Forum Discussion

MissBee's avatar
MissBee
Binge Watcher
4 years ago
Solved

Roku will not send activation link to my email

I have done all of the troubleshooting steps multiple times. Serial number JF3049245969. Roku will not send the activation link so I can get going. I have used it on other roku devices. I have tried different email, factory reset.. etc.. I tried last night and never received an email. Please help! 

TV & Player Setup
  • MissBee's avatar
    MissBee
    4 years ago

    SOLVED!!!

    Update: I never heard back from the Roku tech support guy that was helping me yesterday, he was basically just asking me for more info... serial number, build, etc. HOWEVER, I solved the issue myself by creating a GMAIL email account and trying to use that. IT WORKED! The email from Roku came in seconds and I was able to set it up from there. Eureka! Roku, the issue seems to be on your end with Roku not sending the activation email to certain email providers. Please fix this issue because I know it has been very frustrating for me and many others. I should not have had to create a new email address with a different provider in order to activate my Roku device.

  • RokuMary-F's avatar
    RokuMary-F
    Community Moderator
    4 years ago

    Hi MissBee,

    Thanks for reaching out and providing me with your information.
    I have passed along your information to our Support team. They will follow up and assist you.

    We appreciate your patience for the time being.


    Best regards,
    Mary

    • Luv2flydl's avatar
      Luv2flydl
      Channel Surfer
      4 years ago

      I'm having the same problem and would love some help. I have 3 other Roku devices which are all connected. I have not changed my email and the new device shows up under my devices on the Roku app. When I'm trying to activate the new device the activation screen stays on my TV since I don't receive the email to activate it. Very frustrating. I actually thought I received a defective device so I returned it and started over only to have the same experience. 

      • RokuMary-F's avatar
        RokuMary-F
        Community Moderator
        4 years ago

        Hi Luv2flydl,

        Thanks for the post. I apologize for your experience here. I can understand how that may be frustrating.

        Have you checked for the email on your spam or junk folder if it's not in the inbox? 

        We also would recommend taking a look at our Support page for more information regarding how to activate your device: How to activate or link your Roku® streaming device | Official Roku Support

        If you are still having activation issues, please provide the serial number of your Roku device so we can assist further.

        Please keep us posted.


        Best regards,
        Mary

    • FireStation46's avatar
      FireStation46
      Reel Rookie
      4 years ago

      That is a BS response . How about an actionable response Roku?

      • Raysgolfing1's avatar
        Raysgolfing1
        Newbie
        4 years ago

        I have reset the device several times and I still do not get an activation link sent to my email.  I am ready to return this to the store and get my money back. So far it seems like a piece of junk. I bought the Express 4K+.  The serial number is SOAH41CPSW10, model number 3941X.

  • Witness7's avatar
    Witness7
    Binge Watcher
    4 years ago

    I been trying over a hour to get a activation email and I have not received anything,   I checked spam,  junk mail...etc.....  and did factory reset.... Still nothing..... How do I get the email so I can finish setting up my new tv?

    • Tivoburkee's avatar
      Tivoburkee
      Community Streaming Expert
      4 years ago

      I just reactivated an old Roku 3 to test, and I received the email instantly. Your email address does it have any odd characters that Roku my not accept? 

      • Witness7's avatar
        Witness7
        Binge Watcher
        4 years ago

        no and I even already have a roku acct that I was going to use with the new tv in living room,    I have had a roku tv in my bedroom for a couple years now with roku acct on it.  and I can get in acct fine using my computer and the website.  

        I got up this morning,  and still no email  to active it.

  • FireStation46's avatar
    FireStation46
    Reel Rookie
    4 years ago

    Roku works on my iPad however, new Sunbrite Veranda TV and new Roku all  installed by Geek Squad, I never get an email activation code from Roku🤬

  • Bgaff1's avatar
    Bgaff1
    Newbie
    4 years ago
    MissBee wrote:

    I have done all of the troubleshooting steps multiple times. Serial number JF3049245969. Roku will not send the activation link so I can get going. I have used it on other roku devices. I have tried different email, factory reset.. etc.. I tried last night and never received an email. Please help! 

    Mine is the same

    • RokuKariza-D's avatar
      RokuKariza-D
      Retired Moderator
      4 years ago

      Hi Bgaff1 Folkie 

      Thanks for the post.

