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Roku app volume control: why some Rokus show volume buttons and others don’t

It depends on what kind of Roku you have. On a Roku TV, the Roku is the TV, so a phone app can turn the volume up and down and mute it. On a Roku streaming stick or box plugged into another TV, the Roku usually has no control over that TV’s speakers. Roku’s developer documentation lists the volume and power commands as keys that only some devices, such as Roku TVs, support. On a player, the volume control you see in the Roku app is usually Headphone Mode, which sets the level in your headphones, not on the TV.

By TV Remotely · Updated · Sources and testing policy

First, check which kind of Roku you have

  • Roku TV: a television with Roku built in, sold under brands such as TCL or Hisense. The home screen is Roku’s and there is no separate box.
  • Roku streaming player: a stick or box (Express, Streaming Stick, Ultra) plugged into an HDMI port on another TV. The TV has its own remote and its own volume.
  • Roku soundbar or Streambar: the speaker is the Roku device, so its volume behaves like a Roku TV’s.

If you are unsure, check whether anything is plugged into the TV’s HDMI ports. A player is a separate stick or box that the TV switches to as an input. A Roku TV starts on Roku’s home screen with nothing attached.

Why a streaming player cannot just send volume

Phone apps talk to a Roku through Roku’s External Control Protocol. Roku’s documentation separates navigation and playback keys, which work on any Roku, from VolumeUp, VolumeDown, VolumeMute, PowerOff, channel and input keys, which it says only some devices, such as Roku TVs, also support. A player that receives a volume key from a phone has nothing to apply it to unless it has been set up to control the TV.

Roku OS 15.0 added two fields to the device information a Roku reports on the network: supports-audio-volume-control and supports-tv-power-control. Roku says these show whether TV volume and power control have been enabled on a streaming player. If you are comfortable with it, you can read them from a computer on the same network:

http://ROKU-IP-ADDRESS:8060/query/device-info

Replace ROKU-IP-ADDRESS with the address from Settings > Network > About. If both fields say false, no phone app will change that TV’s volume through the Roku. If the fields are missing, the Roku is running software older than 15.0 and doesn’t report them.

The volume slider is for Headphone Mode

The Roku mobile app has a headphone icon on its Remote screen. Tapping it starts Headphone Mode: the TV speakers go silent and the sound plays through headphones connected to your phone or tablet. The app’s volume control then sets the level in your headphones. Roku advises adjusting it to a safe level before putting the headphones on.

  • Up to four phones or tablets can listen at the same time, each running the Roku app.
  • The phone and the Roku must be on the same wireless network, and the app must be up to date.
  • It only plays audio from the Roku itself. Roku says it does not work for game consoles, Blu-ray players or cable and satellite boxes connected to the TV.
  • On a Roku TV, live antenna channels work, but analog over-the-air broadcasts do not.

Controlling TV volume with a Roku player

With a player, volume belongs to the TV, a soundbar or a receiver. Use the TV’s own remote, or the TV volume buttons on the Roku remote if your Roku remote has them, since those talk to the TV directly. From a phone, use the TV maker’s own app or a remote app paired with the TV itself, for example SmartThings for a Samsung or ThinQ for an LG, rather than an app paired with the Roku.

How TV Remotely handles Roku volume

When it connects, TV Remotely reads the Roku’s device information. If the Roku reports that it cannot control TV volume or power, the app does not show those keys, so you won’t press buttons that do nothing. On older Roku software that does not report the fields, it keeps the buttons available rather than hiding controls that may work. Control by mobile apps must be enabled in the Roku’s advanced system settings. Roku’s current developer terms also restrict commands from third-party mobile apps, so check the Roku guide below before relying on any third-party app, including ours.

Sources for these instructions

Frequently asked questions

Why does the volume in my Roku app not change the TV?
On a streaming player, the app’s volume control is for Headphone Mode, which sets the level in headphones connected to your phone. The TV’s speaker volume is controlled by the TV, not the Roku.
Can I change Roku TV volume from my phone?
Yes, on a Roku TV. The television itself runs Roku, so its volume, mute and power accept commands from the phone once Control by mobile apps is enabled.