How to Fix the Roku Blinking Light Issue

Whoever made TV streaming a thing of the modern times was onto something spectacular! I’ve had my fair share of antenna-rotating trips to the roof and intense deliberation over selecting cabled channels, so I know firsthand that none of it is fun. With streaming devices like Roku, watching TV has become less of an experience and more of a treat. 

This tiny device with a hassle-free setup brings the world to your home on your own terms. Forget the old-school DVR recorders and playing the waiting game to watch your favorite show on your TV; Roku gives you the power to watch whatever you want and whenever you want. 

Smartphones have already spoiled us with unlimited entertainment and convenience at the tip of our fingers, but now Roku brings all that glitz to your 4K TV screen. You no longer need to spend money on channel subscriptions and lock horns with your cable operator. Roku eliminates the middleman that is your cable box by giving you free access to your favorite channels. Of course, not everything on Roku is free; you’ll have to buy subscriptions for streaming platforms like Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+, etc. 

As long as Roku is connected to your Wi-Fi, you’ll have unlimited opportunities to do as you please. 

Still, Roku is not invincible and can struggle to perform on occasions. But unlike other streaming devices, Roku’s self-aware design makes it easy to narrow down the area of conflict. Roku’s multi-light blinking signal indicates what you need to check and amend to get it back on. So, if you’ve ever wondered, “Why is the light on my Roku blinking?” I have the answers.

Why Is My Roku Blinking? 

The Roku streaming device and remote have three lights: one on the device and two on its remote, back and front. Usually, when the device is up and running smoothly, it doesn’t blink. But if there is an issue that the device wants you to fix, it will use its light to communicate with you. The color of the light determines the nature of the issue your Roku is facing. I have explained the lexicon behind each color and how you can fix it below. So, drop that frown from your face and get started!  

Why Is My Roku Blinking Blue Light

The color blue usually means something good and positive, but the Roku signals have spun its significance on its head.If you see your Roku blinking blue light, know that it doesn’t mean anything good, and chances are you have a connectivity issue on your hand. This can be due to a lack of compatibility between your TV and Roku or using an unsuitable cable to connect with HDMI. I’ve discussed Roku’s limitations in my article “Does Roku work on any TV?” which can add more to the topic of compatibility. 

Roku Blinking Blue Light: Connectivity and Compatability Issues

A blue light on your Roku device means many things. If it remains unattended for a long time, some of these issues can lead to overheating and even short circuits in the HDMI panel. 

1. Restarting Your Roku 

The easiest way to fix a glitch in your Roku and almost any other electronic device is to restart it. Like humans, electronic devices don’t like being stuck in a loop, and your Roku is no different. Restarting Roku is different than power-cycling your TV. If you’ve never done it before, follow my lead:

• Step 1: Find the Home button on your Roku remote and press it.
• Step 2: Go to Settings, then System.
• Step 3: Scroll down to the Power option. 
• Step 4: Click on System Restart. 

This guide works for most models of Roku like Soundbar, Streambar, and the Pro series. 

Note: You can try this fix for all blinking light cases, despite the color. 

2. Change Power Cable

All Roku devices, except the Roku streaming fire stick, come with an adapter charger and a USB cord. While using the original essentials of any product minimizes all kinds of risks, it’s not always foolproof. USB cords are fickle things and need to be replaced more frequently, whereas power cables are always at the risk of overheating and snowballing into something perilous. 

Buy a new USB cable for your Roku adapter and replace the old ones. The process is fairly simple:

• Step 1: Unplug your TV and Roku from their power source.
• Step 2: Disconnect Roku’s USB cord from the adapter
• Step 3: Remove the other end of the USB cord from Roku. 
• Step 4. Use the new USB cord to connect the adapter with Roku.
• Step 5: Plug the adapter back.

If your Roku keeps blinking after this, move on to the next fix. 

3. Reset Your HDMI Connections

HDMI connections are imperative to make your Roku-TV setup work. Without them, your Roku device won’t be able to send data to your TV screen. Your HDMI cable bridges the gap between your Roku and TV and allows you to enjoy the best of every world. The higher the quality of your HDMI cable, the better will be your streaming experience. 

Though I do suggest resetting your HDMI connections before changing the cables, just unplug all your HDMI connections, then re-plug them to see the difference. You can also switch between the HDMI ports, which can malfunction because of the piled-up dirt. Sometimes, when you switch from a lower resolution TV to a 4K, your HDMI cable fails to keep up with the change.If you’ve made any recent changes to your TV, then update the rest of your equipment to match them. 

If you are still staring at a blinking blue light, it’s time to invest in a new HDMI cable that doesn’t overheat. Here’s how you can replace an HDMI cable:

• Step 1: Turn off your TV and unplug it from its power source.
• Step 2: Unplug the old HDMI cable from your TV.
• Step 3: Disconnect its other end from Roku.
• Step 4: Plug one end of your new HDMI cable into your TV and the other end into Roku.
• Step 5: Turn on the TV and Roku to see if the blinking has stopped. 

