How to Set Up Roku Device for the First Time?

By Activate Guide March 1, 2021 Roku 0 Comments

Roku is known for providing a range of multimedia devices to deliver an extensive number of services to almost any monitor or TV. Having your Roku device connected to your TV, you can right away cut the cord to cancel your cable TV service. Yes, you have the option to add channels like Netflix, HBO, YouTube, Hulu, Amazon Prime to your cable, however, if you are looking to set up your Roku player for the first time, you can follow the information provided in this guide. Here, you will learn the configuration process, how to create a Roku account, how to add an app using activation code, and what to do if your device doesn’t work.

Table of Contents

Setting up Roku Device to Stream Channels

When looking to set up your Roku device, the first thing you will need to check is the type of Roku you have. There are generally two types of Roku devices (Roku Player and Roku Stick). Both require you to have your TV with at least on HDMI port. Once you have determined your Roku device, you will need to follow these steps:

For Roku Player, you will plug one end of the HDMI into the Roku Player’s port located at the back, and then plug the other on the port of your TV.For Roku Stick, you will need to plug the HDMI of your Roku Stick into the port of your TV.
Next, you will need to attach your Roku device to a power source. Once you have connected your TV and Roku device properly to the power source, you will need to select the HDMI slot on which you have connected to your Roku device. Doing so will open the Roku setup screen.
On the Roku Setup screen, you will first need to select a language using the arrow buttons on your Roku. Once you have selected the language, press on the OK button on your remote.
After selecting the desired language, the nest thing you will need to do is connect your Roku device to a WiFi connection. You can scan for networks by choosing Scan again to see all networks option and pressing on the OK button. Then, select the network by highlighting it and then pressing the OK button. When prompted, enter the password for the WiFi network to connect to the WiFi network.
Once you are done connecting your Roku device to the internet, you might be prompted to download the latest software for your device. Follow the on-screen prompts to update your Roku device to the latest software. The process may take a while, so be patient.
In the next step, you will need to confirm your display settings. While for Roku Player the best HDTV display settings get configure automatically, for Roku Stick, you will need to go to Set display type, and for Roku Stick+, select the Auto-detect display type option and follow the on-screen prompts.

NOTE: Select the Check remote settings option during the on-screen instructions if you wish to use your Roku remote to control features like volume. Otherwise, you can press the Skip option to activate your Roku.

Now, once you see a five-character activation code on your screen, you can proceed to activate your Roku device
Next, you will need to open the Roku website (https://my.roku.com/link) on your computer or mobile browser.
Once the page gets appeared on your screen, you will need to enter the code in the prompted field and confirm it by pressing the Submit button.
Your Roku device will be configured on your TV.

Creating a Roku Account

To use a Roku device on your TV for watching channels, you will need to have a Roku account. If you don’t have a Roku account, you can create it easily by following the instructions provided below.

Open a web browser on your computer and go to the Roku Account sign-up (https://my.roku.com/signup) page. Once you will be on the sign-up page, you will be provided a form to create your Roku account.
In the Sign-up form, you will need to enter your First Name, Last Name, Email, and Password in the provided fields.
After entering the required details, you will need to select the checkbox next to the following options:
I am 18 years or older.
I agree to the Terms and Conditions. I have read the Privacy Policy.
Email me product tips, the latest releases, hot new channels, and customer-exclusive discounts. (I can always opt-out later.)
Then, you will need to select the checkbox next to I’m not a robot and click on the Continue button.
As you will click on the Continue button, you will be directed to the next screen where you will be prompted to choose your PIN preferences.

NOTE: Having a pin configured for your Roku account will allow you to control when channels can be added and when they can be bought with your Roku device.

To select your PIN preferences, you will see the following three options on your screen:
Always require a PIN to make purchases and to add items from the Channel Store.
Always require a PIN to make purchases.
A PIN is not required to make any purchase or add any item from the Channel Store.
After selecting the desired option from the given ones, you will need to click on the Continue button.

NOTE: If you select one of the first two options, you will be prompted to enter the desired PIN in the prompted fields. Enter the pin in the provided fields and then click on the Continue button.

As you will click on the Continue button, you will be directed to your Roku account. You can use the login credentials to access your Roku account whenever required.

NOTE: If you wish to link your Roku device to your account, you can click on the +Link a device button provided in your Roku account.

To Activate a Channel App on Roku

Just like you use an App Store mobile application on your smartphone to play games, access social networking sites, watch videos,and carry out other tasks, your Roku device accesses the Roku Channel Store to add new channels to a user’s account. While some of these channels available in the Channel Store require a paid subscription or a one-time charge, there are also free channels apps available. You can browse the Roku Channel Store directly from your Roku device to watch your desired content. While you can add any channel to your Roku Channel list, there is an activation process that you will need to follow. Below you can find the step to activate a channel.

