Remotes

[bmoleary]

My Roku (model:3941X-Roku Express 4K+) has worked perfectly for over a year.  Last week, the remote started draining batteries within 24 hours!  I've now gone through about $20 of AAA batteries on this issue.  I've taken to removing the batteries when not in use...and even in the middle of watching a show.  My Roku unit is plugged into a wall outlet for power...not through the TV.  Can someone please tell me what the heck is going on?  Why did this just start happening?  Thanks!

[makaiguy · Accepted solution]

@bmoleary-

As a guess, you may have had a nearby neigbor start using the same WiFi channel as you are.

There is some evidence that one cause of battery drain for those with point-anywhere WiFi remotes can be your WiFi router using a channel that has a lot of interference from nearby routers using the same channel. This is more likely to be a problem in the more heavily used 2.4 GHz wifi band where it can also get interference from other sources like BlueTooth and microwave ovens than in the 5 GHz band.

If you have access to your router's setup, try configuring it to use a different WiFi channel to see if this helps the situation. If you are connecting in the crowded 2.4 GHz band, channels 1-11 are supported. Channels 1, 6, and 11 do not overlap each other and so give you the best chance at reducing congestion, so try each in succession, although depending on what channels your neighbors are using, other channels in the 1-11 range may work best. Also, reducing router bandwidth from 40 to 20 kHz may also reduce interference.

Note that optimum channel choice can be a moving target as neighbors bring new routers online in your vicinity, or reconfigure their routers to use different channels.  I periodically use a WiFi analyzer app on my smart phone that can show me which available WiFi channels have the least congestion and I change the channel my router uses accordingly. 

[mender3]

I'm having the same problem. My remote worked just fine until about a month ago. I tried changing networks, and that didn't help. For now, I remove my battery after I open each app, until I can figure this out. I can't afford to buy new battered everyday. I'm wondering if buying a new remote would be the answer???

[RokuCarly]

Welcome to the Roku Community, @mender3!

Thank you for letting us know about the issues you're experiencing with the battery health of your Roku remote. We'd be happy to provide further information and suggestions.

Roku remotes are designed to go the distance, but there are a few things that will drain a remote a bit faster...

• Heavy usage of private listening on the remote itself--using the mobile app will save your batteries!
• Congested Wi-Fi network around the device--the reason for this is that most remotes will use RF to connect to your Roku player and constant reconnection will use more battery.
• Or viewing lots of short-form content, like YouTube, where a streamer could go through a few hundred button presses in an hour.

Furthermore, we offer a Roku Voice Remote Pro (2nd edition) with 50% more battery life than the previous edition, with USB-C charging that typically lasts three months per charge. Live TV is one button push away, and you can pull up your favorite apps and adjust settings, like closed captioning, at any time with the quick launch button.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Best regards,
Carly

[mender3]

I did 2 things. I replaced my AAA batteries with rechargeable ones. Then I switched over to my 5G network. As of right now, the battery life seems to be holding a lot better. I've had this Roku stick for over 2 years, and never had this trouble before. It's a bedroom tv, so it doesn't get that much play time. I even have the Roku power puck plugged into a smart strip, so it shuts off when the tv is off. I hope this solves my problem.