Delete a channel by finding it in your channel list and selecting remove
To delete a Roku channel, go to your home screen, highlight the channel you want to remove, press the Options button (the star icon on most Roku remotes), and select "Remove channel" from the menu. The channel disappears when ready from your home screen and your device stops using data to maintain it.
This is different from hiding a channel. When you remove a channel, Roku clears it from your device entirely. You can reinstall it later from the Roku Channel Store if you change your mind. Hiding just moves it out of sight but keeps it taking up storage space.
The exact button names and menu order vary slightly depending on your Roku model and software version, but the core steps are the same across all current Roku devices: find the channel, open the options menu, and select remove.
Key Takeaways
- Removing a channel deletes it from your device; hiding a channel only moves it out of sight but keeps it installed.
- Press the Options button (star icon) on your remote while a channel is highlighted to see the remove option.
- You can reinstall any removed channel later from the Roku Channel Store at no cost.
- Removing channels you do not use frees up storage space and reduces the data Roku collects about your viewing habits.
- Some pre-installed channels cannot be removed, but you can hide them if they do not appear in your options menu.
Step-by-step removal on most Roku models
Start from your Roku home screen. Use the arrow buttons on your remote to highlight the channel tile you want to delete. Do not open the channel — just select it so it is highlighted with a border around it.
Press the Options button. On most Roku remotes, this is the button with a star icon. On older models or some third-party remotes, it may be labeled Menu or have three horizontal lines. A small menu appears with several choices.
Select "Remove channel" from the menu using the arrow buttons and press OK. The channel disappears from your home screen within a few seconds. If you do not see a remove option, the channel is likely a system channel that Roku does not allow you to delete — you can hide it instead by selecting "Hide channel" if that option appears.
The difference between removing and hiding
Removing a channel deletes it completely. Your device no longer stores its data, and Roku stops tracking that you have it installed. If you want it back, you search for it in the Roku Channel Store and reinstall it, which takes about a minute.
Hiding a channel keeps it installed on your device but moves it to a separate section so it does not clutter your home screen. Roku still knows you have it, and it still uses storage space. Hidden channels appear in a "Hidden Channels" row that you can scroll to, or you can unhide them later from the same options menu.
For privacy and storage reasons, removing is usually the better choice if you genuinely do not use a channel. Hide a channel only if you think you might want it back soon or if the remove option is not available.
Channels you cannot remove and what to do instead
Roku pre-installs certain channels on every device — typically Roku Channel Store, Roku Search, and sometimes Roku's own content apps. These system channels do not have a remove option in the menu. You cannot delete them, but you can hide them.
To hide a system channel, highlight it, press Options, and select "Hide channel." It moves out of your main home screen view. You can still access it by scrolling to the Hidden Channels section or by searching for it by name.
If you want to prevent a channel from appearing at all, some Roku devices let you disable notifications or data collection for that channel in Settings > Privacy > Advertising. This does not remove the channel, but it stops it from sending data about your activity back to Roku or the channel's owner.
Why removing channels matters for your privacy
Each channel you install sends data back to Roku and to the channel's owner — information about what you watch, when you watch it, and sometimes your location or device ID. Removing channels you do not actually use reduces the number of companies collecting that data about you.
Roku also uses your viewing history across all installed channels to build a profile of your interests, which it can share with advertisers. Fewer channels means less data flowing out of your device. This is one reason to periodically review your channel list and remove anything you have not opened in months.
Removing a channel does not stop Roku itself from collecting data — that requires changing your privacy settings in Settings > Privacy > Advertising and Personalization. But it does reduce the scope of what is being tracked.
Reinstalling a channel you removed
Open the Roku Channel Store from your home screen. Use the search function to find the channel by name, or browse by category. Select the channel and choose "Add Channel" or "Install." The channel reappears on your home screen within a few seconds.
You do not need to log in again if you had already created an account with that channel before removing it. Your saved preferences and watch history within that channel usually remain on the channel's own servers, so you pick up where you left off.
Reinstalling is free and takes less than a minute. There is no penalty for removing and reinstalling channels multiple times, so you can safely delete anything you are unsure about.
Bulk removal and organizing your home screen
Roku does not have a bulk delete feature that lets you remove multiple channels at once. You must remove each channel individually using the Options menu. If you have many channels to delete, set aside 10 to 15 minutes and work through them one by one.
After removing channels, you can rearrange the ones you keep by highlighting a channel, pressing Options, and selecting "Move." Use the arrow buttons to place it where you want it on your home screen. Organizing your channels makes it easier to find what you actually watch and makes it clearer which channels are still collecting data about you.
Some people keep their home screen to just 5 to 10 channels they use regularly and remove everything else. Others prefer to hide unused channels instead so they can quickly reinstall them if needed. Either approach works — choose based on how often you try new channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will removing a channel delete my saved passwords or watch history?
Removing the channel from your Roku device does not delete your account or history with that channel. Your login information and watch history are stored on the channel's own servers. When you reinstall the channel, you can log back in and your history is still there.
Can I remove channels from the Roku mobile app instead of the remote?
The Roku mobile app does not have a remove channel feature. You must use the physical remote or the Roku web player at my.roku.com to manage your channels. The web player lets you add or remove channels from your account, which syncs to your device.
Why do some channels not have a remove option?
System channels that Roku includes on every device — like Roku Channel Store or Roku Search — cannot be removed. Roku considers them essential to device function. You can hide them instead, which moves them out of sight without deleting them.
Does removing a channel stop Roku from tracking my data?
Removing a channel stops that specific channel from collecting data about you, but Roku itself still tracks your activity across remaining channels. To reduce Roku's data collection, go to Settings > Privacy > Advertising and Personalization and turn off personalized ads and data sharing.
How do I know which channels I actually use?
Roku does not show you a usage report, but you can look at your channel list and honestly ask which ones you have opened in the past month. If a channel has been sitting on your home screen untouched for three months or longer, it is probably safe to remove. You can always reinstall it later if you miss it.