How to Clear Cache on Roku in 5 Steps

Written by Ivana Kotorchevikj Streaming / Roku

Linkedin Twitter - 5 min read

Roku is a popular streaming service where you can watch movies, TV shows, sports, live TV, and more. It’s really convenient to use Roku and choose your preferred Roku device: stick, TV, or player.

Roku doesn’t store any data in its memory. However, the channels and apps you use on Roku may store cache on the device. The cache is temporary files that are stored on your device when you open an app or visit a website.

So over time, and especially if you’ve installed many apps that overrun the internal memory, you may run into some issues, such as content loading slowly, screen freezing, or sluggish performance.

Luckily, you don’t need to buy a new Roku device. You only need to clear the cache on Roku and restart your device to improve the device’s performance. Keep reading to learn how to clear the cache memory on your Roku TV.

Check out: How to Clear Cache on Samsung TV

There are four ways you can clear the cache files on Roku.

  1. Clear cache on Roku remote

In order to clear the cache on Roku with the remote, first, pair your Roku remote with your device. Afterward, follow the steps below:

  1. Plugin the Roku stick into the HDMI input port of your smart TV.
  2. Turn on the Roku device.
  3. Then, press the Home button on the Roku remote.
  4. Select the Home menu option on the Roku Home screen.
  5. Next, press the next button on the remote consecutively: press the Home button five times, press the Up button once, press the Rewind button two times, and press the Fast Forward button two times.

After this, wait for 15 to 30 seconds. The Roku device will clear the cache and junk files and will restart your Roku streaming device.

  1. Clear cache on Roku by restarting Roku

The quickest and easiest way to remove the cache on Roku is by restarting the device.

  1. Go to the Roku Home menu and select ‘Settings’ by pressing the ‘OK’ button on the remote.
  2. In the Settings menu, select the ‘System’ option and press ‘OK’ on the remote.
  3. Next, scroll down, select ‘System restart’, and hit ‘OK’ again.
  4. Finally, click on ‘Restart’.
  5. Confirm your choice if prompted.

The Roku device-connected TV will turn off and on automatically. After this, the cache stored on your Roku device will be removed.

  1. Clear cache on a specific app in Roku

You can also clean the case on a specific app like Hulu or Netflix on your Roku device.

  1. Turn on Roku and press the Home button on the remote.
  2. Select the app from which you want to clear the cache and press * on the remote.
  3. In the pop-up menu, select ‘Remove channel’.
  4. After you remove the app, turn off your Roku device-connected TV, wait 30 seconds and then turn it back on.

The cache files stored by the channel will be cleared. Now you can go to the Channel Store and reinstall the app.

Note: If you have Hisense Roku TV, TCL Roku TV, or Sharp Smart TV that is running on Roku OS, you can use the same methods above to clear the cache.

  1. Clear cache with factory reset

Another way you can clear the cache on Roku is by factory resetting it. However, this method will delete all the stored data on your device.

  1. Go to Roku's home screen and select ‘Settings’ from the left pane.
  2. Select ‘System’.
  3. Then, go to ‘Advanced System Settings’.
  4. Click on the ‘Factory Reset’ option.
  5. Enter the passcode displayed on the screen and select ‘OK’.
  6. In the pop-up window, select ‘Start factory’.
  7. Next, follow the on-screen prompts and complete the factory reset process.

When the factory reset is over, the cache stored on your Roku device will be cleared.

  1. Bonus: Forced reboot

This fourth method is a bit primitive compared to the ones above. It involves doing a forced reboot. Unplug the Roku device power cord, wait a couple of minutes, and plug it in. This will essentially restart your device.

Keep in mind that this last method should be tried only if the above methods don’t work.

In case you are also using Bluestacks, you might as well learn how to fix Roku's “Error code 009”.

FAQs

Should I clear the cache on Roku?

Clearing the cache on your Roku device is not mandatory for better performance. However, if you notice that your Roku device starts working slowly, the content is not loading or the screen freezes, you can try clearing the stored cache to free space and restore it to its proper working condition.

What does clearing cache on Roku do?

When you clear the cache on Roku, it will delete all the temporary files stored on your device and free up some memory. Additionally, it will improve your Roku’s performance.


Clearing the cache will also give a clean slate for streaming on Roku. This is especially useful if you experience loading and streaming issues.