I finally pressed the one Roku button I always ignored, and I’m kicking myself
The star button on your Roku remote opens a menu of handy shortcuts that’s easy to overlook.
Many people own a Roku device, but they often only use the basic buttons to control volume and switch apps. The star button, however, is a hidden gem that can enhance your Roku experience. When you press it during playback of a movie or show, an options menu appears, allowing you to adjust volume settings like Leveling and Night Mode. Leveling maintains consistent volume when switching between apps or during commercials, while Night Mode boosts quieter dialogue and lowers louder sounds for late-night viewing.
The star button also offers a convenient way to control closed captions. Simply press it to access the Options menu and toggle captions on or off, or switch them to "On mute" or "On replay." The replay setting briefly displays captions after using the instant replay button, allowing you to catch missed lines without keeping subtitles on all the time. Keep in mind that not all apps may offer these caption controls.
On the home screen, the star button serves as a handy tool for managing apps. Highlight an app and press the star button to access a menu where you can move it to a different location, check for updates, manage subscriptions (especially for services billed through Roku), or even remove apps you no longer use. Removing an unused app frees up space on your device and can help resolve issues like crashing apps.
If an app continues to malfunction, removing and reinstalling it, restarting your Roku, and then adding it back can often fix the problem.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Guide's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
