The secret to Roku’s success: not being cool | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.The secret to Roku’s success: not being coolNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...ColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnStreamingCloseStreamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All StreamingLowpassCloseLowpassPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All LowpassThe secret to Roku’s success: not being coolRoku’s new homescreen makes a lot of sense for a company that has succeeded by building simple products for late adopters.Roku’s new homescreen makes a lot of sense for a company that has succeeded by building simple products for late adopters.by Janko RoettgersCloseJanko RoettgersLowpass author, Verge contributorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Janko RoettgersMay 28, 2026, 3:30 PM UTCLinkShareGiftImage: RokuJanko RoettgersCloseJanko RoettgersPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Janko Roettgers is a tech reporter and author of the Lowpass newsletter.This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week.Roughly 10 years ago, someone told me that Roku was making “cheap hardware to sell to Walmart customers in flyover states.” The remark was meant to be an insult, belittling a company that seemed to care more about hardware profit margins than design and innovation.Still, I’ve been thinking about it a lot over the years. And as Roku became a major force in streaming hardware, surpassing 100 million households last month, I’ve come to the conclusion that Roku’s secret superpower may just be that it embraced not being cool.Case in point: the new homescreen the company began rolling out this week. It’s a refresh that had been overdue for some time, and, in many ways, it’s the bare minimum the company could have done — which means it’s likely going to be a huge success.Content-forward, but not overbearingCompanies that make streaming dongles and smart TVs have long pushed the idea of content-forward user interfaces. The gist of it: People don’t want to launch an app, browse through row after row of thumbnails, and then do the same thing all over again in the next app if they can’t find something they want to watch right away.Content-forward interfaces instead serve up personalized recommendations for individual movies and shows directly on the homescreen. Add some tiles to quickly access the next episodes of your current favorites, and you’ve got an interface that makes it much easier to actually watch TV without wasting time on discovery.Amazon was first to embrace a content-forward interface with its Fire TV devices more than a decade ago. Google followed suit with Android TV, and then doubled down on the idea when it relaunched its living room platform as Google TV. Today, virtually every smart TV platform has some kind of content-forward interface.The sole exception, up until now: Roku. The company added some dedicated content categories to its sidebar over the years, but largely kept the homescreen a bare list of app icons.This week, that’s changing, but in a very Roku-like way. “I don’t think ours looks like those others,” says Preston Smalley, who led the redesign as Roku’s VP of viewer product. “Yes, it has content on it. Yes, it has a destination that you can browse, but I think it still stands apart as something unique.”While others lead with big, wall-to-wall hero art to highlight individual shows (and the occasional ad), Roku’s new homescreen starts with a comparably small, personalized “top picks for you” section, followed by rows of tiles that look a lot like the old Roku homescreen: apps, destinations, shows, all arranged in a tight grid, accompanied by a retractable sidebar, and with enough room for a big ad on the other side (like its competition, Roku is also looking to make more money with its homescreen).It all looks very predictable and familiar. Boring, perhaps, but also less distracting than the bigger and bolder interfaces used by Fire TV and Google TV with their massive banners and autoplay trailers. Roku’s existing customers will feel right at home.The logical conclusion of cord-cutting Roku has been on the forefront of one key trend: While some of its competitors were trying to make nice with cable companies, Roku embraced cord-cutting from day one. The company also realized early on that cord-cutting was primarily about saving money. It priced its hardware accordingly, struck partnerships with budget consumer electronics makers like TCL to expand into smart TVs, and has been heavily betting on free, ad-supported TV for years.Roku executives also early on predicted the logical conclusion of this trend: If all TV is going to be streamed one day, then everyone will need to be able to access streaming — including tens of millions of people who aren’t exactly tech-savvy.Smalley knows this late-adopter world well. Before Roku, he worked nearly a decade at Comcast. Doing user research for the cable company was an eye-opener. “I’d go to people’s homes,” he recalls. “Some people would have remote controls where they taped over the buttons and tried to simplify it down to what looks more like a Roku remote.”Those attempts to dumb down devices continue in the streaming age. “You’ve got people that maybe only use a few apps. Maybe their son comes by and configures it so that all their apps are right there. Unfortunately, not everyone’s got a loving son. For each of those, there’s 10 more that don’t have that.”That’s why the new Roku homescreen has a dedicated “quick access” section of frequently-used apps above the fold. The section auto-updates based on usage, and can also include the tile to change your HDMI port if you’re one of those people who frequently switches to a game console. “You have different people that are looking for different things,” Smalley says. “And yet you want to have one experience that works [for everyone].”Roku City may be coming to mobileOne noteworthy feature of Roku’s new homescreen is a section called Your Daily Scoop that aims to serve up zeitgeist-influenced viewing recommendations. Think awards, holidays, pop culture moments, and yes, even the news — with some guardrails. “We’re not going to talk about the war,” Smalley says. “It’s definitely a curated experience.”It’s still essentially running on autopilot, so there may be slip-ups. More importantly, it does highlight one of Roku’s weaknesses: a lack of first-party data that doesn’t originate from people using Roku’s devices. Google uses search trends to inform what it shows on Google TV, and Amazon can presumably tap into Alexa usage patterns to personalize Fire TV.Roku doesn’t have any of that, and is trying to make up for it with third-party data. “We’re using some of the LLMs [to figure out] what people are looking for,” Smalley says.Still, Roku also does have a few things the competition lacks. One example: Roku City, the company’s screen saver that became a cult hit during the pandemic, now has its own app icon. “We wanted to provide a way for [people] to launch it [without having to] wait 10 minutes before this thing comes on,” Smalley says.It’s a small step, but one that’s in line with the company’s efforts to transform Roku City into both a destination and a moneymaker. In recent years, it has integrated ad campaigns, minigames, and even a live concert into the purple-tinged cityscape. Next up could be an expansion to mobile. “We have 34 million people using our mobile app every month,” Smalley says. “We’re looking at the right way to bring some of Roku City to mobile.”If and when that happens, it will likely be deceptively simple — and incredibly successful.

