Remotes

[JYaya]

We just got a new Roku remote and I realized it has voice listening capabilities for voice commands. This makes me wonder is the remote always listening and does it retain recordings of private conversations? Does Roku collect and sell this data?

[makaiguy]

If you have the rechargeable Voice Remote Pro it has the capability of listening for voice commands full time.   There is a slide switch on the left side that can turn the always-listening capability off.  Otherwise, it is the same as the other Voice Remotes, it only listens when you hold down the microphone button on the front of the remote.

[JYaya]

Thank you for trying to answer my question. Respectfully, I don't know if that's completely accurate?? After I posted my question I was able to finally locate the privacy policy and it says "You can also disable Roku’s retention of voice recordings captured on your remote control or mobile device by logging into your account on Roku.com and visiting the Voice Settings page." The wording makes me feel like Roku retains voice recordings and why would they do that? To sell the data maybe? The privacy policy specifically regarding the remote wasn't much more clear than this. Is there a way to ask a Roku employee directly that you know of?

In any event, I do plan on visiting the Voice Settings page to disable the retention of my voice recordings. I'm just SO tired of corporations invading my personal privacy without my explicit permission. 

[makaiguy]

I keep the slide switch off on my Pro, more to conserve battery than any worries about privacy.  I also have a couple of other non-Pro ones where the button HAS to be pressed to register anything.  I guess it's possible they listen anyway - it certainly COULD be designed that way - but that seems unlikely to me.

I have noticed the command recognition seems to improve over time, which I think means it is getting tuned to one's voice and speech patterns.  There would have to be something retained in memory for that, I'd think.

Edited to add:
I've been unable to find anything online mentioning that Roku can learn your voice for improved recognition, so it could just be something I've imagined.

[longriver77]

I just went to the Roku.com site and read the policy.  It states that when you turn OFF the voice retention function: "If you select “No,” Roku will delete your voice recordings after converting them to text."  

It's the "after converting them to text" part of this statement that give us the answer.  They would not be converting you voice to text for any other reason except to sell data.  If you are talking about coffee, Roku is offering your information up to coffee companies.  

And since we know that "text" requires far less storage space than "voice," it would be easy to surmise that even with the setting turn ON, Roku is most likely converting your voice to text and tagging key words for sale.

On the idea that you have to push down the microphone button to make the voice activation work, I gave Roku a command without pushing the microphone button (I had not read the directions and did not realize they said to push and hold) and it still responded to my command.  So caution there, also.

[NoDataforYOU]

We need a ROKU remote with Radio Frequency beaming, without voice activated anything available to buy.

Anyone know of a source (that is not a pre owned ROKU 3 or 4 remote...these have a horrible "stickiness" that develops under the arrow scroller, rendering it almost useless after a year)?

[RokuCarly · Accepted solution]

A warm welcome here in the Roku Community, @NoDataforYOU!

Thanks for raising your concern here with us. No worries. We'd be more than happy to assist you with this. 

We actually offer the Roku simple remote, which uses invisible infrared (IR) light to transmit button presses over a short distance. For it to operate reliably, it must be pointed directly at the Roku streaming device, and there must be nothing that could block the signal from traveling to the front of that device where the IR is located. 

Let us know if this answers your question or if you have any others. We'd be more than willing to help. 

Best regards,
Carly

[renojim]

@NoDataforYOU, there's at least one available on Amazon.  I have no experience with it and it doesn't have voice or TV controls.

[lorilp]

Oh yes they DO listen.  I have a new voice pro where you have to say Hey Roku first.  Just today, I was looking at my You Tube search history and in that was a huge line of a conversation I had with my husband and I NEVER said Hey Roku first.  You can go to your Roku account settings and look for voice settings and disable the voice storage.  But there is NO WAY I trust them now!  I keep the slider to off unless I am in bed in the quiet.  I mostly bought it for the fact that it requires no batteries because I got sick and tired of it eating the battery power!  And they do have the "Use my voice to improve speech recognition" thing.  That is what you disable so they won't spy on you.  It's right in your account settings.