Roku Keeps Restarting? Here’s Why and How to Fix!

When your Roku keeps restarting, it could be due to various connectivity problems, such as outdated firmware or poor network connection. Of course, it could be more than simple connectivity problems.

To fix Roku restarting problems, you need to identify which of these issues you’re dealing with and resolve them.

Fortunately, this can be a relatively easy problem to fix. This guide walks you through several troubleshooting steps to fix your Roku that keeps restarting.

Why Does My Roku Keep Restarting On Its Own?

The most common reason why your Roku keeps restarting is because of outdated firmware. Roku releases software updates periodically that fix bugs that may cause your Roku to keep restarting, freezing, or crashing.

Another common reason your Roku keeps restarting is because of a lack of power. This can occur if you use a low-quality HDMI cable or connect the Roku device to an older television with insufficient power.

As mentioned earlier, a poor network connection can cause your Roku to keep restarting. Streaming devices like Roku require a minimum download speed of 3.0 Mbps for standard definition and up to 9.0 Mbps for HD content for the best view experience.

Roku Keeps Restarting

If your Roku keeps restarting, you need to update your Roku software to the latest version. This will remove any potential bugs that may have caused your Roku connectivity issues. If your Roku still restarts and won’t go past the Roku screen, you may need to perform a factory reset.

But before going to the factory reset route, we’ve got more basic troubleshooting fixes you can try to solve the problem. Let’s get to it.

Restart Your Roku
Update Your Roku Software
Check Your Roku Power Supply
Test Your HDMI Cable
Ensure Your WiFi Connection Is Stable
Check to See if Your Roku Is Overheating
Uninstall and Reinstall the App or Channel on Your Roku Device
Check for WiFi Interference With Another Device
Factory Reset Your Roku
Contact Roku Support

1. Restart Your Roku

Restarting or rebooting the Roku is the first thing you should always try. Just like when you’re experiencing issues with your computer or phone, you can fix a lot of problems by simply restarting it.

You can restart your Roku in a couple of ways, using the remote control and by unplugging the device.

Restart Roku using the Roku Remote Control

Push the Home button on your remote control.
Navigate the menu options with the Up and Down Arrow to the Settings option.
Select System on the screen menu.
Select System Restart and select restart.

The Roku will automatically restart, and when it comes back on, check to see if you still have booting issues.

Restart Roku by Unplugging it

Unplug the power cord from the back of the Roku or the wall.
Count to 30 (30 seconds) and plug back in.

Check to see if the restarting stops.

2. Update Your Roku Software

Your Roku needs to be updated on a regular basis, and most of the updates are patches that Roku puts out to fix known issues with the device.

If you fall behind on the updates, it can eventually cause some problems for you. This could be the cause of your frequent Roku restarting on its own.

Here’s how to check for firmware updates for your Roku:

Using the remote control, push the Home button.
Use the Up and Down arrows from the Settings menu on the screen.
Scroll through the onscreen options and select System.
Scroll through the System menu onscreen until you find System Updates.
Select Update Now from the onscreen menu options.

If any updates are available, they will be installed, and your Roku will restart afterward.

3. Check Roku Power Supply

All electronic devices require a specific amount of power in order to operate optimally. Any deviation from the required amount of power, like when your Roku has low power, can result in inconsistent operation. This includes frequent restarts and stopping for no apparent reason.

The power for your Roku Streaming Box comes from the power adapter that plugs into the wall outlet and plugs into the back of the Roku. If you have the Roku TV Stick, then it gets its power from the HDMI port on your television.

To check the Roku TV Streaming box’s power supply, follow these steps:

Unplug the power adapter from the wall.
Select a different outlet and plug the adapter in.
If this doesn’t correct the issue.
Contact Roku and request a replacement power adapter (highly recommended that you use only a Roku brand adapter).

To check the Roku TV Stick’s power supply, follow these steps:

Unplug the Roku from the HDMI port.
Choose another HDMI port on the TV and see if the same issue happens.
If switching ports do not work, remove the stick, shut down the TV, and turn it back on. Follow the steps again.

4. Test Your HDMI Cable

The Roku Streaming Box requires an HDMI cable to connect to your television. If there is an issue with the cable, you can experience unstable operation, including your Roku restarting for no apparent reason.

Here’s how to check the HDMI cable:

Disconnect the HDMI cable from the back of the Roku and the TV.
Closely inspect both ends of the cable for any breaks or frayed wires.
If you suspect a problem, simply replace the cable.
Connect the new cable to the Roku and the TV.

Check to see if your Roku keeps restarting after replacing the HDMI cable.

5. Ensure Your WiFi Connection Is Stable

A weak Internet connection can easily cause your Roku Streaming Box to act erratically. To determine if there is a problem with your Internet speed, you can easily check your internet strength according to your Roku.

There is an internal system that keeps track of the connection quality, and it is really easy to access the information. Using this information, you can narrow down the cause of the restarting.

To check the condition of your WiFi connection, follow the steps below.

