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needHymn's avatar
needHymn
Channel Surfer
3 years ago

Parental controls totally ignored in the Live TV section of the Roku Channel App

I have parental controls set to disallow R and TV-MA. But I saw in the viewing history that a channel had been watched inside the Roku App, which should have been blocked. When I tried to watch it on my PC (by opening the roku website on my PC web browser), it wouldn't let me watch it, and said a PIN is required to view. But when I use the TV, and opened the Roku channel, and go to "Live TV", and found the channel, then it opens with no problem at all.

And yes, the TV is logged into the correct account. And yes, the TV blocks other things, like the installation of new channels. Also, movies and TV shows in the Roku app are blocked. So, the parental controls ARE working on the TV, and working in the Roku app. The ONLY PLACE where it isn't working, is in the "LIVE TV" section of the official Roku Channel App.

I'm repeating myself now: this is happening on the same account, the "LIVE TV" section correctly blocks content if you view it on a PC using a web browser, but that same content is played without restriction if you view it using the actual TV, on the Roku Channel App.

I don't have a Roku TV. This is happening on a small Roku device that is plugged into the TV using an HDMI cable.

So, this is probably a bug report.

10 Replies

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  • Mrsdee27's avatar
    Mrsdee27
    Newbie
    3 years ago

    OMG I just noticed a similar scenario. I have all the rated R and more on block. However I just walked in and found my grandson listening to the rapper Drake (he's not allowed to listen to Rap) So of course I'm confused because he has nothing but kid apps on the tv. However I discovered there is a LIVE preview that scrolls across and he can just click on ANY of those LIVE shows and play them without a code SMH there has to be a way to block that as well? 

    • needHymn's avatar
      needHymn
      Channel Surfer
      3 years ago

      If you really have only kids channels installed, but you are seeing stuff "scroll by" on the home screen, then you can try going to settings -> Home Screen -> And turn everything off.

    • RokuDanny-R's avatar
      RokuDanny-R
      Retired Moderator
      3 years ago

      Greetings needHymn Mrsdee27 

      Welcome to the Roku Community and thanks for posting regarding the issue you are experiencing with Parental Control.

      Within the Parental control settings, are you making sure that not only the Movie ratings are set correctly, but the TV ratings as well?

      Please keep us posted and we will be more than happy to continue assist you further. We look forward to hearing back your response.


      Thanks,
      Danny

      • needHymn's avatar
        needHymn
        Channel Surfer
        3 years ago

        Thanks for the reply.

        I don't have a Roku TV. I only have the tiny Roku box, which doesn't have the option to limit ratings or do any parental controls at all. So I'm settings these limits by going to https://my.roku.com/account/pin , and setting parental controls there. And on there, it limits both movie and TV ratings, because it lists both "PG-13" and "TV-14". So that's both movie rating, and a TV rating.

        And again, this problem is occurring within the Roku Channel app itself, in the live TV section of the Roku Channel app. That Roku channel app should respect the fact that I set rating limits on the Roku website at the above address.

        And the Roku Channel app DOES respect the movie ratings, and will not play movies above PG-13. But it will play anything in its "live tv" section.

        The easiest way to verify this bug report is to simply set parental controls as I have, using the website at the above link, and then try to view the live TV section within the Roku Channel app, and you will see the same thing I am describing.

        P.S. When I say "Roku Channel app", I'm referring to this one: The Roku Channel | TV App | Roku Channel Store | Roku

  • OhItsJustAspen's avatar
    OhItsJustAspen
    Newbie
    3 years ago

    I noticed you mentioned looking at viewing history on the roku; can you tell me where/how?? I can't seem to find that info anywhere and want to check my own device as well!

    • needHymn's avatar
      needHymn
      Channel Surfer
      3 years ago

      It's not a complete viewing history. But a channel history. And one of the channels I saw was one that I knew wasn't allowed. But the way I saw the channel history is to install the Roku app on a mobile phone, and then go to the TV, and then select "channels", and it will show you all the channels and live TV stations that are installed. But the list is sorted by the most recently viewed. So, I saw that the most recently viewed one was something that wasn't allowed, and that's how I knew. And that's how and where I say that I saw a "history". But I don't know how to get a history of movies watched or shows watched. Only that history of channels watched.