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RoweKooSux's avatar
RoweKooSux
Reel Rookie
8 months ago

Re: Unable to remove Backdrops

Days have passed and this has not been addressed.
Facts:
-Installed "Backdrops" app on TV.
-Discovered it was useless junk, suspected of harvesting data against our will (as per typical CCP tactics)
-Removed app.
-Upon power-off, sometimes greeted with the starting backdrops app, hold power button to power off to turn off TV carp.  Seriously?  How can this happen if I removed the app?  Only explanation I can see is that app is actually a virus for the TV.
-Verified through EVERY TV setting that nothing refers to an app called "Backdrops" and that there is no app called that on the TV.
-Reinstalled app, then removed app, thinking that might magically solve something.  Of course, found out this fixed nothing.
The appearance of the text indicating the backdrops app will be starting upon pressing power button is random.  Most times it does not appear.  Then, randomly, it will. 

Is this the best you all can do?  Seriously?
Issue report tracker info:
Model: A108X - Roku TV
Serial number: X00200H5LAPK (S053Y975LAPK)
Software version: 14.1.4 • build 7709-88
GC version: 13.4.8
Timestamp: 2025-03-15T17:40:34Z

Please use issue ID PK-106-180 to report the current issue.

 

It should be noted that the television did not exhibit the starting backdrops (when backdrops app does not exist) problem at this point in time, but certainly has several times over the past several weeks.

Also, I, too am experiencing this same issue that others have had where the screen saver kicks off while watching Live TV (Over-The-Air broadcast television).  
My suggestion would be to fire everyone on your staff who has contributed to bringing your Roku experience from an overall positive one just 6 short months ago to something cringeworthy of even amateur programmers as of late.  Then roll back every "feature" you've added in the past year, including stupid things that are added without my permission to the home screen.

12 Replies

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  • RokuEmmanuel-D's avatar
    RokuEmmanuel-D
    Community Moderator
    8 months ago

    Hey, RoweKooSux.

    Thanks for sharing your concern!

    Roku backdrops can only be removed from the Home Screen, and you can’t totally remove them from your device. However, you can turn them off so they don't pop up when you hit the power button on your remote.

    Here's how:

    1. Press Home on your remote
    2. Go to Settings
    3. Select Backdrops
    4. Choose the Gear icon on the Screen
    5. Then, select Backdrops and check the Disabled option

    Check out this link for more info!

    Roku Community Team

    • visage13's avatar
      visage13
      Newbie
      8 months ago

      Why would you add an app I never asked for and then I remove it and you tell me (us) it can never really be removed so it's a spying apparatus am I right?

    • RoweKooSux's avatar
      RoweKooSux
      Reel Rookie
      8 months ago

      That's not acceptable.

      I was browsing through the apps available to my device, and "Backdrops" was one of them.  I decided to download it to try it.  Nowhere did I receive a warning indicating that if I proceeded to download this app, I would be unable to remove it fully, and that it would in essence become a virus for my Roku television.

      That being written, my set does indeed allow me to uninstall the "Backdrops" v̶i̶r̶u̶s̶  app when it is installed in my set.  But when it is removed, some parts of it evidently remain deeply embedded in my Roku television set, unable to be removed, and returned to the state it was in before the Backdrops v̶i̶r̶u̶s̶  app was installed.

      Judging by your supposed "solution", it is apparent that my original posting was either not read carefully or ignored, since I clearly stated, "-Verified through EVERY TV setting that nothing refers to an app called "Backdrops" and that there is no app called that on the TV."

      How can I 

      1. Press Home on your remote
      2. Go to Settings
      3. Select Backdrops

      when as I wrote, there is no setting referring to an app called "Backdrops" anywhere on the TV?

      And if, as you indicate, I cannot totally remove the app, why did it let me remove the app?  It is surely obvious that it is not totally removed, since even though the "Backdrops" app does not show up in any of my apps listing, it randomly decides to assert itself as is evident by when I power off the TV, it starts this "Backdrops" virus instead.

      So, do understand that your solution is useless, since If I remember correctly, when I go to Home... Settings... there is no "Backdrops" in that menu, unless I reinstall the v̶i̶r̶u̶s̶  app.  When the app is installed, indeed I can go to that menu and choose, "Disable" - but when that's done, sometimes the app still decides to assert it's virus-like activities, and start itself when I press the button once to power off the TV.

      What I expect is that Roku has a method to restore my set to the condition it was in before this v̶i̶r̶u̶s̶  app was installed.   Either that, or purchase a new set for me, since this one has been ruined by your rogue app which does not warn people that it cannot be uninstalled once installed.

      • RokuEmmanuel-D's avatar
        RokuEmmanuel-D
        Community Moderator
        8 months ago

        Hey, RoweKooSux.

        Thanks for clearing that up! No worries; we'll pass this forward to the team. Appreciate your feedback and help in reporting this.

        Please stay tuned for more updates!

        Roku Community Team

  • RokuEmmanuel-D's avatar
    RokuEmmanuel-D
    Community Moderator
    6 months ago

    Hey everyone!

    Just wanted to check in and see if you're still having that issue. If you are, don’t forget to update your Roku software to the latest version!

    If you're still having trouble, just let us know what version of your Roku device you're using so we can look into it further!

    Roku Community Team

  • Jfar's avatar
    Jfar
    Reel Rookie
    6 months ago

    For me it is resolved.  The issue was Backdrops was moved from the left side column to the bottom of my Apps where I never look.  

    • RokuEmmanuel-D's avatar
      RokuEmmanuel-D
      Community Moderator
      6 months ago

      Thanks for the reply, Jfar​!

      Awesome to hear things are sorted out on your end! If you need anything else down the line, please don't hesitate to reach out.

      Happy Streaming!

      Roku Community Team