Little-known free Roku trick makes users’ ‘wish’ come true on TV – unlock feature easily and there’s five bonus extras
ROKU fans can turn their television into a massive photo album using a little-known feature.
Roku Photo Streams, announced in November 2023, allows users to project their favorite photos onto their smart TV.
The tool allows you to personalize your device by turning it into “a giant personalized digital photo frame,” according to a post on the Roku blog.
Users can create digital albums, dubbed “Streams,” using the Photo Streams channel on the Roku home screen.
The tool supports up to 1,000 photos per Stream and allows files in JPG, PNG, HEIC, and WEIP formats.
Users can invite up to 25 relatives and friends to join and contribute to each Stream using their own Roku accounts.
To take advantage of the perk, begin by creating a Stream online. Navigate to photostreams.roku.com and sign into your Roku account before selecting “Create Stream.”
You can also access the feature in the Roku mobile app by tapping on the user icon in the top corner, followed by “Photo Streams” and then “Create Stream.”
The feature has a slew of additional perks, including compatibility with Google Photos.
Go to photostreams.roku.com and select “Create Stream”, then select “Connect to Google Photos.”
Sign into your Google account and select albums to link, which will display as screensaver on your smart TV.
You can also navigate to the Photo Streams channel on your TV and select “Connect Google Photos.”
Users can share their Streams by using the Stream URL or emailing the link to friends and family, who can add their own photos as well.
You can view all the Streams you’re a member of in the Photo Streams channel.
To set a Photo Streams screensaver, press “Home” on your Roku remote and navigate to the channel.
Select “Screensaver” and toggle “Set as Screensaver” on.
If you prefer to set your screensaver through the Settings menu, press the home button on your Roku remote and scroll until you find it.
From there, click on “Theme,” then “Screensavers.” Select “Photo Streams,” followed by “Set as Screensaver.”
And the fun doesn’t stop there. Thanks to the mobile app, you can take advantage of the feature even when you’re away from home.
What is Roku?
The company is best known as a popular provider of free, ad-supported streaming television - or SMART TV for short.
Roku, Inc. was founded in 2002 by Anthony Wood, an English-born businessman who relocated to the United States as a teenager.
Wood wanted to help TV fans watch what they wanted when they wanted and came up with the idea of a TV operating system with access to online content.
Roku released its first product in 2008 – a streaming box called the Roku DVP, which sold 10 million units in just six days.
The company’s hardware is compatible with any TV that has an HDMI connection. This means virtually anyone can access the streamer’s growing body of content.
Each player comes with a Roku remote to navigate on-screen menus and control playback.
The company also licenses its operating system to television manufacturers like Toshiba and Hisense to create Roku-branded TVs.
The streamer has steadily been expanding its portfolio on The Roku Channel.
It boasts free content from over 250 partners, including live news from networks like NBC, Fox, and CBS.
The ever-growing library boasts over 350 live TV channels and 80,000 free movies and shows.
Photo Streams is available for anyone with a free Roku account.
The company bills it as a way to share “important moments in our lives” – from “unforgettable family reunion photos to embarrassing prom pictures.”