How to Reinstall Netflix on a Roku

To reinstall Netflix on a Roku, press Home, highlight the Netflix app, press the Star button, and select Remove app. Then open the Store, find Netflix, select Add app, and sign in again. Reinstalling replaces the copy of the app stored on the Roku, which often clears up a Netflix app that freezes, will not load, or keeps showing an error.

These steps apply to Roku streaming players, Roku Streaming Sticks, Roku Streambars, and Roku TVs running current Roku OS. Roku now calls its channels "apps" and its Channel Store the "Store", so an older Roku may still show Remove channel, Add channel, and Streaming Channels in the same places.

Before you start

• Have your Netflix email and password ready. Expect to sign in to Netflix again after the app is added back.
• Know your Roku PIN if you set one. A Roku PIN is an optional 4-digit code on your Roku account. If it is set to cover adding apps, the Roku asks for it when you add Netflix.
• Keep the Roku online. The app is downloaded again from the Roku Store, so the Roku needs a working internet connection.
• Check your other Rokus. Roku says apps are tied to your Roku account, so removing Netflix removes it from every Roku device linked to that account, and adding it puts it back on all of them.

Removing the app does not cancel your Netflix membership, and it does not delete anything in your Netflix account.

Remove the Netflix app

1. Press Home on your Roku remote.
2. Move to the right and highlight Netflix in your app list. Do not press OK, which would open the app.
3. Press the Star button (the asterisk) to open the Options menu.
4. Select Remove app, then confirm when prompted.

The Netflix tile disappears from the Home screen when the removal is finished.

Roku describes this in How to remove apps from your Roku streaming device. The same steps work for any app, which is covered in more detail in this guide on how to delete a channel on a Roku TV.

Remove Netflix with the Roku mobile app

If the remote is not handy, the free Roku mobile app for iPhone and Android can remove the app instead. Your phone needs to be connected to the Roku in the mobile app first.

1. Open the Roku mobile app.
2. Select Devices in the navigation bar.
3. Select the Apps on Roku tab to see what is installed.
4. Tap and hold Netflix. A quick tap opens the remote instead.
5. Tap Remove and confirm.

Roku notes that apps cannot be removed from the Roku website, only from the device or the mobile app.

Restart the Roku (optional but useful)

A restart between removing and adding the app is not required by Roku. It is a reasonable extra step when the app was misbehaving, because Roku describes a system restart as the least invasive reset and says it does not affect your settings.

1. Press Home, then select Settings.
2. Select System.
3. Select Power. If there is no Power menu, skip this step.
4. Select System restart.

You can also unplug the power cord for at least 10 seconds and plug it back in. See how to reboot a Roku for more on both methods.

Add Netflix back

1. Press Home on your Roku remote.
2. Scroll and select Store.
3. Select Apps, then browse the categories or search for Netflix.
4. Highlight Netflix and press OK to open its details page.
5. Select Add app. Enter your Roku PIN if you are asked for it.
6. Go back to the Home screen. Roku adds new apps to the bottom of the app list.
7. Open Netflix, select Sign In, and enter your Netflix email and password.

If your remote has a Netflix button, there is a shortcut. Netflix says pressing that button after the app has been removed brings up the option to add it again, followed by Go to channel.

The full process is in Roku's How to add apps to your Roku streaming device and Netflix's How to use Netflix on your Roku. Roku TV owners can use Netflix's Roku TV page, which lists the sign-in steps by TV brand. The same Store steps work for other apps too, such as YouTube on a Roku.

Add Netflix from a phone or computer

Roku offers two other ways to add an app, and neither one asks for the Roku PIN.

• Roku mobile app: open the Store or search for Netflix, select it, then select Add app and follow the instructions.
• Roku website: go to channelstore.roku.com, sign in to your Roku account, find Netflix, select Details, then select Add app.

If Netflix does not show up on the Roku afterward, Roku says to go to Settings > System > System update > Check now on the device. The menu is labeled Software update on some Roku OS versions.

Confirm it worked

• Netflix is back on the Home screen, at the bottom of the app list unless you move it.
• The app opens to the sign-in screen or to your profiles.
• A show or movie starts playing without the earlier freeze or error.

