@Emissary35 wrote:Roku also needs to design remotes that don't drain the batteries too quickly and don't spam the TV screen with malfunctioning low battery pop ups randomly.
I don't have any of these issues, and pretty much have the breadth of Roku remotes, including the latest Voice Remote Pro. My battery powered remotes generally go several months at a minimum, and the rechargeable Pro only gets used when I travel, and remains in my suitcase the rest of the time. It's never shown any significant loss of charge between trips, and even heavy use during the trip might only take 10-15% of the charge.
@atc98092 Then you are very lucky. Me and others here have dealt with extreme battery drain in multiple remotes and malfunctioning battery warnings for years. There are so many topics discussing it and Roku has done nothing to fix it.
Even my Voice Remote Pro will not fully charge to 100% and I start getting battery warnings at 87% charge popping up on my screen. These remotes are very poorly designed and completely annoying to have to deal with on a daily basis in order to use your Roku device.
I downloaded the Roku app on my iphone and the app includes a virtual remote. All of the functions, including voice, work seamlessly. The only functions not available are TV controls. (on/off, volume, and mute). This virtual remote can be paired with all Roku streaming devices on your home wifi network.
@Phan12 wrote:This virtual remote can be paired with all Roku streaming devices on your home wifi network.
Just to clarify. The Roku app on a phone or tablet is not "paired" with a Roku. They can reach and control any Roku it finds on the local network. Both devices (Roku and phone) must be on the same private network, and there cannot be any security settings that block the devices from seeing each other. An example of the latter is any hotel WiFi network, or any other sort of public access network. The app will NOT work as a remote under those conditions.
What version of Roku Streaming Stick do you have? I ask because that has been the most expensive/problematic of all the remotes for me.
I have offered this solution to others, but not everyone wants to use their smartphone for this and I don't blame them.
Also, some people have macular degeneration, and therefore touch interfaces are terrible for that. Good old fashioned buttons with a simple layout (good job Roku!) are what they want, so that is why I am asking.