Usually, the blue light stops blinking at this point, but there are always some exceptions breaking the pattern. 

4. Give Up on RCA Cables 

Some people use RCA cable analogs to make up for the lack of available HDMI ports on their TV. If your TV supports HDMI cables and has ports for them, then I see no reason for you to use an alternative route to connect Roku to your TV. Keep your data transmission simple and direct because the added steps only bring down the quality of your transmission. HDMI cables are better suited for 4K TVs than RCA cables and have miles over them when it comes to stable data transmission. 

Here’s how you can fix this problem: 

• Step 1: Unplug your TV and Roku from their respective power source. 
• Step 2: Free an HDMI port on your TV.
• Step 3: Unplug RCA cable from your Roku and TV.
• Step 4: Use the new HDMI cable to connect Roku and TV. 

Roku Express Plus doesn’t need a convertor to accept data transmission from RCA cables, but even then, I’d suggest switching to HDMI inputs. In case of a blinking blue light on Roku express, you should investigate its connection with your Wi-Fi router.

Why Is My Roku Blinking Purple Light 

Purple may be a pretty color, but it means trouble in the case of Roku. Sometimes the purple light on your device is accompanied by a frozen or glitching screen, especially when you open an app. The main reason behind this is a weak power supply, faulty microchip or SD card, and screensavers. 

Roku Blinking Purple Light: Power Supply Issues, Corrupt SD Card, Screensavers

Fortunately, a purple light doesn’t mean immediate danger. 

1. Use Adapter to Power Your Roku 

This is the most efficient way to power your Roku device. It even limits internal malfunction caused by power outages. 

• Step 1: Turn off your TV and unplug it from its power source.
• Step 2: Disconnect the USB power cord of your Roku from the TV.
• Step 3: Connect an adapter to your Roku via a power cable.
• Step 4: Insert that adapter into the power source. 
• Step 5: Turn on your TV. 

2. Remove Screensavers

Truth be told, screensavers are of little use when it comes to the performance of your streaming device. In fact, their resolution and size burden your Roku device’s SD card and even interfere with the Wi-Fi speed on some level. 

• Step 1: Press Home on your Roku remote 
• Step 2: Navigate to Settings 
• Step 3: Scroll down to Themes and find Screensavers 
• Step 4: Disable screensavers in the Change wait time option 

All is not lost if you don’t see any improvement in the status of your device. There is another fix you can try before writing off your device completely. 

3. Remove or Replace SD Card 

SD card is an essential component of any device that requires storage. Your Roku device also uses compatible micro-SD cards to support its services. When your internal storage is damaged, you can’t even change channels on your device without getting frustrated. 

The quickest way to solve this issue is as follows: 

• Step 1: Power-cycle your Roku device for one and a half hour.
• Step 2: Remove the power adapter and HDMI connections from your device.
• Step 3: Feel around the HDMI port on your device and find the SD card slot on your device. 

It is a tiny horizontal line, much like the charging slot on your phone, but micro in size. 

• Step 4: Use a pin to gently pull out the SD card.
• Step 5: Connect the device to its adapter and HDMI connection again. 
• Step 6: Turn on the device.

You will not lose any data stored in your SD card just by removing it, not until you replace it with a new one. A corrupt SD card doesn’t abide well with Roku devices, as anything from channels to games needs sufficient storage to work efficiently. 

Why Is My Roku Blinking White Light

You don’t need to panic if you see your Roku flashing white light. Usually, a stable white light on Roku means that the steaming device is performing optimally. What you need to look out for is the Roku double-blinking white light issue, which usually translates to a connectivity issue with your Wi-Fi. 

Roku Blinking White Light: Connectivity Issue 

The white light connectivity issue is different than a blue light compatibility issue. The latter specifically deals with the relation between a Roku and TV, taking the HDMI connections into factor. Whereas the former investigates the connectivity between Roku and your Wi-Fi router. Scroll down to see what you can do to stabilize the connection between both.

Check the Status of Your Internet Connection 

You are doing this to judge the strength and speed of your internet connection. 

• Step 1: Navigate to your Settings via the Home button on your Roku remote. 
• Step 2: Find the option for Network connections. 
• Step 3: Scroll down to Check Connection and click on it.

Using the above mentioned method, Roku devices can accurately measure your connection’s strength. To check the speed, click on the About option after Step 3. Your internet speed should be above 3 Mbps to transmit to a high-definition/4K TV, and signal strength should be strong. If the noted measurements fall under the standard, try the following fixes:

1. Power-Cycle Your Wi-Fi Router 

Power-cycling your router is the same as power-cycling your TV or Roku device. Here’s a short summary of the process:

• Step 1: Press the power button to turn off your Wi-Fi router.
• Step 2: Unplug it from its power source and wait for 5 minutes. 
• Step 3: Plug it back and turn it on. 

