How To Update Your Roku TV

To update your Roku TV: press the Home button on your remote, then go to Settings → System → System update → Check now. If an update is available, your TV downloads it, installs it, and restarts automatically — the whole thing usually takes under five minutes. Roku TVs also update themselves: every Roku TV checks for new software when it powers on and then automatically every 24–36 hours, so most of the time you are already current without doing anything. But a manual check is the right first move when an app is misbehaving, a new feature has not shown up, or the TV has been unplugged for a while. Here is everything worth knowing.

Step-By-Step: Update A Roku TV Manually

Press the Home button on your Roku remote to return to the main screen.
Scroll down and select Settings.
Select System.
Select System update. (On Roku streaming players this menu is called Software update — same thing.)
Select Check now. The screen also shows your current Roku OS version and the last time the TV checked for updates.
If an update is found, the TV downloads and installs it, then restarts on its own. Do not unplug the TV mid-update.

These exact steps work on every Roku TV brand — TCL, Hisense, Sharp, onn (Walmart), Philips, Element, Westinghouse, and Roku's own Select, Plus, and Pro Series sets — because they all run the same Roku OS.

Do You Actually Need To Update Manually?

Rarely. Per Roku's official support documentation, your Roku TV checks for new software during setup, whenever it powers on, and then randomly every 24–36 hours. Updates install silently in the background. The main cases where a manual check helps:

The TV has been unplugged or offline for weeks (a camper, a guest-room TV) and is now several versions behind.
An app refuses to load or crashes — many channel apps require a recent Roku OS version.
A new Roku feature was announced but has not appeared on your TV yet — rollouts are staggered, and checking manually sometimes pulls the update early.

What Is The Current Roku OS?

As of mid-2026, the current release is Roku OS 14.5, which rolled out to supported Roku TVs and players through spring 2026. Roku pushes major OS releases to devices automatically in waves, so do not worry if a friend's TV got a version before yours — that is normal. You can see your exact version under Settings → System → About.

How To Update A Roku TV Without Internet

If your Roku TV is not connected to the internet (some people use them purely as displays for an antenna or cable box), you can still update it via USB:

On a computer, go to Roku's USB update page and follow the link to download the software installer for your TV model.
Copy the downloaded file to a USB flash drive (FAT16/FAT32 formatted).
On the TV, go to Settings → System → System update → I can't connect, which displays a code and instructions.
Enter the code on Roku's website, transfer the file, plug the USB drive into the TV, and follow the on-screen prompts.

Update Problems? Try This

Update fails or errors out: check your internet connection under Settings → Network → Check connection, then try again.
TV is sluggish or frozen: restart it first — Settings → System → Power → System restart — then check for the update. A full walkthrough is in our guide to resetting a Roku.
Apps still broken after updating: remove the channel, restart the TV, and re-add it. If it is The Roku Channel itself acting up, see The Roku Channel Not Working? How To Fix It.

FAQ

Do Roku channel apps update separately?

Yes, but also automatically — channels update in the background, typically overnight. A System update → Check now also refreshes installed channels immediately, which is a handy hidden benefit of the manual check.

Can I stop a Roku TV from updating?

No. Roku does not offer a way to block or roll back OS updates on a connected TV. The only TVs that stay on old software are ones that never go online.

Does updating delete my apps or settings?

No — updates preserve your channels, logins, and settings. Nothing to re-enter afterward.

What about my other streaming devices?

Same idea, different menus — we have a matching guide for Amazon's stick: How To Update Your Firestick.