Roku and Roku TV
Roku has exciting news for families! They have introduced a Kids and Family section on the Roku Channel and have implemented powerful parental controls. This is a significant development for a streaming TV platform that has been lacking solid parental controls since its inception.
The Kids and Family section on Roku is a curated collection of child-friendly content from various channels. Every piece of content is carefully chosen by an in-house editorial team. One great thing about this section is that it will have fewer ads, and the ads that are displayed will be specifically chosen to be kid-appropriate and vetted internally by Roku.
Enabling these parental controls is crucial for families, especially considering that Roku also features explicit content. Along with the new Kids and Family parental controls, parents can set a 4-digit pin that limits the addition of new channels to the Roku account.
How to Set Your Roku Pin
Setting a 4-digit pin is essential to prevent young people from accessing and watching inappropriate content. Here’s how you can do it:
- Log in to your Roku account through a web browser on your computer or mobile device.
- Select “Update” underneath PIN Preference, then choose the option to always require a PIN for purchases and adding items from the Channel Store.
- Enter a 4-digit number of your choice to create the PIN, verify the PIN, and save the changes.
How to Remove Roku Hidden Channels Using the Pin
Once you have established the PIN, you can remove unwanted channels. You can also hide items like the Movie Store, TV Store, and News from the main screen. Here’s how:
- Using the Roku remote, select “My Channels” from the Roku home screen.
- Navigate to the channel you want to remove and press the Options button (the * key) on the remote.
- Select “Remove Channel,” and confirm the removal when prompted.
- Repeat these steps for any other channels you want to remove. You can also remove channels via the Roku app for Android/iOS.
- To hide items like the Movie/TV Store and News, access the Roku device’s Settings Menu, select Home Screen, and choose to Hide. You can always choose to show them again.
However, it’s important to note that while the 4-digit pin prevents inappropriate channels from being added and watched, it doesn’t prevent someone from browsing the channels. This can still expose young people to potentially harmful content.
Parental Controls for The Roku Channel
If you want to watch shows on The Roku Channel, you’ll need to enter your PIN when trying to access content with certain ratings. The table below shows the four ratings levels and whether a PIN is required:
- = Content with this rating on The Roku Channel can be watched without a PIN
- = A PIN is required to watch content with this rating on The Roku Channel
Two additional notes about Roku Channel parental controls:
- Movies and TV show titles restricted by your PIN preferences are not hidden or filtered when browsing or searching content on The Roku Channel, even if you can’t watch them.
- The Roku Channel parental controls only apply to video viewing within The Roku Channel and do not affect video playback in any other streaming app.
Additional Steps for Roku TV
If you have a Roku TV, you can also restrict access based on TV/movie ratings. This allows you to block programs that fall outside the specified rating limits. Here’s how to do it:
- Press the Home button on your Roku TV remote.
- Scroll and select “Settings,” then choose “Parental Controls.”
- Enable Parental Controls and set the desired TV/movie rating limits and/or choose to block unrated programs. Blocked programs will not show video, audio, or title/description unless the Roku PIN is entered.
What About Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, and YouTube?
It’s important to remember that Roku devices do not govern parental controls for streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, and YouTube. Each of these channels uses Roku as an exit point for their content, so it is the responsibility of parents to set up appropriate parental controls on each account.
For detailed instructions on setting up parental controls on these platforms, you can visit the respective websites or search for articles specific to each service.
If you ever want to review your child’s Google activity, including their YouTube viewing history, you can access it through “Google My Activity.”
Roku Parental Controls Bottom Line for Parents
The recent introduction of the Kids and Family section and improved parental controls on Roku is a step in the right direction. However, some parents might hesitate to use these controls due to the lack of individual profiles on Roku devices. This means that parents will be subject to the same controls as their children unless they disable and re-enable them each time.
To stay up to date with the latest information and solutions for parental controls, you can visit Mr Reviews, where we provide expert reviews and recommendations. We strive to save you time and help you make informed decisions.
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