For an app that will not open, freezes or shows an error on a Roku, work from the smallest step. Restart the Roku through Settings, System, Power, System restart, which clears memory. Check your internet connection with Settings, Network, Check connection, since an app needs a working connection and Roku's Wi-Fi article lists the error codes. Update the software under Settings, System, System update, Check now, because app and system versions must match.
The checks in more detail
Remove and re-add the channel: highlight it on the home screen, press the star button, choose Remove channel, restart, and add it again from the Streaming Store, then sign in again. If a subscription channel shows an account or payment message, sign in on the service's website, since Roku cannot fix a service account problem. Roku says a channel that will not play for one service is often the service's outage, so check the service's status page.
Free up space if the device is full, by removing channels you do not use. On a Roku TV, the same steps apply. Check the date and time under Settings, System, Time, since a wrong clock breaks secure connections. If only one app fails on wifi but works on Ethernet or a phone hotspot, the network is the cause. As a last resort, factory reset and sign in again, but first note your channels. Note the exact error code a channel shows, since services publish what each code means, and a code often names the cause, such as the network, the account or the device, faster than trial and error.
Sign out and back in to the channel after removing it. Old sessions can keep an expired token that shows as a generic error until you sign in fresh.
Differential
Likely causes of “Roku TV line and players apps will not open, update or install”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A service outage
What separates it One app fails because the streaming service has an outage
How to confirm Check the service's status page, to see whether it has an outage
- 2
An old software or channel version
What separates it The app crashes because the Roku or the channel is out of date
How to confirm Update the Roku, and update the channel, then try the app again
- 3
A corrupt channel
What separates it The app freezes when it opens because the channel is corrupt
How to confirm Remove the channel and add it again, and then sign in
- 4
A wrong date or time
What separates it Secure connection errors show because the date or the time is wrong
How to confirm Set the time and the date correctly, using the automatic option
- 5
A network problem
What separates it The app buffers or shows errors because of a network problem
How to confirm Check the connection, and test the network on the Roku
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The app name and error message
- Whether other apps work on the same Roku
- The time setting and the network that you use
- Whether the storage on the device is full
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedRestart the Roku
ReversibleRestart the Roku, using the System restart option in the power settings, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Check the connection
ReversibleCheck the connection, by looking at the network settings of the Roku, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Update the software
ReversibleUpdate the software, using Check now in the system update menu, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Remove and re-add the channel
ReversibleRemove and re-add the channel, by using the star button on the channel tile, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Check date and time
ReversibleCheck the date and the time, and set them automatically if they are wrong, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Check the service status
ReversibleCheck the service status, by looking at the streaming service's own status page, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Contact the service or Roku
ReversibleContact the service or Roku if the problem persists, and give them the error, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Older models
- Older Rokus stop getting new channel versions and some apps drop support.
- Newer models
- Newer models get updates for longer.
- Why channels fail on a Roku Plus Series TV
- Channels may fail because of a weak network, a stuck session or an out-of-date channel. Restart the TV from Settings, System, Power, System restart and check the signal in Settings, Network, About. Remove and re-add the channel if it still fails.
- Storage and updates
- Roku TVs have limited memory, so remove channels you do not use and check Settings, System, System update for software. A channel that fails for everyone may be an outage, so check the service's status before you reset.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models Roku Ultra 4800/4802, Streaming Stick 4K, Express 4K, Roku Express, Roku Streambar, Roku Streambar Pro, Roku Pro Series TV.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If every app fails after a restart and a good connection, contact Roku
- !If only one service fails, contact that service, since the fault may be theirs
- !If sign in fails, use the service's account page
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Error codes and restarts.
System update, Check now.
Status light meanings and power sources.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
How do I remove a channel?+
Highlight it, press star, choose Remove.
Why does one app fail?+
Often the service is at fault, so check its status page first.
Can low space matter?+
Yes, low storage can matter, since apps need room to update and run.
How do I restart a Roku TV properly?+
Settings, System, Power, System restart.
Does removing a channel delete my account?+
No, you sign in again after re-adding it.