How To Stop Roku From Timing Out? – Best Methods

How to stop Roku from timing out? This article will show you how to prevent this issue.

Your Roku will turn off by itself after a period of inactivity. This is to conserve energy and ensure it doesn’t overheat whenever you’re not using it.

To stop your Roku from timing out, change and disable the inactivity timeout period. Switching off the Auto Power Savings feature so it continues to be powered up at all times.

It’s time to fix this issue!

Proven Methods on How to Stop Roku From Timing Out

If you want to know how to stop Roku TV from timing out, you will need to look at these proven methods. Fortunately, these are all quick fixes that won’t take you a lot of time.

#1: Check the Connection Quality on Your Roku

One of the first things you need to do when you experience your Roku timing out unexpectedly is to check the quality of your connection.

This will happen if your WiFi signal is weak or unstable.

To verify your connection quality, here’s what you need to do:

1. Press the Home button on your Roku remote.
2. Scroll down and select Settings.
3. Go to the Network option.
4. Select Check connection.
5. Wait for the check to finish.

Depending on your connection, the check will show you a green check mark or a red X.

If these values come out poor or below average, you will need to improve your connection by power cycling your router.

#2: Disable the Sleep Timer

The sleep timer on your Roku allows you to set a time interval where your Roku will switch off automatically.

However, whenever you want to watch for an extended period without any interruption, you will need to disable this timer.

Here are the steps to disable the sleep timer on your Roku TV:

1. Press the Home button on your remote.
2. Scroll down and select the Settings menu.
3. Go to the System option.
4. Select Time.
5. Choose Sleep, then select Off.

Note: Disabling the sleep timer on your Roku will increase your energy consumption slightly, so you want to make sure you switch off your TV manually.

#3: Remove Unused Channels on Your Device

Too many channels on your device take up a lot of space and memory. This slows down your device and causes it to time out.

To avoid this, you will need to remove channels that you don’t often use.

To remove channels on your Roku, follow these steps:

1. Select the Home button on your remote.
2. Scroll down and choose Streaming Channels.
3. Look for the channel you want to remove.
4. Press the OK button on your remote.
5. Select Remove Channel and Confirm.

Note: Removing a few channels on your device will greatly improve your device’s performance and prevent it from timing out.

If this doesn’t resolve this issue and your Roku continues to disconnect and time out, you’ll need to look at some of your device’s settings. Proceed to the other methods below.

#4: Disable the Bandwidth Saver Feature

The bandwidth saver feature helps you from going over your data limits by pausing the connection after 4 hours of inactivity.

This feature is enabled by default, so you’ll need to disable it so your Roku does not unexpectedly time out.

Here are the steps to disable the bandwidth saver feature on your Roku:

1. Open your Roku’s Settings.
2. Select Network.
3. Choose Bandwidth Saver.
4. Uncheck the box to set it to Off.

Note: Disabling this will increase your data usage, so don’t use this if you’re connected via mobile with limited data.

#5: Turn Off Auto Power Savings

Auto power savings is a feature on your Roku that helps save energy by turning it off after 20 minutes of inactivity.

When this happens, your device will also time out and disconnect from the internet and ruin your viewing experience.

If this is enabled on your device, you will need to switch it off so your Roku won’t shut down automatically.

Here’s how to turn off the auto power savings feature on your Roku:

1. Press the Home button on your Remote.
2. Navigate and select the Settings option.
3. Go to System.
4. Choose Power from the menu.
5. Select Auto Power Savings.
6. Uncheck the box next to After 20 minutes of no interaction.
7. Select OK.

Note: Since your Roku won’t turn off automatically, you will need to manually switch it off by pressing and holding the Home button on your remote for 5 seconds.

#6: Clear the Cache and Cookies of Your Roku

There are instances when the cache storage system of your Roku can malfunction.

Whenever this happens, it stores outdated or incorrect data that will cause your device to time out. Clearing your Roku’s cache and cookies will stop this, so you won’t have to deal with this error.

Here are the steps to follow if you want to clear your Roku’s cache and cookies:

1. Press and hold the Home button on your remote.
2. Press it down for 5 seconds.
3. Wait for the secret menu to appear on the screen.
4. Press the Up button twice.
5. Press the Rewind button twice.
6. Press the Fast Forward button twice.
7. Your Roku will restart.

If you need to clear the cache and cookies for individual apps. Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to your Roku’s Home Screen.
2. Select Settings.
3. Choose the System option.
4. Select Manage Installed Channels.
5. Go to the app you want to clear the cache.
6. Press the Rewind button on your remote.
7. Select Yes to confirm clearing the cache and cookies for the app.

Note: Clearing the cache and cookies from your Roku will not delete any of your personal data, like your saved channels or watchlists.

#7: Change the Inactivity Timeout Period on Your Roku

One of the most effective ways to stop your Roku from timing out is to change the inactivity timeout period on your device.

It’s a setting that determines how long your Roku will wait before it turns off. By default, this is usually set to 4 hours, but you will be able to disable it.

Here’s how to change the inactivity timeout setting on your Roku:

1. Press the Home button on your Roku remote.
2. Navigate to Settings.
3. Go to System.
4. Select the Power option.
5. Choose Inactivity Timeout.
6. Set it to Disable.

#8: Reset Your Roku to Factory Settings

Lastly, if none of the methods work and your Roku continues to time out unexpectedly, you’re dealing with a software issue.

A drastic approach to take is to reset your Roku to factory settings. Doing this will erase your device settings, channels, accounts, and preferences.

However, it will solve any major problems you’re facing, like when your Roku times out at inopportune times.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Select the Home button on your Roku remote.
2. Go to the Settings option.
3. Choose System.
4. Select Advanced System Settings.
5. Go to Factory Reset.
6. Choose the Factory Reset Everything option.
7. Enter the code on the screen and confirm.

Note: Before doing this, we recommend that you have a backup of your data or a record of your accounts so you are able to log in after the reset quickly.

Updating your Roku software will also resolve this issue. However, if you continue to experience these time outs, you can contact Roku Support for additional assistance.

Quick Recap

If you’re still wondering how to stop Roku from timing out, you will need to look at your device’s settings.

Changing the inactivity timeout period and setting it to disable will stop this from happening. Disabling the bandwidth saver feature also helps.

For more Roku troubleshooting articles, visit our blog!

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