To put the tile back where it was, highlight Netflix, press Star, and use the move option in the Options menu. There is nothing to undo after a reinstall. If you decide you do not want Netflix on the Roku, remove the app again with the steps above.

Try these before reinstalling

A reinstall is quick, but a few fixes are even quicker and do not make you sign in again.

• Restart the Roku: use Settings > System > Power > System restart, as shown above.
• Check for updates: go to Settings > System > Software update > Check Now. Roku says this checks for both Roku software and app updates, and that the device restarts after installing them. A Roku also checks on its own every 24 to 36 hours.
• Sign out and back in: in Netflix, open the menu, select Get Help, then Sign out. See how to sign out of Netflix on a Roku for the full steps.
• Test another app: if every app struggles, the problem is more likely the internet connection or the Roku than Netflix.

If Netflix plays normally but only the text is missing, check the Roku and Netflix closed-caption controls before removing the app. A title may lack a caption track, or Netflix may need its own subtitle selection.

Troubleshooting

Remove app is missing from the Options menu

Roku hides Remove app when the app has an active subscription billed through your Roku account, or when you are still inside the current billing cycle. In that case the Options menu shows Manage subscription instead, where auto-renew can be turned off.

Be careful here. Turning off auto-renew cancels a Roku-billed subscription, which is a much bigger change than reinstalling an app. This only applies if Roku bills you for Netflix. If you pay Netflix directly, Remove app should be available. If it is not and you only want to fix a glitch, try the restart, update, and sign-out steps instead of canceling.

The Roku asks for a PIN you do not remember

The PIN is managed on the Roku website, not on the device. Sign in at my.roku.com, open PIN/Parental controls, and choose Change PIN. You can also skip the PIN by adding Netflix from the Roku mobile app or the Roku website, since Roku says the PIN is not needed there. Roku's PIN article has the details.

Netflix does not appear after you add it

Run Settings > System > System update > Check now so the Roku syncs with your account, then scroll to the bottom of the app list. If you added Netflix from the website or mobile app, make sure you were signed in to the same Roku account the device uses.

You cannot find Netflix in the Store

Netflix says its app is available on select Roku models, and it suggests looking for the app on the device as the way to tell whether yours is supported. If searching the Store returns nothing, the Roku is probably too old to run the current Netflix app, and a reinstall will not bring it back.

Netflix still fails after reinstalling

Note any error code on the screen and look it up in the Netflix Help Center, because many codes have their own fix. For example, Netflix lists removing and re-adding the app as the Roku fix for error ui-800-4. If nothing else works, a factory reset is the last resort. It removes every app and setting and you have to set the Roku up again, so try everything above first.

Frequently asked questions

Will I lose my Netflix profiles or history?

No. Profiles, My List, and viewing history are saved in your Netflix account, not on the Roku. They come back when you sign in after the reinstall.

Does removing the Netflix app cancel my subscription?

No. Removing the app only takes it off your Roku devices. Your Netflix membership and billing continue until you cancel them in your Netflix account, or in your Roku account if Roku is the one billing you.

Will Netflix be removed from my other Roku devices?

Yes, if they use the same Roku account. Roku says an app is added to or removed from the account, so the change reaches every linked Roku device. Adding Netflix back restores it on those devices as well, though each one may ask you to sign in.

Can I update Netflix on a Roku without reinstalling it?

Yes. A Roku updates its apps automatically, and you can force a check at Settings > System > Software update > Check Now. There is no separate update button inside the Netflix app.

Can I clear the Netflix cache on a Roku?

Roku does not document a clear-cache setting for individual apps. The supported ways to refresh an app are a system restart, an update check, and removing and re-adding it.

How do I switch to a different Netflix account on a Roku?

You do not need to reinstall for that. Sign out from the Get Help menu inside Netflix, then sign in with the other account.

Why is Netflix missing from my Roku?

It may have been removed, possibly from another Roku on the same account, or your Roku may be an older model. Netflix notes that its app is available on select Roku models.

Next step

Once Netflix is back and playing, move its tile to where you like it on the Home screen. If the reinstall did not help, work through the restart, update, and network checks before considering a factory reset.