If you’re facing Roku overheating problems, then this guide is for you!
The reason why Roku is overheating is mainly due to a combination of several factors.
They involve the hot summer seasons in combination with nearby heat conductors such as the TV and a high Roku stick CPU load leading to excessive rise in the temperatures.
10 Reasons Why Does My Roku Keep Overheating?
The following are the top ten reasons why your Roku stick is constantly overheating:
- Temperature: The Roku stick is installed in a place without good ventilation.
- Streaming: A high-quality streaming of 4K, can make your Roku overheat.
- High usage: Streaming for prolonged periods of time produces excessive heat.
- Outdated OS: The Roku stick firmware has to be kept up to date!
- Power fault: Any fluctuations from the outlet can cause Roku to overheat.
- Clogged vents: Any dirt accumulation on the Roku stick vents raises the heat.
- Background tasks: Your Roku is engaged with many tasks at once, raising the temp.
- Suffocation: The Roku stick shouldn’t be inserted into tight places.
- Hardware fault: A faulty HW component can lead to the Roku overheating.
- HW lifespan: Some of the HW components in your Roku wear out with time!
What Happens When Roku Overheats?
When the Roku stick starts to exceed the thermal temperature the device would turn off or hang, which is a protective mechanism.
This behavior will immediately stop all services, which will decrease the heat and preserve the condition of the hardware components.
Note: When Roku is used continuously while overheating, the tasks are slow and unresponsive!
Roku Stick Overheating Fix – (Best Working Solutions)
If your Roku stick is now overheating, try the solutions below:
1. Avoid Direct Sunlight
The summer is when our devices overheat the most, even when there is nothing wrong with their hardware and performance.
The sunlight, in combination with the higher environmental temperatures during the hot seasons, produces extensive heat, causing Ruku to overheat.
- Prevent the sunlight from shining directly onto your Roku stick!
Here are a couple of ideas to block sunlight:
- Hide the stick behind the TV
- Close the window blinds
- Cast a shadow on the stick
When your stick is no longer exposed to direct sunlight try streaming your usual content and check whether the stick is now hot on touch.
If yes, then keep reading!
2. Unclog the Vents!
All devices get warm when working for a prolonged period of time, but if your Roku stick is getting too hot, perhaps the ventilation openings are clogged.
The only solution is to clean the vents manually and all you’ll need is a dry cloth or a small dry brush to remove all debris.
Tip: You can use an old toothbrush!
Here’s how to unclog the Roku stick vents in easy steps:
- Turn off and unplug your Roku stick.
- Find the vents, located on the sides and bottom of the stick.
- Take the brush and gently remove all dirt.
- Turn the stick upside down, above the trash can.
- Use the wipe to collect all leftover dust and debris.
- Also, use a sharp object to remove accumulated dust.
If you have a can of compressed air, cleaning the ventilation openings takes almost no time, but even if you don’t the steps above should help.
Note: Never use liquids to clean your Roku or you should wait until the stick is dry!
3. Switch the Power Source
Sometimes the Roku stick overheating happens when the electrical outlet is fluctuating and constantly changes the power flow.
This typically leads to overpowering the Roku stick causing the involved components to produce more heat.
- The only solution is to switch to another power source in your home!
Note that it might not be enough to only switch the outlet in the electrical divider/splitter, hence you need to plug your Roku (if possible) into another fuse.
If you’re unsure of how the electrical installation is integrated into your home, simply plug your Roku into another room to be sure.
Reminder: Don’t forget that you need to plug your Roku stick directly into the outlet!
4. Isolate the Roku Stick!
Assuming that you’ve attempted the previous methods, Roku is overheating mainly due to high environmental temperatures and the heat produced by the TV.
In combination, this causes Roku to maintain higher temperatures than the thermal limit, leading to overheating.
The Solution – HDMI Extender!
The most-effective Roku stick overheating fix is to use an HDMI extender and take the device away from the TV.
Even if the HDMI extender is short, it would be long enough for the Roku stick to be positioned at a safe and cool range (0.5 feet required).
We recommend the URPEEN HDMI Extender, which is a good choice because of the 4K support and length.
There is a choice in regard to how long you would need the extender to be but even the 1.5 feet size is completely enough to isolate your Roku stick.
5. Optimize Roku Performance
The task load and CPU optimization of your Roku stick are one of the primary factors that greatly impact the produced temperatures in the casing.
Hence, when your Roku is under a heavy load it’s normal for the heat to increase as long as it’s not exceeding the thermal limit.
There are two ways to relieve the CPU load, and decrease the Roku stick heat:
Close & Delete Unused Apps:
First, it’s important to exit and erase all applications that you don’t use often. This will free up some storage and will boost the performance of your Roku stick.
In addition, it’s recommended to close all apps before starting to stream continuously.
Clean The Roku Cache Data:
Another way to optimize your Roku stick is to clear the cache data which will sign you out of all applications.
This is data that bulbs up based on your usage and over time start to cause performance issues.
We recommend checking your login information on all apps beforehand!
Follow the steps to clear Roku cache data:
- Select Home from the main menu.
- Press Home 5 x times.
- Press Up 1 x time.
- Press Rewind 2 x times.
- Press Fast Forward 2 x times.
In case that doesn’t help try the rest of the methods from the guide!
6. Update Roku Firmware (OS)
In case you still see the Roku overheating message, even after optimizing the device, perhaps there is something wrong on a system level.
Updating the firmware is the one thing that we can’t proceed without attempting so let’s jump straight into the settings and check for an upgrade!
- Tap Home on the remote > Settings > System > System Update!
If your Roku detects an update, be sure to allow the device to complete the process so you can exclude this possibility. With the newest firmware, test whether your Roku will overheat again.
Note: The Roku stick firmware update could last up to 15 minutes so be patient!
7. Lower The Streaming Resolution
We all know that higher resolution means more CPU load which is equal to more heat.
Well, with Roku it’s no different so why not try to stream in lower resolution and check whether the stick would continue to overheat?
Here’s how to lower the resolution on your Roku stick:
- Press the Home button.
- Go to the Settings.
- Select Display Type.
- Then, tap on 1080p or 720p.
- Select OK to confirm.
The idea is to attempt streaming on one resolution under the one that you’re currently using to check whether your Roku would overheat.
This would significantly decrease the CPU load during streaming so it’s worth trying!
If lowering the resolution is not a suitable solution for you, keep reading!
8. Factory Reset Roku Stick!
Assuming that you’ve attempted all of the previous methods and your Roku is still overheating the only solution left would be to factory restore the stick.
Alert: Be informed that the factory reset will cleanly reinstall the operating system of your Roku stick and all contents, apps, and settings will be permanently erased.
Here’s how to factory reset your Roku stick in easy steps:
- On the remote, press the Home button.
- Go to Settings and select System.
- Tap on Advanced System Settings.
- Press the Factory Reset option.
- Tap on Factory Reset Everything.
- Follow the remaining instructions.
When the reset is complete you would need to set up your Roku from scratch, meaning that you have to go through the initial setup.
When you are ready, start streaming and check whether Roku will continue to overheat.
Quick Recap:
We’ve now learned why is Roku overheating and we know that direct sunlight should be blocked and our device isolated from heat conductors.
Another thing we now know is that the device shouldn’t be kept under heavy load for prolonged periods of time!
Read Next: Roku Won’t Connect To Centurylink? – Try These Solutions
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.