Back in September, we reported how Roku was testing a new home screen beta with folders, more icons, continue watching, and more thanks to tips from our readers. At the time one of the main complaints from readers was that they wanted the ability to decide if they wanted the new 4×4 app roles or the 3×3 app rows. Now it seems Roku has started to roll out the ability to do just that for some Roku owners.
Currently, Rok is still testing this new home screen for a select number of Roku owners. One of the features you will find on Roku’s home screen other than the new 4×4 look is a new continue watching row. This row will let you jump directly into shows you have been watching on supported services like Disney+. You can also from there open a What to Watch section that will show shows you have been watching and suggest shows you should watch.
You will also find foulders for things like inputs on Roku TVs. Now, all of your inputs for different HDMI ports are located in a folder to keep them in one spot.
One of the new updates this week is the ability to select 3×3 or 4×4 app layout in the Roku home screen settings. To see if you are a part of this beta test, go to your settings and select the Home Screen option. There you should find a new tile size option for some Roku owners. This will let you pick the smaller 4×4 look or the larger 3×3 tile look.
In this Home Screen area of the settings you will also find options to turn off some of the new areas like continue watching.
Here is what the new home screen looks like on our Roku:
Here is what the old Roku home screen looked like:
As you can see the two are very similar, but now you get slightly smaller icons now in a 4×4 look instead of a 3×3 look. This allows you to easy see all the services you have on your Roku. As TVs get bigger, this new interface will help make it easy to find what you want.
Roku has confirmed to Cord Cutters News that they are testing designs on their platform. They declined to comment further than to say they are testing out new features. Now just because Roku is testing this new 4×4 interface and folders does not mean it will be rolled out to all Roku owners in the future. It is a sign that Roku is considering all options when it comes to the future of Roku home screens.
Do you have this new user interface? Let us know what you think of it and any other features you have noticed.