You can do the same with your modem to count for all possibilities. Roku Ultra and Roku Ultra LT support a direct connection with the modem via an ethernet cable. You can use an ethernet adapter with certain Roku models; check your model’s specifications on Roku’s official website. 

• A power outage can cause discrepancies between your Roku device and your internet connection. You’ll need to enter your network password whenever this happens. 
• You can also reduce the distance between your router and Roku device. 
• Set up your Roku device near your router and remove any solid objects like furniture or refrigerators between them. 

2. Update Your Roku Software 

Since the company believes in progress and improvement, the software in Roku devices is constantly being updated. Whenever there is a new update, your Roku flashes white. I’ve outlined the process to check for the latest updates below:

• Step 1: Press Menu on your Roku remote.
• Step 2: Find the Check for Updates link in System Information
• Step 3: If there is a new update, download and enable it immediately. 

The same solutions can work for a Roku stick flashing white light. Though, in some cases, the Roku stick flashes white when it fails to establish a connection between its remote. The signal for the same issue is blue in wired Roku models. I will expand on this under “Why is my Roku remote blinking and not working?”

Why Is My Roku Blinking Red Light

Sticking to its original context, the red light on your Roku means danger. This often happens when you use your TV as a third party to power your Roku device. Sometimes faulty USB cords and ports on your TV can disrupt the power flow to your streaming device. In the case of red light, most of the time, Roku blinks, then turns off shortly after. 

Roku Blinking Red Light: Insufficient Power 

A blinking red light on your Roku device calls for immediate action. You need to drop everything you are doing and get on this case before your device gives up completely. Following are the few things you can do to supply sufficient power and stop it from overheating to your Roku device. 

1. Use Original Roku USB Cable 

Nothing is more compatible with your Roku than the original accessories that come with it. You may want to use another USB cord for your Roku for many reasons, but they will only bring down the functionality of your device. The switch between the USB cords makes even less sense when you’ve just bought your device, and there is no need for a replacement. Stick to using the original USB until it stops working sometime in the future. 

2. Switch Between USB Ports

Sometimes the power source is cut off or interrupted because of faulty USB ports. Simply switch your USB cable between ports to mend the path between the device and the TV.

3. Use A Direct Power Source

The most reasonable and effective fix for insufficient power error is using a direct source to power your Roku device. Using your TV as a power source for your streaming device can lead to frequent red warnings. You can save yourself the added stress if you start using an adapter to power your Roku. 

4. Cool Down Roku Device 

Roku device overheating is an emergency and should be dealt with accordingly. The moment your Roku device blinks red, you need to unplug it from its power source. Give it time to rest for an hour or so before plugging it back in and restarting. 

Why Is My Roku Remote Blinking and Not Working?

As seen with Roku devices, the color of the light blinking on your Roku remote also means different things. Here’s what each light means and what you can do to stop them from blinking:

1. Roku Remote Blinking Green Light 

It flashes green when its battery is low, asking you to replace them at your earliest. Unpair, the Roku remote from the device, turn off the device, replace the battery, and turn on the device. Now, pair your device and remote again. 

2. Roku Remote Blinking Yellow Light 

This means your remote is unpaired and wants to pair with your Roku device. To pair your Roku remote with its device, do as follows:

• Step 1: Download Roku remote app on your phone. 
• Step 2: Go to Settings, and find Remote.
• Step 3: Click on Pair Remote. 

If you don’t want to connect your Roku remote to your device, simply unplug it. But whenever you turn it back on, you must long-press the reset button to pair the device again. 

Note: You should turn off your Wi-Fi connection as the signals can interfere with the pairing process. 

FAQ:

Q1. Why is my Roku box blinking?

Answer – Roku devices flash different colored lights to communicate an issue. Purple light translates to an insufficient power supply, blue light to compatibility and connectivity issues, white light to bad internet connectivity, and red light to power insufficiency. 

Q2. Why is the light on my Roku blinking green?

Answer – Roku Remote blinks green to indicate a low battery issue. Change the batteries, and it will stop blinking. 

Q3. Why is my Roku blinking white? 

Answer – Roku blinking white light means poor internet connectivity or a new software update. 

Q4. What does it mean when your Roku TV is blinking?

Answer – Blinking lights in Roku products hint at an internal issue or hardware malware. 

Conclusion:

Although frustrating, a little vigilance while using your Roku device can save you from a lot of troubles. For instance, you don’t need a blinking light to tell you that a low-quality HDMI cable can lead to overheating or that a dusty HDMI input can interfere with data transmission. 

I’ve always advocated for the age-old idiom: Prevention is better than cure. Therefore, I believe it’s best to use a separate adapter to source your streaming device and disable screensavers to facilitate your internal storage. This way, you can avoid a bigger calamity and enjoy some peace of mind. 

Signing off!

James.