      Please reply here with the serial number of the affected Roku device. It can be found at the back or underneath the player itself. I'll be able to further assist you from there.


      All the best,
      Kariza

      • Mooselake1's avatar
        Mooselake1
        Binge Watcher
        4 years ago

        I managed to activate my device by capitalizing the domain in my email address (i.e. DOMAIN.COM instead of domain.com), and went back and read the email headers on the message I finally received (I used to run a regional ISP, including it's email server, back in the dial-up dark ages). 

        Roku is using Amazon's simple email service (Amazon SES).  Looks like it's doing some filtering and restrictions on delivery (To: ) email addresses,  deciding which domains they think are acceptable to send email to.  In other words, inept filtering for probably spam prevention, but done wrong (you'd filter on the domains email originates from, which would be pretty bizarre when sending validation emails from already approved accounts).  Not very good filtering, either, if changing capitalization defeats it - not that I'm complaining since it got me through the morass.

        Judging from the responses of their tech support, along with a phone conversation I had with them, they don't have any idea how to troubleshoot this.  They did spend a fair amount of time on the phone with me, can't fault their efforts, but it's an issue their developers need to resolve.  Looks like SES provides tools for this, starting with this page in SES's online documentation.

        Pure speculation on my part, but I'm guessing they outsourced their validation programming and those developers may have moved on to their next projects.  Likely the Roku trying to be validated phones home to something running on AWS (or connects to an AWS app if you prefer), which then uses the SES API to send an email.  Something inside SES (or maybe in Roku's own validator) decides that the destination email address of a previously verified account is unacceptable, and this attempt at validation is very broken, along with being inappropriate (validate destinations for valid accounts?  Huh?) to begin with.  If I can get this far with 10 minutes of looking at email headers and some web searching, and they haven't fixed it by now it's beyond their in-house skills.  Guessing some chatting with SES's tech support could have sorted it out for them pretty quick.

  • jp05's avatar
    jp05
    Newbie
    4 years ago

    I cannot get our roku to work.  I keep getting “your email will not work.”  It will only stay on the activate your roku player screen, so I cannot use my phone as some suggested since it will not move off of the enter your email screen.  I have reset it numerous times.  I need help.  Is there a number to call?  The model is 3920x.  It has not worked for three days.

    • Mooselake1's avatar
      Mooselake1
      Binge Watcher
      4 years ago

      Try entering the domain part of your email as DOMAIN.COM, or even Domain.Com, that worked for me fwiw.  Roku will ask you for your serial number, but support will then say they can't activate it for you when/if you manage to get a call back.    For example, say your email is jp at greatistispever.org, enter that as GreatistISPever.OrG, just change the case of some of the letters, and see if that works.

  • velazjuan's avatar
    velazjuan
    Reel Rookie
    3 years ago

    I’m trying to login to my Roku account on my tv again and it said it was going to send me an email to activate and never did. I tried retyping in my email and now it’s saying “we can’t seem to reach you by email” I keep trying to resend but it’s saying that over and over again. I change my email, etc, etc, etc, What do I do? 

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

      velazjuan

      Thanks for the post.

      Can you please provide the serial number/device ID on your Roku device? I'll be able to assist you further from there.

       

      Thanks,
      Danny

      • Crusher's avatar
        Crusher
        Channel Surfer
        3 years ago

        Danny - with all due respect, what good is the serial number when ROKU won't send the activation email anyway?

  • ghippo's avatar
    ghippo
    Reel Rookie
    3 years ago

    SOLVED ! ! ! - At last I found a solution.  You can try, maybe it will work for you too.

    I have notice on my desktop computer during browsing, that I could not access certain web pages from about the same time when the last update on both of mine Roku Express failed.  I was researching the reason and found out, that the WNA settings for the DNS in my Asus router were set to a server XY.Zx.....blah blah.   I changed it to the Google 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 as suggested by the research.  I crill could not access few webs.  So I swithed the DNS to "automatically" find server and in the evening I have tried to plug in both Roku units. To my surprise the download on one worked, on the other one it asked for the email and I have received an email.

    So I suggest try to change your router DNS settings, who knows what those servers owners are doing nowadays.

    • MikeJC's avatar
      MikeJC
      Binge Watcher
      3 years ago

      I was able to get the activation link. It was being sent straight to the trash folder. I don't know why. I do have spam filters to send spam straight to the trash but email from Roku shouldn't have gone there.