Roku has announced a significant update to its mobile and TV applications, with the former introducing enhanced remote control functionality that’s more akin to something like LG’s Magic Remote experience. There’s also a dozen new free TV channels launching on the platform.
The Android and iOS Roku TV applications enable Roku TV users to control the TV by using their smartphones as a remote control, and the experience is getting better thanks to the new update. Whereas before, it was quite clunky, with users having to tap buttons to navigate through the menus, it now features a virtual touchpad, which enables users to swipe instead of tap.
Cord Cutters was the first to report the update, and it explained that rather than tapping to move the cursor from the left of the screen to the right, users can just swipe and it’ll float across the screen much more smoothly. It’s a more intuitive way to navigate and isn’t so stressful on the user’s fingers. The app also introduces haptic feedback, which means the user will feel slight vibrations as they swipe, enhancing the overall experience.
In case someone doesn’t want to use the virtual touchpad, Roku is giving them the ability to switch it off and revert back to the old way of doing things, using directional arrows as before. Tappety tap.
Roku is also giving the mobile app interface a fresh lick of paint, with a more streamlined home screen and simpler shortcuts to access recently viewed channels. A tweak under the hood should also speed up pairing over Wi-Fi networks, Roku said.
If you haven’t received the update yet, fear not, for Roku said it’s rolling out globally for both Android and iOS, and should be available to everyone within the next week or so.
The 12 new TV channels were also first spotted by Cord Cutters and will be accessible on all Roku devices, including its TVs and iconic streaming sticks, the company said. Interestingly, they include a couple of new BBC channels, namely BBC Drama, which usually shows quite a few decent critically acclaimed drama shows, and BBC Adventures, which is focused on travel shows. Others include Acorn TV Mysteries, which shows lots of British crime shows, plus American channels such as Heartland Classic, PBS Travel, PBS Nature, Grownday Network, Braxton Family Adventures and Bridezillas.
There’s also a trio of new Spanish language channels in the shape of Teleports Ahora, Homeful en Español and Cucando Los Ángeles that may appeal to any Latino language-speaking Roku users out there.
The new channels are all free to watch, available under the Live TV section in the menu, and they add to the original 40 that were made available to U.K. viewers in October. Note that these are all “FAST”, or free ad-supported streaming channels, so you will have to sit through the occasional advertisement when you want to tune in.
