How to activate an app on Roku

Before you start

• Your Roku device is set up and linked to a Roku account. Roku accounts are created and managed on Roku's own site, my.roku.com.
• You have an account with the streaming service you want to watch. That is separate from your Roku account.
• A phone or computer with an internet connection to enter the code.

Step 1: add the app

1. Press Home on your Roku remote.
2. Open Streaming Store from the menu, or use Search and type the app name. Older Roku software and guides may still call apps "channels" and the store the "Channel Store".
3. Select the app and choose the option to add it. It appears on your Home screen.

You can also browse and add apps from a computer or phone through Roku's web Streaming Store while signed in to your Roku account; they are added to your device the next time it checks for updates.

Step 2: sign in with the activation code

1. Open the app on your Roku and choose Sign in. If you are offered a choice, pick the option to sign in on the web or with another device. Roku then shows an activation code, a web address and, in many apps, a QR code.
2. On your phone or computer, open that web address, or scan the QR code with your phone camera. Check that the page belongs to the streaming service.
3. Sign in to your streaming account on that page.
4. Enter the code exactly as shown and confirm. The Roku screen updates on its own within a few seconds.

If Roku activation does not work

• Get a fresh code. Back out of the sign-in screen and open it again. Codes are short-lived by design.
• Check look-alike characters such as 0 and O, or 1 and I.
• Check the account on your phone. The Roku joins whichever streaming account you are signed in to on the phone or computer.
• Restart the Roku. Use the restart option in the Roku Settings menu (under System, and on some models under Power), or unplug it for a short while.
• Remove and re-add the app. Highlight the app on the Home screen, press the star (*) button on the remote, and remove it. Then add it again from the Streaming Store.

For more causes, work through our full activation code not working checklist. If the Roku device itself will not connect or update, use Roku's official support site.

A note on activation fees

Linking an app to your account with a code does not cost anything extra. Your Roku account is managed on Roku's own site, and streaming subscriptions are paid inside each service's own account pages. If a page that is not on roku.com or the streaming service's own site asks for an "activation fee", a phone call or remote access, close it. See how to spot activation code scams.