The Roku error 400-1 user not authorized typically appears when you’re attempting to sign into applications using a TV provider.
Many service providers offer a subscription for apps such as Disney, ESPN, Hulu, and more; thus, users must sign in via the provider to stream on Roku.
Error “400-1 User Not Authorized” on Roku appears because your login attempt via 3rd party operator/provider is declined. This typically occurs when your Roku is offline or whenever there is a fault with your Roku system or the membership from the provider.
Let’s unwrap more!
Roku User Not Authorized – (400-1) Error Code?
This error code only occurs when your login attempt via TV provider to a particular app on your Roku fails to complete.
The reason could be incidental, related to your Roku system or the TV service from your provider, which is the foundation of your application access and subscription.
Let’s unwrap all possible causes why the Roku user is not authorized:
There is a quick and easy way to address each of these potential causes, described in the solution guide below.
So, without further ado, let’s troubleshoot!
How to Fix Roku Error 400-1 User Not Authorized?
Tip: Follow the solutions chronologically!
1. Force-Close App & Sign-in Again!
Sometimes, the Roku error 400-1 is purely incidental, meaning a simple restart of the particular app would be enough to resolve the problem.
Force-closing an app doesn’t mean deleting any of your content or channels, so without any hesitation, follow the steps below:
- First, press the “Home” button on the remote.
- This will take you out of the app in the home.
- Find the channel and press the “*” star button.
- This will reveal a settings menu full of options.
- Go down and select the “Close” time to exit.
Simply going to the home screen doesn’t mean that you’ve exited the app entirely, so you would need to close channels that you would like to restart this way.
When you’re ready, open the app causing the error and attempt to sign in through your TV provider. If the error continues to occur, keep reading ahead!
2. Verify Roku’s Internet Connection!
An internet connection is required to sign into any app successfully, through a provider or not, so you will be interrupted when you’re offline.
You need first to check the connection and verify that your WiFi is intact by connecting a secondary device to test with.
How to Check the Roku Connection?
- Press the “Home” button.
- Scroll down to the Settings.
- Then, enter the Network tab.
- Select “Check Connection”.
If your Roku is disconnected from the network, this is the reason for the error 400-1, and you must set up a new connection.
To do so, select “Set up a connection” in the Network tab and then “Wireless” to connect to your home WiFi.
Reminder: Use a secondary device to test whether your WiFi is connected to the internet to ensure your Roku is not offline.
3. Clear the Roku Player Cache Data!
Sometimes, your Roku won’t allow you to sign in through a provider due to missing files or data corruption for a particular app.
One way to deal with this problem is to clear the cache data on your Roku, which will sign you out from the accounts on all channels to try freshly!
Here’s how to erase the cache data on your Roku player:
- First, press the “Home” button to go to the Roku home.
- Then, press the “Home” button five consecutive times.
- Next, press the “Up” button on the Roku remote once.
- Then, press the “Rewind” button on the remote two times.
- Finally, press the “Fast-Forward” remote button two times.
This will initiate the process, and you will need to wait 20-30 seconds until the data clearance process is complete.
Then, when you open the app, you will be signed out from your account, and you will be able to sign in through a provider without error 400-1.
4. Remove and Re-add the Roku Channel
Another way to effectively address the Roku error “400-1 User Not Authorized” is by removing the affected channel and then adding the app again.
This is a pretty straightforward process, and the downside is that you will lose any in-app settings that were previously configured.
How to Remove Channels on Roku?
The steps below will guide you through removing the affected channel on your Roku:
- Press the “Home” button on the Roku remote.
- Then, move right to start highlighting channels.
- Next, hover over the channel, causing the error.
- Press the “*” star to reveal the options menu.
- Then go down and select “Remove Channel.”
- Confirm that you want to remove the channel.
Note: Uninstalling channels on Roku is not permanent!
How to Install Channels on Roku?
Follow the steps below to install the previously removed channel back on your Roku:
- Press the “Home” button to go to the home screen.
- Then, go to Streaming Channels and find the app.
- Tip: Use the search for quick navigation in the store.
- Select “Add Channel” to add the app to your Roku.
When ready, test whether you can sign in through your provider.
If error 400-1 is still there, perhaps something is wrong on the provider’s side…
5. Verify Your Provider’s Subscription!
Well, if you keep getting the error “400-1 User Not Authorized”, then perhaps the error is correct, and your access is denied.
You must ensure that your provider’s membership, which you’re attempting to sign in with, has expired or the subscription for the channel is not activated.
So, your options are to either contact your provider directly to discuss the subscription or sign in through their application.
This is where you can see whether your provider’s (app) subscription is ongoing and whether you can access the services through your Roku.
Note: Typically, these subscriptions are on a free trial, which automatically starts billing your registered financial account.
6. Test To Sign In on a Different Device!
To identify whether the problem comes from your provider’s subscription or due to your Roku operating system, we recommend testing on a different device.
The quickest way would be to open a web browser and navigate the online page for the particular app you’re streaming.
If they don’t have a streaming service, you might need to download the mobile app, which is typically available in the Google Play or App Store.
So, if your service works on a different platform and you can sign in without issues, the fault comes from your Roku.
To resolve such operational issues, we recommend performing the factory reset process.
How to Factory Reset Roku Player?
- Go to the home screen of your Roku TV.
- Then, go to “Settings” and enter “System”.
- Next, go to “Advanced System Settings”.
- Then, select the “Factory Reset” option.
- Select the “Factory Reset Everything” tile.
- Then, follow the instructions on the screen.
When your Roku is factory reset, you need to connect the player to the WiFi and carry out the initial steps.
Next, you must download the app from “Streaming Channels” and test whether you can sign in through a provider or error 400-1 would still be there…
7. Connect Your Roku to the Hotspot!
One final thing to attempt would be to connect your Roku player to the personal hotspot of your mobile just to test signing in on a different internet.
This is enough to prove that your Roku is experiencing networking issues and reveal the culprit for the situation.
Tip: One helpful tip to optimize your internet and WiFi connection is to power cycle your router!
Need More Help?
Well, contact your provider! Sadly, if nothing helped, the issue will not likely be from your Roku.
Again, you can justify this by signing in through a web browser or from the mobile app, which will reveal what’s causing this!
Tip: Download the app and sign in for more info about your third-party subscription!
Quick Recap:
Roku error 400-1 user not authorized is an error that appears when a sign-in attempt to a particular channel through a provider is declined.
Thus, you must verify that your Roku is online, check whether your 3rd party membership is ongoing, and reinstall the channel.
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Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.