Roku is a digital video player with a range of streaming devices that enable users to watch free or paid content on their television via the internet. It is commonly seen as an alternative to conventional cable television.
It is not at all like cable tv. On Roku, you can choose the kind of streaming platform you want to use, as well as the type of TV shows or movies you want to watch.
It comes with a Roku Channel and gives you access to some of the widely used content streaming channels like Netflix, Amazon Prime TV, Hulu, and approximately 5000 apps and channels.
However, if you have children around and use this product, it might not be entirely secure, and not all contents are suitable for children. This, though, is a challenge for almost all streaming platforms.
So, it is necessary to restrict mature content from the device because you do not want your children to be exposed to such content while still way too young.
But there are parental controls to the rescue. And in this article, I’m going to talk you through the importance of parental controls on video streaming platforms and how they can be used.
Does Roku Have Parental Controls?
Parental controls are a means for parents to restrict access to inappropriate content, set time limits, and keep their kids in check. Now, let’s see if Roku has parental controls that make it suitable for children.
Yes, there are parental controls in Roku, but they only allow access to shows and movies from Roku’s own free streaming sites, the Roku channel.
However, this is a significant problem because most of the content on the Roku platform is provided by third-party streaming platforms like Youtube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.
And the parental controls of Roku do not work on other platforms. Some of these sites, such as Netflix and Youtube, have their range of parental controls that enable you to block objectionable content.
Some of these platforms, like Netflix, come with their own set of parental controls, which allows you to restrict inappropriate content. But other platforms have to make do without any parental controls.
Why Is It Important To Set Parental Controls on Roku?
Considering this pandemic, nowadays, there are rarely any physically going to the theatre to watch a movie or even sit in front of the TV waiting for a show or a movie.
People are spending way more time consuming content online rather than watching it on the television. And this has taken a severe toll on people, especially kids.
A single platform, such as Roku, encompasses all possible movies and TV shows, becoming very addictive for children. Furthermore, there is no filter in the contents. There is inappropriate material on both of those sites, which poses a significant danger to children.
So, it is essential to use parental controls even while streaming a video app, and here are some of the reasons why:
To Monitor Your Kids
As I mentioned earlier, because of the variety of content available on Roku, it can expose your kids to mature content. Let’s face it, every Tv show or movie has at least one scene that is not appropriate for the kids.
And exposure to such content at a young age when their mind is still fragile can be pretty detrimental and create a wrong image on a kid’s mind.
Hence, it is vital to constantly monitor your kids and know about what kind of shows or movies they are watching. If they are inappropriate ones, then take action accordingly.
To Block Or Hide Adult Contents
One thing is for sure that you cannot stop your kids from viewing adult content online. No matter how much you try, at some point, kids will come across such materials.
But what we can do is try and hide it or block it from their access, at least until they are of a certain age. And parental controls allow just that; it helps you hide or block mature content or language from their sight.
To Save Them From Online Addiction
Another critical issue of the virtual world is online addiction. Not only for kids, but it can be pretty addictive for grown-ups as well. Because who wouldn’t want to spend the whole day lying in bed watching their favorite shows or movies, right?
Again, parental controls come in handy here, as you can set time limits and only allow the streaming apps to run at certain times of the day.
Also, with the timing of the pandemic, as most people are sitting at home, it is crucial to refrain from bingeing on such apps and instead concentrate on more productive activities.
How to Restrict purchases?
Are you also concerned about your kid’s impromptu purchases online?
If yes, then now you can restrict the purchases by just following simple steps. Please keep reading!
But before setting up the parental controls on Roku, it is necessary to set up your Roku pin. Now, let’s see the procedure to set it up.
- First, go to my.roku.com on your device and fill the form with your login details.
- Then go to pin reference and select update.
- Click on “Always require a PIN to make a purchase and add items from the Channel Store.”
- Now enter a four-digit PIN of your choice.
- Select “Verify Pin”
- Now, agree on the terms and conditions and click on save changes.
How To Remove Channels On Roku?
There are nearly 5000 apps and channels streaming on Roku, and some of those apps include porn and other adult sites as well. There is a good chance that the kids may accidentally or out of consent land up on those sites.
Once the pin is registered, you can remove Channels as per your desire. Movies, TV Shows, and News can also be either hidden or removed from the main screen.
So, if you are looking for ways to ban those sites from your device, then follow the given steps:
- Select My Channels from the Roku home screen using the Roku remote.
- Navigate to the channel you wish to delete and then choose Options from the drop-down menu.
- Click OK after selecting Remove Channel.
- Repeat the steps as mentioned above if you want to remove any other channels.
- To hide items, access the Roku device’s menu and select Home Screen.
- From there, select Hide for the Movie/TV Store and News Feed. You can always choose to Show them again.
How To Turn On Parental Controls On Roku TV?
Roku TV users can use Roku parental controls to limit inappropriate shows and movies according to the user’s age.
You can set your requirements, and programs that don’t follow them will be banned. If you want to set parental controls on Roku Tv, then follow the given steps:
- Using the Roku remote, go to the Roku TV Settings Menu.
- Go to the TV tuner, and the device will start scanning the channels.
- After that, enable “Enable parental controls” and set the desired TV/movie rating limit.
- You can also block Unrated programs.
Conclusion:
So, we’ve come to the end of the article, and I hope you can now set parental controls on Roku without any assistance. I accept that Roku’s parental controls are severely restrictive and that they should have been better.
But for the time being, these are the only ones we have, and we must make do with it. Thankfully, this streaming network has one of the essential features that is blocking adult content.
One of the most significant advantages of Roku is the restriction on links to pornographic websites. Since it is a huge concern of all parents to know what type of material their children are exposed to. And Roku’s parental controls do an excellent job in this regard.
