Roku Tests New Homepage Design for Enhanced User Experience

Roku is currently experimenting with a new homepage layout designed to facilitate easier navigation to favorite applications and enhance content discovery. This test is being rolled out to a select group of Roku users and introduces new sections such as Quick Access, which automatically populates with the apps that users visit most frequently.

For instance, if a user frequently watches Netflix or browses Roku’s selection of action movies across various applications, shortcuts to these destinations will appear under the Quick Access section. At this stage, users do not have the option to manually add or remove apps from this section. However, Preston Smalley, Roku’s Vice President of Viewer Product, indicated in an interview with The Verge that the company is exploring different approaches to this feature.

“One of the things we know that’s going to be really important is that it just needs to work right out of the box,” Smalley stated. “We’re definitely trying to see how much control people want, but that’s something we want to hear from customers on.”

In addition to the Quick Access feature, the redesign alters the navigation experience when users select the “home” button on their remote. Instead of landing on the left-hand sidebar, users will now find their cursor automatically positioned within the grid on the homepage, while the left-side panel remains closed.

Roku has also relocated several options from the left panel to the main grid, including Live TV and Featured Free, with the intention of making these features more accessible. “We had actually some pretty compelling and delightful destinations, but it was only a minority of people that were finding them,” Smalley explained. “What we think will happen with this change, and with what we’re testing, is that more users will actually discover some of these great ways to browse across the platform.”

These options are now situated beneath the The Best Across Your Streaming Services section, which includes new tiles such as Subscriptions, allowing users to view all of their subscription-based content, and For You, which Smalley described as a “reimagining” of Roku’s previous “What to Watch” feature that provides personalized recommendations.

Another new feature is the What are you in the mood for? section, which allows users to browse shows and movies across various categories, including New & Popular, Food, and Drama. While Roku has been testing different types of advertisements in recent months, the quantity and types of ads will remain unchanged as part of this homepage redesign. The prominent marquee ad on the right side of the homepage will continue to be displayed, but Roku is repositioning two ad placements beneath the user’s “top picks.”

“We’re always looking to make the Roku experience just better, more intuitive, more engaging, and even more personalized,” Smalley added. “What we want to do is make sure that the home screen experience fits well with just how you watch TV today.”

As Roku continues to test its new design, users may notice some variations in the layout, as the company plans to gather user feedback before implementing a wider rollout of the changes. Additionally, users will have the option to opt-out of the update during the testing phase.

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