Remotes

[pm1965]

I had the older Roku Ultra purchased in 2018. The remote included a headphone jack which my wife used quite often. The old Roku Ultra still worked, but I decided to upgrade.

I purchased the new Roku Ultra 2024 last week. The new model is much faster, better audio, etc. which is nice. However, the new remote does not include a headphone jack. I understand why Roku perhaps made this decision to keep the remote smaller and lighter. I can pair my Bluetooth headphones (Apple AirPods) and that works fine.

My wife still wanted the ability to use the old remote also with the headphone jack. I paired the old remote to the new Roku Ultra. It paired fine and I can use the old remote. However, when I connect wired headphones to the remote, the audio does not work. I would have thought Roku would at least kept this functionality for backward compatibility to work with old remotes if a customer desired. Is there a workaround to make this work?

[StreamerUser]

@pm1965 

I can confirm this issue/bug with older style (firmware/SoC) model remotes (pre-4800) and the 4850 with RokuOS 14.0.4 build 12222.

Newer remotes' (4800+, newer remote firmware/hardware design) headphone audio works fine when connected to the 4850.

This no-headphone-audio bug is specific to the 4850 and older headphone remotes (they work fine when paired to other newer RTD1x1x SoC models, including the 4800/4801/4802/3820/3821/3940/3941/3960).

(Roku changed the remote firmware/hardware design with the 4800 and later models due (mostly) to litigation from Universal Electronics, Inc)

This same bug (no-headphone-audio from pre-4800 remotes) happened when the 4800 was initially released several years ago - Roku should be testing for this specific issue considering past experience, but apparently repeated regression bugs are their forte.

I suggest you report this both to Roku CS and to @RokuEmmanuel-D @RokuJechealR @RokuMaryEF etc.

[RokuTakashi]

Hi, @pm1965 

Thanks for posting, and welcome to the Roku Community.

We appreciate you for informing us about your concern with the compatibility of the Roku Voice Remote Pro (1st Edition) with the Roku Ultra 2024. Our team has acknowledged this matter and will further review this for an investigation. We would like to request your assistance to help us with the investigation by providing the details below:

• Roku device model, serial number, device ID, and OS version. (this can all be found in Settings > System > About)
• Tracker ID (when you see this issue occur, press the Home button 5 times, followed by the Back button 5 times, and provide us with this ID)

We will keep you posted with updates regarding the development of the issue.

In the meantime, we recommend installing the Roku mobile app and using its feature as a remote. We also recommend utilizing the Headphone Mode, which has the same function as the headphone jack with the Roku Voice Remote Pro (1st Edition). 

For more information, you can visit How to use headphones with the Roku mobile app for Headphone Mode.

We hope for your patience and understanding as we work on this.

Best wishes,
Kash

[RokuTakashi]

Hi, @pm1965 

We’d like to inquire about the issue you’ve encountered.

Have you tried using different wired headphones to see if the issue persists? Additionally, could you let us know if the missing audio occurs only on specific channels/apps or across the entire Roku platform?

Please keep us informed so we can continue working on resolving this issue for you.

Best wishes,
Kash

[pm1965]

Hi Kash,

I have tried two different types of wired headphone: (1) Bose wired headphones; (2) Apple wired headphones. I have tested the issue using the YouTube TV and Netflix apps on the Roku device. All have the same issue.

I purchased two Roku Ultra devices (Model 4660R) back in 2018. Both came with "Enhanced Remote with headphone jack".

I purchased two new Roku Ultra devices in the past 2 weeks. Both have the same setup:

Model: 4805X - Ultra

Software version: 14.0.4 * build 12222-GC

GC version: 12.7.25

I have the same wired headphone sound issue on both new Roku devices using both of the old remotes from 2018. Let me know if you need more information.

Thanks,

Perry

[RokuTakashi]

Thanks for keeping us posted, @pm1965 

We have taken note of the information you have provided to our team for further review. 

In the meantime, we would like to suggest using the Roku mobile app as a remote and using the "Headphone mode" to see if that works perfectly with your Roku device. Refer to the instructions we have provided above my post.

Furthermore, are the remotes with your old Roku Ultra rechargeable? 

Thank you for your patience and understanding as our team works on this matter further.

Best wishes,
Kash

[badhabit_wb]

I have the same issue. I just purchased 3 new Roku ultra 2024's and none of my old remotes work with the headsets. The do everything else they just don't work. It's a shame because I may return the 3 roku's that I bought because of this.

[Emissary35]

Roku NEVER should have removed the headphone jacks from the new Roku Voice Remotes they are selling with the new Roku Ultra. Furthermore these rechargeable remotes are full of problems and you should not be forced to get a rechargeable remote with no headphone jack if you want the latest and best Roku Ultra. You should be able to order it online with an option for a battery powered remote that still has the headphone jack. Roku thinks they are making improvements but in reality they are causing a lot of problems.

[badhabit_wb]

I agree. I love everything about it other than the remote. It's much smoother and faster. I have 8 of the old ones and I was going to replace them all. Now I'll probably end up sending the 3 I purchased back.

[RokuJharra-Q · Accepted solution]

Thank you for sharing your valuable insights, @badhabit_wb!

We truly appreciate your feedback on our Roku Voice Remote 2nd Edition. Your input is essential as we strive to enhance the device’s features and provide our customers with an exceptional streaming experience.

Rest assured, we will pass your feedback along to our team for their consideration.

Thank you once again,
Jharra