditionally shows up on the home screen. Go to Settings > Theme > Wallpaper and disable it to save yourself from seeing promo ads.

Save your data by adjusting Roku’s privacy settings

This won’t hurt your Roku in any way

While Roku is known as a user-friendly platform for making your experience simpler, it can do so by tracking your every move. It can monitor what content you’re watching, what apps you’re using, and suggest content based on that tracking and the algorithm it has formed.

If you don’t want Roku to track everything you’re watching, you can go to Settings > Privacy > Advertising > Limit Ad Tracking. This will prevent Roku from following your steps as you use it. These are the same settings, no matter what Roku device you’re using.

By limiting ad tracking, you won’t see the annoying large ad on the right side of the screen. This will stop Roku from selling your information to third-party vendors. If you do happen to use Roku for a while before you make the switch away from having your info tracked, you can reset within Privacy by clicking on Advertising > Reset advertising identifier.

If you don’t mind seeing ads, but want to protect yourself from inappropriate ones, you can adjust that as well. Within Advertising, choose sensitive ad content to remove any ads that might mention drinking, gambling, and activities not suitable for children.

Volume needs to be right

You should be working with the best sound for you

You don’t want your content to be blowing your eardrums out. You also don’t want to need to turn up your sound as much as possible every time you turn on a new show.

There isn’t going to be a perfect volume setting for every show or movie, so you need to make the Roku do the work for you. Once you’ve started watching something, you can adjust the volume leveling.

After starting a show, use the * button on the remote. This will bring up Volume Mode or Sound Settings, depending on the model of your Roku. In those menus, click Leveling and then choose from high, medium, and low.

Volume leveling keeps the volume at an even level, no matter what happens on the screen. If there’s an explosion, it’s one level. If there are people whispering, it’s the same level.

There are many settings you can change to fit your Roku experience

These are just some of the settings you can adjust on your Roku to get a more personalized experience. You may not mind the ads or the suggestions, as they can help you find new content to watch. Play around with the Roku and find out all the ways you can utilize the user-friendly platform.