Roku Mobile App

[HarleyBlaze]

Cant seem where to turn off my TV with roku mobile app. Had a roku smart tv and the app let me turn on and off the tv. Now I got a new tv with the roku express+. Is it because I no longer have a roku tv that I cant turn it off an on with the app or am i just missing it somewhere.

[Discodamon]

There is no off switch in the app. You can actually use voice command to “power off.” It recognizes the command, but nothing happens. Unless it’s a bug, I assume there is some sort of hardware limitation in the Express+. I’m not sure about the other models, though. 

[Bpeabody]

Just replaced stick with Express+ but now phone app has no tv on/off button or voice command/microphone. Is this standard?

[discodamien]

On the iOS app, there is a microphone button, but it's in the upper right corner of the screen, not where it in on the remote control. I'm not sure about the Android version. Hope that helps.

[Bpeabody]

Thanks for responding. Don't you think this defeats the function of the remote app?

Just wondering why the features are eliminated from Express+. I'll just use my big tv remote for the time being

[discodamien]

Well, the remote app has a number of features not available with the physical remote alone. It has the ability to call up a full keyboard, which is waaaay better than using the arrow keys on the physical remote to type in a search. The app also allows you to edit your home screen and add and remove channels, as well as broadcast video or music from the phone to the Roku.

I need to clarify my earlier comment. They didn't strip the "off function" from the Express+. The Express+ can't turn off the TV because there is an infra-red signal that goes from the physical remote to the TV, in place of the factory TV remote. The app can't do that because telephones don't have infra-red emitters like remotes (the app runs through the house WiFi). In addition, the power from the TV doesn't go through the Roku Express+, so there's no "kill switch" like there is with a cable box or other home entertainment device. I'm not sure if HMDI can send an off command to a TV. In general, I haven't noticed any features missing from the Express+, other than it doesn't send 4K, which I don't have anyway. It's definitely a lot faster than my Roku 3.

[Ptowngsta]

I jus tell my romote turn off tv and it does in voice command section

[Thenameiuse]

This is not exactly true. The app on my phone had a power button until their most recent update. I don't have a remote and used my phone. Now I have to manually use the button on the TV to turn it off. Thanks Roku.

[Thenameiuse]

Just because after leaving my last post I got going down the internet rabbit hole, I found an alternative that worked for me. I felt like sharing the info. My TV is Hisense, and I downloaded their app, and it has a power button that works. This nonsense about phones not having the required radio to power on or turn off a TV is not helpful. 

[discodamien]

It’s completely helpful because not everyone has your special brand of TV or that tech. Some TVs will only respond to Infa-red beam and won’t take an off-signal from the Roku over the HDMI cable. People are banging their heads trying to make their apps do something that is physically impossible. Mobile phones don’t have infra-red transmitters (not since my Palm Pilot, anyway).