On the remote control, push the Home button.
Select Settings on the menu on the screen.
Select the Network option on the menu.
Select Connection Speed on the menu.

Look for the result on the screen. The displayed result range from:

Good to Excellent – indicating acceptable speed.
Fair to Poor – indicating unacceptable speed, which should be investigated and corrected.

6. Check to See if Your Roku Is Overheating

Heat is the biggest danger to electronics, and unfortunately, Roku did not properly account for the build-up of heat inside the Roku Streaming Box or the Roku TV stick.

To prevent excessive damage due to overheating, Roku built-in visual indicators when the internal temperature builds up to a dangerous level.

Immediately shut down your Roku if the overheating sign appears on the screen while watching a movie or streaming a show. For step-by-step instructions, here’s how to cool down your Roku.

The quickest way to power down a Roku Streaming Box is to unplug it from the wall. If you have a Roku TV Stick, just unplug it from the HDMI port and let it cool down for 20 minutes.

7. Uninstall and Reinstall the App or Channel on Your Roku Device

To verify if the restarting issue is associated with just one Channel, you can easily verify it by swapping channels and seeing if it still happens or goes away.

If you are able to determine that it was just one certain channel, you can fix it easily by removing the suspected faulty app.

This fix also works when popular apps like Prime Video and Hulu don’t work on Roku.

In order to remove the channel on your Roku, follow the steps below:

Remove the suspected bad app from the Roku.
Select Streaming Channels and click OK.
Select 4K UHD Content Available.
Look for the app from the list.
Select it and install it.

Check to see if you can launch the app and still have rebooting issues.

8. Check for Possible WiFi Interference With Another Device

If your Roku Streaming Box uses a WiFi connection to your Internet router, then there is a possibility that the problem could be external to the Roku.

You could easily have some type of interference with the WiFi router and the Roku. You could also have too many devices connected to the WiFi router, causing problems with a consistent signal.

Try disconnecting the other WiFi devices and see if the problem goes away. If it does, you can begin connecting the other devices back to the router and see which caused it to go back out.

You can also see if the number of devices is too great by figuring out at what point you lose a good connection.

9. Factory Reset Your Roku

If all the other troubleshooting steps fail to correct the problem, then there is only one thing left to do: do a complete factory reset of your Roku.

It is a fairly easy process to follow, but it will wipe out everything that you previously installed or set up. You will need to go through the entire process again.

Follow the steps below to factory reset your Roku.

Push the Home button on the remote control.
Scroll through the menu options on the screen to Settings.
Scroll through the menu options for Systems.
Scroll through the menu options for the Advanced system.
Scroll through the menu options for Factory Reset
Roku will automatically reset and restart.

This should always be the last resort since it means that you will have to go through the entire setup process all over again.

Restoring all the settings back to how they were means all channel apps you installed would have to be reinstalled. All of the settings and preferences will have been reset.

10. Contact Roku Support

It might be time to reach out to the pros if all else fails. The problem might be with the Roku device itself. You can contact support through Roku’s official website. If you still have a warranty, you might get a replacement device.

Final Thoughts: Roku Keeps Restarting

We hope this guide has provided enough information and steps to help you fix the problem that is causing your Roku Streaming Box or Roku TV Stick to restart.

To recap, here’re all steps to follow to fix your Roku that keeps restarting.

Restart your Roku device.
Update your Roku software to the latest version.
Check if your Roku has enough power.
Ensure your HDMI cable is working properly.
Ensure you have a strong internet connection.
Check to see if your Roku is overheating.
Uninstall and reinstall the app or channel on your Roku device.
Check for Wi-Fi interference with other devices.
Factory Reset your Roku device.
Contact Roku support.

Hopefully, the steps that we provided were easy enough to follow and you’re enjoying your show without any interruption. If you have any feedback or questions, then please leave a comment below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is causing the blinking LED on the Roku?

The flashing LED light on the outside of the Roku indicates that there is a connection issue between the Roku and your wireless router.

Why does the TV screen go black?

Since the TV screen goes black, it is a video problem. You should first check the HDMI cable and replace it if necessary. Simply replacing the old, failing HDMI cable with a higher speed rating is best.

Does a factory reset get rid of all my downloaded channels?

Unfortunately, yes, if you had to resort to resetting the Roku back to factory settings, you lost everything. Fortunately, you will be able to restore the settings and then put all the channels back and redo all the preferences.

How do you fix a Roku TV that keeps turning on and off?

If your Roku TV keeps turning on and off, you need to restart your TV. Unplug your TV and leave it unplugged for several minutes. Plug it back in after a few minutes. Performing this can cause the entire system to hard reboot, which may resolve any problems the TV is experiencing.

What to do if Roku keeps crashing?

If your Roku keeps crashing, you need to reset it. Press the Home button on your Roku remote > Open Settings > Select System > Advanced system settings > Select Factory reset. This will restore your Roku to factory settings and might fix your crashing issue.