Roku devices have an accessibility feature called “Audio Guide” that reads aloud on-screen text for viewers with low vision. However, Roku’s voice search feature isn’t perfect. Many users report this feature malfunctioning in one of two ways: it stops working or keeps talking.
When your Roku voice search isn’t working, you may not be close enough to the microphone. The mic must be 2 – 3 in. (5.08 – 7.62 cm.) away from your mouth. If your Roku keeps talking, deactivate the Audio Guide in the Accessibility tab. Roku only understands Spanish and English commands.
This article will explain why your Roku voice search isn’t functioning and how to resolve the problem. If your issue is a Roku device that won’t stop talking, we’ll reveal troubleshooting methods for that too!
Roku Turn Off Voice Guide
If you accidentally turned the voice guide feature on, don’t worry; you can turn it off! The following steps will allow you to disable the voice guide in your Roku’s configuration menu:
- Press the Home button on your Roku remote.
- Select Settings.
- Go to Accessibility.
- Choose Audio Guide.
- Select Off.
Roku Voice Won’t Stop/Keeps Talking
If your Roku begins speaking to you, you’ve likely activated the Audio Guide feature. You’ll know it’s switched on if the device reads the GUI aloud while you browse and pick items using the remote.
To turn the Audio Guide off, push the asterisk button four times in a row on your Roku remote. If this fails, try again; this time, click the buttons faster!
If the voice guide continues to play, visit the Accessibility section of your Settings menu and disable it. Learn how to do that in the section above.
If your television doesn’t react to your remote control, try installing one of the following remote control applications on your smartphone:
- Rokie
- Robyte
- RoSpikes
- EZ Remote
- Real Vision Roku Controller
With one of these smartphone apps, you can use your mobile device to navigate to the Settings menu instead.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on May 20, 2021.
Remember that some apps can perform better on your unit than others. So play with different software until you discover the one that works best for you.
How To Change the Caption Tracking Settings
If the previous troubleshooting steps don’t resolve the issue, you may need to adjust the Caption Tracking settings. To modify this configuration on your Roku, follow these steps:
- Press the star key on your controller.
- Go to Accessibility.
- Navigate to Captioning Track.
- Select *English instead of English.
How To Remove/Turn Off Talking Voice on Roku
Since the talking voice on your Roku is a permanent function, you cannot remove it entirely. But you can disable it if you follow the tips laid out above.
Now, what if your remote is incompatible with your unit and the mobile apps aren’t up to your standards? Your best bet is to reconfigure your controller to control your television.
If you have an upgraded Roku remote, you can re-pair it to the machine by simultaneously pressing the Home and OK buttons on the remote for a few seconds. However, for this process to work, the controller needs to be within 3 feet (0.91 meters) of the Roku device.
If you have an infrared remote, point it to the front of your TV. If you encounter problems, the following suggestions can help you restore functionality to your controller:
- Try to replace the batteries.
- Confirm that there’s a clear path between your television and remote. If you have a soundbar or other gadgets, check that they don’t block the TV sensor.
- Remove the batteries for a few seconds. If the remote continues to respond intermittently, the batteries aren’t in the right spot. Re-insert the batteries, paying close attention to the placement of the positive and negative ends.
Roku Voice Stopped Working
If your Roku voice isn’t running, check that the Accessibility tab’s voice guide is activated. If it is, you likely don’t hear the speech because your volume is set too low.
Check the television’s sound and mute controls. Verify that the mute function is disabled and that the volume is at an audible level.
Or plug your external player into a separate input on your TV. Occasionally, one of the television’s inputs will fail while the others remain functional.
What if the Roku Voice Stops Working When Connected to an AVR?
If you’re using an AVR with a Roku player, try the following strategies to resolve the volume issue:
- Replace the binding cable.
- Connect the Roku player to an alternate AVR input.
- Choose the appropriate input on your AVR or soundbar.
- Check the AVR’s master volume setting. If you need assistance, you can consult your AVR’s user manual.
- If you’re using a composite cable, ensure that the audio connections between your Roku player and the AVR are secure.
If you have a Roku player with an optical port and have linked it via an optical cable to an AVR, consider switching your Roku player’s audio mode to Dolby Digital. Users have said that this fixed their audio guide problem.
Here’s how you can change the audio environment on a Roku:
- Press the Home button.
- Choose Settings.
- Select Audio.
- Set HDMI and S/PDIF to Dolby D.
How To Turn On/Use Voice Search on Roku
Before attempting a voice search, keep in mind that Roku only supports voice commands from the following countries:
- UK
- US
- Mexico
- Ireland
- Canada
Voice control is also only accessible in English and Spanish at the moment. The Roku won’t understand commands in other languages.
After confirming that you’re in a supported area and can issue commands, verify that the hardware and software can conduct a speech scan.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on May 20, 2021.
A Roku machine running Roku OS 8.2 or later is necessary, as is one of the following control devices:
- Roku’s speech remote
- Roku’s mobile application
How To Use Voice Search on Roku
If you’ve met the prerequisites above, you can use the voice search function. To use the voice search feature, hold the microphone button and then voice the command normally. Your Roku device will understand the following voice commands:
- Find
- Search
- Show me
- Go to
- Launch
- Fast forward
- Rewind
- Pause
- Stop
- Resume
- Continue
- Skip
- Next
- Replay
- Turn off screen
- Turn off
- Turn on closed captioning
- Hide the captions
- Show captions during replay
- Turn on captions during mute
- What’s my captions setting
- Volume up
- Volume down
- Mute
- Browse popular genres such as comedies or fiction
- Search by saying the name of a show or an actor
- Hello (This command turns on your Roku unit if it’s on standby.)
- Are you there?
How To Fix Roku Voice Command Not Working
If the Roku can’t capture your spoken command, try again using the on-screen prompts. If that doesn’t fix the problem, Roku suggests factory resetting the device.
Here’s how to factory reset a Roku:
- Navigate to the Settings section.
- Locate and pick System using your controller.
- Continue scrolling until you reach Advanced Device Configuration. Select it.
- Choose Factory Reset.
- To confirm that you want to reset everything, enter the code shown on the screen.
Or, you can trigger a factory reset by pushing the physical pinhole button on your unit. Hold it for roughly 10 seconds using a pin tool.
After completing a factory reset on your Roku, you will have to reconfigure it. The reconfiguration will include the following:
- Conduct the guided initialization.
- Log in to streaming media profiles.
- If you previously used parental controls, you can re-enable them.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on May 20, 2021.