Channels & viewing

[Emissary35]

I found the Zeus app on the home screen of a Roku in my home. I don't know who added it, but when I try to remove it I can't. When clicking the star button on the Roku remote the menu that comes up has NO OPTION to remove the app! All of my other apps have an option to remove them, so why doesn't Zeus?

This makes me think this app could be something malicious if it won't allow you to uninstall it! Someone at Roku needs to help me get rid of this!

I DO NOT want to have to do a factory reset just to get rid of a paid app that I can't use and don't want that someone else added accidentally!

ALL apps should ALWAYS have the option to remove them on the home screen!

This is completely unacceptable! Roku needs to look into this pronto!

[atc98092]

The only known reason for an app not having the remove option is if there's a subscription through Roku for the service. So log into your Roku user account (https://my.roku.com) and check the My subscriptions area. If you find something there (I think you will) you can unsubscribe from the service here. Once it's been unsubscribed, you should be able to remove the channel.

Note that any paid subscriptions won't actually end until the current paid period ends. So if the subscription has a renewal date of Nov 15, you can cancel the subscription now but it will remain in effect until the 15th. I don't think that will stop you from being able to remove the channel, but I wanted to mention it just in case. 

[Emissary35]

Thanks for the help. I found the Zeus channel in the subscriptions part of my account. I turned off the auto renewal. It now says: "Auto-renew turned off (enjoy until Nov 25, 2023)"

Because I have a payment method added to my account (to order a new Roku last year) whoever added the Zeus channel ordered it somehow and I've been charged $6.41. I've since removed my payment method so this doesn't happen again.

I can't believe an order was allowed to go through directly on my Roku device without asking for a password or pin number first. This is ridiculous and it's Roku's fault for allowing it to happen. I should be refunded. I did not add this channel nor did I order anything!

[atc98092]

They won't refund, so don't expect anything there. Just consider it a $7 learning experience.

You can add a PIN to your account to block adding channels. By default there is nothing. Of course, most channels don't have a charge to simply install one, but I know nothing about that particular channel.

To my knowledge this is the same on Fire TV and Apple TV devices. You can install an app without a PIN, unless you take the steps to create one. I know there's no restrictions to install an app on my Android based Shield. Removing your payment method is the best way to ensure you don't get charged for something without your knowledge. 

[Emissary35]

A learning experience indeed! If I ever order anything again through Roku I will IMMEDIATELY remove my card as soon as the order goes through!

I don't really care about channels being added without a pin number, because you can just delete them, normally! My only issues were not having the option to remove the channel on my home screen and then finding out that I was charged for a trial on that app that I didn't order.

As soon as you add payment info Roku should ask you if you want to setup a pin by default to prevent unwanted or accidental purchases. This is a total failure by Roku!

[atc98092]

Just a guess, but what probably happened is there are a few screensavers that have ads embedded in them. If you press the OK button to come out of the screensaver, you might unknowingly be saying OK to installing the app and agreeing to a trial period. For that reason I always use either the Home or Back button to come out of any screensaver. 

I have no payment method installed on my account for the same reason. I honestly can't think of anything that I would ever need to pay for while using a Roku. The few services that require payment are all paid directly to the provider, not through Roku, Apple, Google, Amazon, or any other 3rd party. 

[Emissary35]

I have the Roku City Stroll screensaver on all of my Rokus. Embedding the action of adding a channel or signing up for a trial by simply exiting a screensaver by pressing the "OK" button is very nefarious! If that is happening on Roku they should ban any apps that do that.

[AvsGunnar · Accepted solution]

@Emissary35 

I just added Zeus Network to mine and was able to remove it using the asterick (*).  It actually looked like it would take a couple of clicks to actually order the channel (subscribe) as it allows you to explore the content the free. 

However, you can always try to get a refund by using the Billing option (Accounts, Payments, Subscriptions) in the contact us page for Roku.  Some users have reported refunds success for mistaken purchases.  https://support.roku.com/contactus

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For channels/apps that are a bit stubborn to remove from the device itself, try using the Roku mobile app and see if you can remove it there. (long press on the channel/app, then select Remove).  In other cases on the Roku platform, you sometimes have to cancel a subscription first, before the option to Remove it will become available (either on mobile app or the device using the asterick key).

Additionally, I think I remember reading in the Screensaver docs that these screensavers that allow interaction (a key press to install other channels/apps) is now prohibited. (as well as ads themselves).  Just to prevent some such past behavior and inadvertent clicks/purchases when exiting the screensaver.

https://developer.roku.com/docs/developer-program/media-playback/screensavers.md  

Edit to add... Also second the suggestion to keep payment info removed from Roku and others.  Just add it as necessary to order something, then remove again.  Just asking for trouble by leaving payment info in servers.  If need to leave payment info to keep a service, then prepaid cards, virtual cards, or privacy/masked cards all good alternatives.

[Emissary35]

@AvsGunnar"For channels/apps that are a bit stubborn to remove from the device itself, try using the Roku mobile app and see if you can remove it there. (long press on the channel/app, then select Remove). In other cases on the Roku platform, you sometimes have to cancel a subscription first, before the option to Remove it will become available (either on mobile app or the device using the asterick key)."

Huge thank you for that! I did unsubscribe from Zeus TV but it still would not give me the option to remove the app/channel from the home screen on my device. The "Remove" option simply wasn't there when I pressed the asterisk on the remote. But I logged into my Roku account on the mobile app and connected to my Roku player and could view all the apps. I did the long press like you said and it DID in fact bring up the option to remove the app! I appreciate your help very much and you solved my problem!

I think it's absolutely ludicrous that you can't remove an app on the device itself that you paid money for using the remote. That you have to instead download a Roku app on your phone or tablet, then login to your Roku account and ONLY THERE are you given an option to remove the app! Roku needs to fix problems like this, they are high priority.

Instead they are busy adding annoying new "features" to the home screen nobody wants to see. I'm still waiting for them to create an option to hide the new rows and "Continue Watching" stuff from the Roku Channel app!

I can't believe they thought everyone would want to see that junk on the home screen with no option to disable them! The people at Roku are smart programmers that lack basic common sense it seems!