Forum Discussion

pixelcube0's avatar
pixelcube0
Newbie
2 years ago
Solved

The star button doesn't open settings on remote or app

I don't know what happened but I changed the batteries in my remote and suddenly the (*) button doesn't work but the light on the TV still blinks when I push it like it's responding, if I press it too much it turns on screen reader. I tried in the app too and same thing, the TV light blinks in response but nothing happens. I tried soft resetting my TV, unplugging it and holding the power button, I even put the old batteries in and still nothing. I'd like to not have to factory reset but is that my only option? I'm mostly just baffled about how a battery change suddenly caused this.

remotes
  • RokuJharra-Q's avatar
    RokuJharra-Q
    10 months ago

    Hi kataikey, thank you for posting here in the Roku Community!

    We value your feedback and would like to offer clarification on this matter. Firstly, pressing the star (*) button on your Roku remote five times will toggle the screen reader features on your Roku device. However, when playing content in the app or channel and pressing the star button once, a menu may appear, providing options to adjust the app or content feature settings. Please note that certain apps have their own settings menus, which can affect the accessibility features. This means it depends on the specific app you are using.

    Hope you'll find this info useful. Let us know in case you still have any questions

    Thanks,
    Jharra

14 Replies

  • fayefrogg's avatar
    fayefrogg
    Newbie
    12 months ago

    I’m having the EXACT same problem and I can’t find a fix to it 🥲 Restarting the tv has done nothing, I’m at a loss lol

    (Mine is a Onn RokuTV)

    • RokuERey's avatar
      RokuERey
      Retired Moderator
      12 months ago

      Hi fayefrogg,

      Welcome to the Roku Community!

      We understand that you're experiencing the same issue, and we'd like to help. As makaiguy stated, this button can be used as a shortcut to close caption, channel information, and playback settings.

      Let us know how you're able to reproduce the issue and we'll take a closer look.

      Thanks,
      Rey

      • kataikey's avatar
        kataikey
        Newbie
        10 months ago

        I'm having the exact same issue. The issue is not with screen reader. When you press the * button the indicator light lights up, but there is no sound and the menu does not open. It does not matter if the video is playing or paused. The reason the screen reader part is important is if you press * the required amount of time that still enables and disables, but the menu still does not show up on a normal on click press. It's the exact same way for the app. Meaning you cannot access the menu whatsoever, but it's not an issue with the remote/button. I hope that's clear enough since clearly things have been misunderstood and it seems like people either gave up or found a solution and didn't share. I'm very frustrated as I have a migraine and just wanted to play an audio book to go to bed but I can't properly dim the TV enough because I have no access to the menu.

    • OuijaGG's avatar
      OuijaGG
      Newbie
      7 months ago

      Bro I’m having same problem and they wanna keep talking about the closed captions like it obv works but the accessibility menu dosent open up I’ve tried on YouTube and Spotify. There also no other way to change the bass and treble on my streambar so it really annoying.

      • RokuJharra-Q's avatar
        RokuJharra-Q
        Retired Moderator
        7 months ago

        Hi OuijaGG,

        Thank you for your post in the Roku Community!

        We appreciate your feedback and would like to provide some clarification regarding your inquiry.

        To begin, pressing the star (*) button five times on your Roku remote will enable or disable the screen reader feature on your device. Additionally, if you press the star button once while watching content in an app or channel, a menu will appear with options to adjust the settings for that specific app or content feature.

        It is important to note that some apps have their own individual settings menus, which may influence the accessibility features available. As such, your experience may vary based on the app you are utilizing.

        We hope this information proves helpful. If you have any further questions or require additional assistance, please feel free to contact us.

        Thanks,
        Jharra

  • renojim's avatar
    renojim
    Community Streaming Expert
    2 years ago

    That's weird.  Just checking, it's a Roku TV and not a Roku device connected to a TV, right?  Does it make a difference if a video is playing or not?  Using the mobile app as a remote does the same thing?  That would make me think it has nothing to do with the remote.

  • makaiguy's avatar
    makaiguy
    Community Streaming Expert
    2 years ago
    pixelcube0 wrote:

    ...  if I press it too much it turns on screen reader.

    Hitting the * key on your Roku remote four times in a short period of time is a shortcut that toggles the Screen Reader feature on and off, so four quick presses of the * key should toggle this feature back off.

    To deactivate the four-* trigger shortcut altogether use menu path Settings > Accessibility > Shortcut (in the Screen Reader section) > Disabled