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Janko RoettgersCloseJanko RoettgersLowpass author, Verge contributorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Janko RoettgersColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnLowpassCloseLowpassPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All LowpassStreamingCloseStreamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All StreamingMost PopularMost PopularValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200Sony’s first RGB TV is a statement pieceThe golden age of handheld gaming is already overSony is offering up to 50 percent off some of our favorite PS5 gamesHere’s how Google is responding to Fitbit users who don’t like the new Health appThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adMore in ColumnOn Trails is a wandering tale that blends hiking, science, and historyHackers are learning to exploit chatbot ‘personalities’The man behind the legendary MPC, Roger Linn, stays focused with a single browser tabAI video is moving beyond clip slopI review robot vacuums for a living, ask me anything!‘Solve all diseases,’ you say?On Trails is a wandering tale that blends hiking, science, and historyTerrence O'BrienMay 24Hackers are learning to exploit chatbot ‘personalities’Robert HartMay 24The man behind the legendary MPC, Roger Linn, stays focused with a single browser tabTerrence O'BrienMay 23AI video is moving beyond clip slopJanko RoettgersMay 21I review robot vacuums for a living, ask me anything!Jennifer Pattison TuohyMay 21‘Solve all diseases,’ you say?Victoria SongMay 20Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adTop Stories6:30 AM UTCThe golden age of handheld gaming is already over12:00 PM UTCKia’s flagship EV has a battery problemMay 27Roids were all the rage at the Enhanced Games12:00 PM UTCThey’ve finally made the Oura Ring smaller and lighterMay 27The AI fight brewing inside The New York TimesA minute agoWhat’s next for Microsoft’s Surface PCs?The VergeThe Verge logo.FacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSContactTip UsCommunity GuidelinesArchivesAboutEthics StatementHow We Rate and Review ProductsCookie SettingsTerms of UsePrivacy NoticeCookie PolicyLicensing FAQAccessibilityPlatform Status© 2026 Vox Media, LLC. All Rights ReservedNotifications DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Sign in to see your notifications or create an account to join the conversation.Sign in

Roku's success is attributed to a strategy that deliberately eschews trendiness, particularly demonstrated through their recent redesign of the homescreen, which the author believes is a significant move for a company that built simple products for late adopters. This design choice is rooted in the understanding that users do not require overly complex or flashy interfaces to consume content. While competitors such as Amazon and Google have pursued content-forward interfaces, featuring large banners and autoplay trailers, Roku opted for a design that is predictable and familiar, consisting of rows of app icons and tiles arranged in a tight grid with a retractable sidebar. This approach is designed to be less distracting than the bolder interfaces used by rivals, ensuring that existing customers feel comfortable and at home with the experience.

This philosophy aligns with Roku's fundamental approach to cord-cutting, which they embraced from the beginning primarily as a means of saving money. By pricing their hardware accordingly and partnering with budget electronics makers, Roku focused on value rather than pushing cutting-edge design. Furthermore, the company recognized that their mission involved reaching a broad audience, including those who are not highly tech-savvy, necessitating a simplified experience for tens of millions of users. This focus on simplicity extends to the user experience itself; for instance, the new homescreen strategically incorporates a dedicated “quick access” section for frequently used applications, which auto-updates based on user consumption, addressing the need for ease of navigation.

Roku also employs personalized features, such as the “Your Daily Scoop” section, which curates viewing recommendations based on zeitgeist events, holidays, and pop culture. However, this personalization relies significantly on third-party data, as Roku lacks proprietary first-party user data, prompting the use of large language models to infer user preferences. Another element reflecting Roku’s unique position is the promotion of features like Roku City, a screen saver that developed a cult following during the pandemic and now has its own application icon. This development showcases an effort to transform this feature into a destination and revenue stream by integrating advertising and interactive content. Looking ahead, the company is exploring the expansion of Roku City to mobile, a venture that is expected to maintain its core principle of deceptively simple and successful design.