Apple Watch: Roku Updates Mobile App, Adds Remote Functionality To Smartwatch

Apple Watch users with a Roku TV at home can now use their smartwatch as a remote as Roku updates its mobile app for the Apple wearable.

Roku has announced that it has updated the Roku mobile app so that it can work on the Apple Watch. The mobile app basically turns the Apple wearable into a device capable of controlling their Roku TV at home, allowing them to do more than just switch channels. The app offers a fairly robust set of features, TechCrunch noted.

Here's what the Roku mobile app on the Apple Watch offers:

Remote

The Roku app on the Apple Watch allows users to control the device without the need for the physical remote. It will show basic Roku remote controls on the Apple Watch's screen, complete with the Home, Back, and Play/Pause buttons. The crown at the right-hand side of the wearable also acts as a knob used to control volume levels.

Launch Channels

Apple Watch users can launch channels on their Roku TV with just a tap of the screen. The arrangement of channels included in the list are based on what channels the user launched recently.

Voice Search

This feature is best imagined as Siri for Roku. By tapping on the Voice icon in the app, users can ask the Roku app to do a lot of things with their TV using voice commands. Saying “launch Hulu,” for example, tells the app to launch Hulu. A command like “search for comedies” or “switch to HDMI 1” tells the app to do accordingly.

This feature is available on select Roku devices and select Roku TV models only. It is available for Apple Watch Series 1 to Series 5 models, Roku said.

Remote Finder

While some might find using the Apple Watch as a convenient Roku remote replacement, it's a fact that it's always better to have the remote handy. That said, those who lost their remote can use the Roku app on Apple Watch's remote finder function. This feature signals the Roku remote so it would play audible chimes, helping to locate it when. This is available on the Roku Ultra and select Roku TV models.