The Roku Channel has recently rolled out an update to its Live TV guide, and for some users, it’s a change that’s proving to be less than ideal. This update involves the removal of channel numbers from the guide, a shift that has sparked discussion among Roku users who are accustomed to the previous numbered system. While Roku highlights personalization features in its OS 12.5 update, the immediate impact of this guide change is a different user experience, particularly for those who rely on channel numbers for navigation.
Initially observed on devices like the Roku Ultra 4660 running OS 12.0, the unnumbered channel guide presents a notable departure from the experience on devices still on OS 12.5, such as Roku TVs, which retain the channel numbers. This inconsistency suggests a phased rollout of the update, as noted in Roku’s OS 12.5 announcement, which hints at changes to the Live TV channel guide.
Alt: Roku Channel Guide displayed without channel numbers, illustrating the updated Live TV interface.
The removal of channel numbers has introduced several pain points. For users who have long relied on these numbers for quick channel switching via voice remote, the process is now less streamlined. Instead of simply stating a channel number, users must now know and verbally specify the full “Channel Name.” This change adds an extra step, as the voice command now triggers a submenu asking users to confirm whether they want to tune to the Live TV channel or access the standalone channel/app, a step not required when channel numbers were in use.
Beyond voice navigation, the unnumbered guide also affects how users communicate about channels. Previously, sharing a channel’s location was as simple as mentioning its number. Now, users are forced to describe a channel’s position relative to others, for example, “between channel A and channel B,” which is less precise and less convenient. Adding to the organizational challenges, the category sections within the guide are reported to be incomplete, with channels missing from their expected categories, further complicating channel discovery and navigation.
Alt: Incomplete categories within the Roku Live TV Channel Guide, showing missing channels within designated sections.
While Roku’s OS 12.5 update promises user personalization and channel ordering for streaming channels, this feature has yet to be fully implemented. The current state of the Roku Channel Guide, with its unnumbered and somewhat disorganized layout, is viewed by some users as a step back in user-friendliness. Many feel that the removal of channel numbers, without the immediate rollout of promised personalization features, makes the Live TV experience less intuitive and more cumbersome. The sentiment among some Roku users is clear: this update, in its current form, is not seen as an improvement to the Roku Channel Guide.
