This hidden Roku characteristic is ruining film night time and there is not any solution to flip it off

One in all my favourite issues to do across the holidays is host family and friends at my residence for film nights. And whereas typically we’ll decide a movie to look at that everybody is accustomed to, most of the time, I wish to take these impromptu film nights as a possibility to share a hidden gem that almost all of my visitors have not seen.

Nevertheless, I just lately discovered {that a} Roku characteristic that rolled out manner again in 2021 was hampering my skill to start out films I had already watched, limiting my skill to leap in proper from the start throughout film nights. The characteristic is named Prompt Resume and whereas it may be useful in loads of situations, it may also be a little bit of a nuisance on shared gadgets or accounts. And whereas most options are in a position to be toggled on or off, that is one choice that apparently Roku doesn’t need customers to have management over.

What’s Roku Prompt Resume?

Serving to you retain your house when you could have different issues to do.

Do not get me mistaken, Roku’s Prompt Resume characteristic is pretty helpful if you happen to’re the one one utilizing your TV and primarily watch issues solo. I just lately watched Defunctland’s four hour deep-dive on Disney parks’ so-called living characters on YouTube, and though I most likely would have loved with the ability to watch the complete 4-hour video straight by way of, life bought in the best way it took me a number of periods to truly make it by way of the complete video. Fortuitously, because of Roku’s Prompt Resume characteristic, my place was held each single time, and I might bounce again into the video at any time when I needed to choose up the place I left off.

Nevertheless, when sharing a tool (or attempting to indicate a brand new film to pals) this characteristic turns into cumbersome as, relying on what app you are utilizing, you both have to exit out of the video after which discover the restart button, or press the rewind button on the Roku distant till you get to the start of the video, doubtlessly exposing your visitors to spoilers in the event that they have a look at the TV on the mistaken time.

I assumed there may need been a simple solution to merely flip off this characteristic, however curiously, regardless of what number of menus you look by way of, it merely would not seem. Nevertheless, there’s a solution to pressure Roku to neglect what you have been watching.

A small workaround

Use the Roku’s pressure shut perform to eliminate your watching knowledge

Although it is not an ideal workaround, if you recognize that you do not need to use Roku’s Prompt Resume characteristic, you possibly can clear your watch knowledge by pressure closing no matter app you need the information faraway from. With a purpose to do that, as a substitute of urgent the House button, you have to to press and maintain the again button in your Roku distant till the Roku system prompts affirmation to shut the app solely. If you relaunch the app, your whole viewing knowledge and saved spots might be gone, and film night time might be saved!

Be aware, though Roku won’t save your knowledge, if you’re utilizing a logged-in account on an app like YouTube or Netflix, your house nonetheless is likely to be saved on the account stage, which might supersede the Roku Prompt Resume workaround talked about above.

If you would like to be taught extra about this characteristic, you possibly can take a look at extra on Roku’s developer’s information here.