How to Clear the App Cache on a Roku Device

Roku streaming devices allow you to stream content on your smart TV and much more. As a matter of fact, Roku devices come in multiple forms: players, sticks, and Roku TVs.

Although they’ve been designed for long-hour use and despite the fact that they are very resilient and built with quality, freezing and sluggish performance aren’t foreign to these devices.

Luckily, this isn’t the end of the world. You can clear the cache or restart your device to try and improve your Roku’s performance, and even get it back to its original shine.

Why Is My Roku Not Functioning Properly?

Frankly, there are a number of things that can go wrong in modern smart devices and Roku is no exception here. The bad performance of your Roku may be the result of a buggy software update, a newly installed channel, maybe even a cache pile-up.

Additionally, your Roku device may be simply outdated – these devices are built to last, but as years go by, the performance isn’t going to get better. This is always a downward spiral with any piece of technology.

What to Do?

Well, it all boils down to the good old technical support question: “Have you tried restarting it?”

In the world of advanced technology, we aren’t used to having to restart our devices ever. Sometimes, though, a restart is not only warranted, but absolutely recommended. Roku devices can be restarted in multiple ways.

On the other hand, it might be the filled up cache that is causing your Roku to underperform. Like on any other device, cache basically stores data, in order to load it faster later. This data, however, is stored in cache memory and once it starts piling up, it can easily end up overwhelming your device. This can happen on your phone, your PC, on your gaming console, or on your Roku device.

Restart Your Roku Device

Almost every Roku device can actually be restarted in a few ways; three, to be exact.

First Method

The first way of restarting your Roku is through the Settings menu.

1. Go to the Home menu and select Settings from the list by pressing the OK button on your Roku Remote.
2. Within the Settings menu, you’ll find an option called System, press the OK button to open it.
3. Now, scroll down to the entry called System restart, select it, hit OK again.
4. Finally, select Restart from the next menu.

Second Method

The second restart method is great for when a more serious glitch occurs. If you can’t navigate the menus properly, a series of button presses will cause the Roku device to restart.

1. To start, press the Home button five times, then the Up button once, the Rewind button twice, and the Fast Forward button two times. Wait until your Roku turns off and starts back up.

Third Method

The third method is as primitive as they get; just unplug the power cord, wait a couple of minutes, and plug it in. This is a forced reboot and will essentially restart your device. This method should only be employed if the first two fail.

Clear the Cache

To clear app cache on your Roku, all you need to do is perform the second method, outlined above. Once you’ve entered the mentioned sequence, the device will take around half a minute to restart. During this time, it will clear the app cache.

Restore Your Roku to Its Original Shine

Although these methods should help you make your Roku function more smoothly, if the device is outdated, maybe you should consider getting a new one. In any case, a restart and a cache clear-up definitely won’t hurt even the brand new devices.

Have you ever tried restarting your Roku? Which method(s) did you try? Did it work? If you have any questions, tips, or advice, feel free to join the discussion in the comments below.