Roses are red…
My Roku light’s blinking blue…
Drove me crazy for a moment…
Til I figured out what to do.
Dealing with that annoying flashing blue light?
Trust me…
Fixing it turned out to be as easy as reciting a preschool poem.
So…
Continue reading to find out:
- What actually causes a Roku’s indicator light to blink blue.
- 9 quick ways to fix a blinking blue light on your Roku.
- The best type of HDMI cable to avoid the flashing blue light issue.
- And a lot more…
Why is my Roku blinking blue light?
Your Roku is blinking blue light due to connection issues. The HDMI and the power adapter’s USB cable likely aren’t secure. Or the cables are possibly defective. You may also be having problems with your WiFi connection. In rare cases, a glitch in Roku’s OS can also cause a flashing blue light.
Roku blinking blue light: 9 fixes
#1: Power cycle your Roku player
Roku’s blinking blue light usually happens because there’s an issue with its connection.
And by connection, I mean either or both of the following:
However, before diving into specific fixes for those…
It’s always good to do a power cycle or a quick restart.
Why?
Because it’s the easiest fix for a wide range of Roku problems. Such as an app like Netflix not working. And yes, a flashing blue light.
Now, the great thing with Roku is there are various ways to restart it.
The easiest would be just to unplug it from the outlet. And then reconnect it after 30 seconds.
However, it may be difficult to reach the plug, depending on your home setup.
No worries. Because there are a couple more ways to restart your Roku.
And that’s by going through the menu. Or using the secret remote shortcut.
I’ll walk you through the process for both.
How to restart your Roku through the menu
- Click your Roku remote’s Home button.
- Select Settings.
- Go to System and click it.
- Select Power.
- Look for System Restart and select it.
How to restart your Roku through the remote shortcut
- Press the Home button 5 consecutive times.
- Click the Up arrow button one time.
- Click Rewind twice.
- Click Fast Forward also 2 times.
Would you like a demo of how to do the remote shortcut? Watch this video below:
#2: Restart your modem and router
If power cycling didn’t fix the blinking blue light…
It’s time to perform the connection-specific fixes. Starting with power cycling your modem and router.
Your Roku may simply be experiencing a slow or unsteady internet connection. And restarting both router and modem usually resolves that.
This is how to power cycle your modem and router:
- Disconnect both devices from their power source.
- Wait for about half a minute.
- Reconnect both router and modem to the outlet.
Now, wait until your Roku player reconnects to the WiFi. And then check if it still has that flashing light.
If the blue light’s still present, try to disconnect your other devices from the WiFi. At least temporarily. Because it can help boost your Roku’s connection.
And if the problem persists, proceed to the next fix.
#3: Reset your Roku’s network connection
To further verify if your Roku’s experiencing network connection issues…
You may use its Check connection option.
“What exactly does that do?”
It checks for signal strength. And the actual download speed that your Roku’s getting.
There are 4 possible remarks that you’ll see for signal strength:
- Fair.
- Poor.
- Good.
- Excellent.
How to check your Roku player’s network connection status
- Press the remote’s Home button.
- Select Settings.
- Select Network.
- Select About.
- Click the Check connection option.
Now pay attention to the signal strength and internet speed. If they both scored poorly, it’s time to reset your player’s network connection.
How to reset your Roku’s network connection
- From the Settings menu, select Advanced system settings.
- Select Network connection reset.
- Click Reset connection.
Note: Your Roku will forget your WiFi after a network reset. So you’ll have to go back to the Network menu to reconnect to the internet.
#4: Connect your Roku directly to the modem
An easy fix to a WiFi problem is to just connect your Roku directly to the modem. Using an ethernet cable.
You can do that for all Roku players except the Roku Streaming Stick.
Moreover, you may also need to use an ethernet adapter. Use it in case your player doesn’t have a dedicated ethernet port.
With that, here are the steps to connect your Roku to your modem:
Step#1: Plug one end of the ethernet cable into your modem.
Step #2: If your Roku has an ethernet port, connect the other end of the cable to it. And proceed to Step 4.
If not, connect the ethernet cable to the ethernet adapter.
Step #3: Connect the ethernet adapter to your Roku device.
Step #4: Press the Home button on your remote and go to Settings.
Step #5: Select Network.
Step #6: Select Set up connection and choose Wired.
That’s it. Now check again if your player’s status light is still flashing blue.
#5: Reseat all the cables connected to your Roku
Aside from WiFi connection…
Your Roku’s cable connections can also cause the blinking blue light issue.
An HDMI connection makes it possible for Roku to work on any TV. Smart or non-smart.
So see to it that you plug the HDMI cable firmly and securely. Both on the TV and the Roku player.
Your Roku’s power adapter is another thing to check.
It uses a USB connection. So ensure that you plug it properly into the Roku player.
You may also try to disconnect all cables. And then reconnect them.
For some users, removing and reattaching those cables solved the issue.
But if you notice any defects on the cables, look for a replacement instead.
Roku players use a USB A to micro USB for the power adapter.
As for HDMI, an 8K high-speed cable would work great. It provides a stronger connection than the typical 4K HDMI cable that comes with Roku.
Therefore, you’re less likely to encounter a flashing blue light issue.
#7: Update your Roku’s software
A software glitch can also cause the indicator light to keep blinking.
That’s why you should also check for updates.
Roku generally installs updates automatically. As long as your device always has an internet connection.
But if your Roku hasn’t been online for a while, you can also manually do it.
These are the steps to check for updates manually:
- Go to your Roku’s home page.
- Scroll down and select Settings.
- Click System.
- Select the System update option.
- Select Check now.
If your Roku finds available updates, it’ll automatically download and install them.
#8: Do a factory reset
If the other fixes didn’t resolve the blinking blue light issue…
Then consider performing a factory reset.
Now, I must warn you. This will erase the channels that you installed. The device will also unlink from your Roku account. And you’ll lose all your settings.
Would you still like to go through with the reset?
If so, just follow the steps below.
There are actually 2 ways to do it. First is through the Settings. Another is by pressing the device’s Reset button.
How to factory reset Roku via Settings
- Press Home on your remote and click Settings.
- Click System.
- Select Advanced system settings.
- Click Factory reset.
How to factory reset Roku through the Reset button
- Look for the Reset button either at the back or bottom of the player.
- Press and hold the Reset button for 10 seconds.
Once the reset process begins, ensure that you don’t interrupt it. Don’t turn off your Roku at any point.
Expect the indicator light to blink multiple times after the factory reset finishes.
After the blinking stops, follow the screen prompt to set up your device again.
#9: Contact Roku’s tech support
If even a factory reset didn’t fix the issue, you should contact Roku.
They offer agent support through their website.
Just a heads up. They’ll be asking you for your device’s serial number and ID.
So it’s best to take note of those before contacting them.
You may view your serial number and ID by going to Settings. Followed by System and then About.