Roku is, without any doubt, one of the most popular streaming devices worldwide and there’s the reason why – it offers a lot of streaming channels, both paid and free. You can also use apps, like YouTube or even stream music via Spotify, for example. Moreover, you can customize your Roku device interface and design it as you want.
However, what to do if you want to change your Roku account. The reasons may be different – you were living with your family and were using the same account as your parents, or you just need another account. No matter the reason – you can unlink your Roku account. And here’s how.
Do you need a Roku account to use Roku services?
Yes, you need it. And you can’t use a Roku device without an account. When you’re setting up your Roku device, no matter what type of Roku device we’re talking about – you will need to create or log in to your Roku account. The account is used for a wide range of reasons, including storing your preferences, subscriptions to paid channels, and so on.
You can create a Roku account for free, but you will need to link it to a payment method, even if you don’t want to buy anything. But, as I said, sometimes you may need to switch to another account. So if you need this – here’s what you should do.
How to unlink Roku device from Roku account
When you’re setting up Roku for the first time – you will need to go through the activation process. That includes creating a Roku account or linking your Roku device to an existing one.
You need to turn on your Roku device or Roku TV and go through the activation process, then you will need to use your PC, Mac, or phone to complete the linking Roku device to your account. You will see a code on the screen of your TV and you need to enter it on the Roku website to link your Roku device to your Roku account.
But if you want to unlink the Roku device, you can also do this. However, that’s not the process of changing the account, you will go through the process from another side – remove your device from your Roku account. Here’s what you should do in order to unlink your Roku device from your Roku account:
- Open my.roku.com website on your PC, Mac, iPhone or Android device.
- Sign in (if needed) with your Roku account credentials.
- OpenMy Account page.
- In My lindked devices section, find the device you want to change Roku account for.
- Choose Unlink and confirm the action.
The process is quite simple, isn’t it? So why there is a lot of information across the Web that you can’t change your Roku account on your Roku device? Let’s imagine the situation (well, I’ve taken it from Reddit): someone has gifted you Roku TV or Roku streaming device, but forgot to unlink the Roku account. You can’t sign out of this Roku account on your device, you need to ask the person to unlink the device out of their Roku account. And sometimes that may be a problem.
That’s slight, but still the difference between changing the account on the device and unlinking the device out of the account.
But what to do if you don’t have access to the Roku account? For example, you want to sell your Roku, or you have bought a Roku device with an already linked account. In this case, there’s a way to help you.
How to factory reset Roku TV or device
In case you can’t unlink your Roku device from the Roku account – you will need to factory reset it. Here’s how:
- Press Home button on your remote and go to the home screen.
- Scroll down to find Settings and go there.
- Now, scroll down and choose System.
- The, scroll down to select Advanced system settings.
- Choose Factory reset.
- Select Factory reset everything and confirm the action.
That will erase all data on your Roku TV or device, so you can start up from scratch and link a new Roku account to this Roku device.
This story was written by Vladislav Sheridan and was reviewed by Jane Weisenthal, a Senior Tech Editor at Splaitor, according to Splaitor’s Quality and Fact-Checking Policy.
Featured image credit: Cord Cutters News