Adding channels using your Roku device

To begin with, you will first need to press the Home button (home icon) on your Roku remote. This will take you to the Home screen of your Roku account.
Once you are on the home screen of your Roku account, you will need to scroll up or down and select the Channels to get to the Channel Store.
In the Channel Store, you will see the list feature, new and popular categories to explore located at the top of the screen. If you want, you can search for a channel by entering the keyword in the Search Channels field. The search option will help you to find choices based on the title of a channel.

NOTE: When you are trying to browse lists or channel grids, you will need to press the Reverse scan button or Forward scan button on your Roku remote to jump up or down one page at a time.

If you wish to know more about a channel, you will need to press on the OK button on your Roku remote to expand the information. Not only you can get a synopsis and rating about the channel and its shows but also you can preview screenshots of the channel.
If you find the selected channel to be “free”, then you can select the Add Channel option to install that particular channel on your Roku device.
However, if the access to the channel appears to be “payable”, then you will need to select the Buy $$$ in order to buy and install the selected channel.
In case you have a Roku account PIN configured on your Roku account, then you will be prompted to enter it in the prompted field to purchase the channel. Once you have entered the PIN in the provided field, follow the on-screen prompts to add and install the channel in your account.

NOTE: In case the payment information provided by is out-of-date, you will first need to update it to purchase your desired channel.

How to Install a Channel on Roku Device

If you are looking to install a channel to your Roku device, it is to be noted that the selected channel will be added to the list of channels under Home on your Roku account’s main screen. To find the channel listed in your account, you will need to scroll down to the bottom of the list of channels. If you want you can alsochange the position of the channel in the list to move it higher.

To Install themes and screensavers

In case you are looking to install a Theme or Screensaver, it will be added and installed to the list of themes or screensavers section of your Roku account. You can find this section under Settings>Themes and Settings>Screensaver on your Roku device. In most of the cases, it will not be available in the list of channels under Home on your Roku account’s main screen.

Resolving Internet Connectivity Issue

A properly-working internet is required to use your Roku player for watch videos. If you are having trouble connecting your Roku player to your internet network, you can consider the following workarounds.

Make sure that you are entering the correct name for your wireless network. Selecting the incorrect wireless network name may make your wireless connection to fail.
When selecting the wireless network from the list to connect your Roku device, make sure that you are entering the password correctly.
Make sure that your internet network is working is properly. To check that, you can open a random website on your computer or mobile browser to see if they are loading as expected. If you find that websites are not loading, as usual, you will need to address issues with your internet first.
Restarting your Roku device and your router may also help in fixing the internet connectivity issue by refreshing the connection. To restart your Roku player, you will need to go to Settings>System>System restart.
Make sure that your wireless internet is in the centralized location of your home and is providing complete signal strength for your Roku device.
Try to avoid downloading or uploading anything when using your Roku player for access content. If you have multiple internet users at home, consider increasing the speed of your internet to enjoy uninterrupted watch on your Roku player.

roku.com/link not working

If you find the roku.com/link not working when trying to activate a channel using your Roku account, there can be numerous reasons responsible for it. Below are some of the common workarounds that can help you overcome the problem.

Make sure that your internet network is working properly. Sometimes the problem may arise when your internet connection is not working properly. In such a case you may face trouble accessing the roku.com/link page on your computer or mobile browser. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that your internet network is functioning properly when trying to activate a channel.
Most of the web browsers are configured to store cookies and cache of the website you visit to provide you a better experience and learn your web browsing behavior. If you have a lot of cookies and cache store in your browser, sometimes you might face trouble activating your desired channel on the roku.com/link. Therefore, it is suggested to clear the cookies and cache from your web browser when trying to activate a channel in your Roku account.
Having an outdated or incompatible web browser can also lead to different issues including the problem of roku.com/link not working. So, it is recommended to check whether the web browser you are using to access roku.com/link is up-to-date or not.
If you have been using your Roku player for quite a long, you may consider restarting your device before looking to add a channel to your Roku account.
It is suggested to ensure that you entering the correct address in your web browser to get to the activation page. The correct address to get to the Roku activation page is https://my.roku.com/link.
If even after considering the above-mentioned workarounds you are unable to overcome the problem, you may wait for some time before you try to follow the activation process. This is suggested because sometimes the problem could be at Roku’s end and it may take a while before you can access the page.

So, these are the instructions that you will need to follow when trying to set up your Roku player for the first time.