This hidden Roku characteristic is ruining film night time and there isn’t any option to flip it off

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

Nonetheless, I lately discovered {that a} Roku characteristic that rolled out method again in 2021 was hampering my means to start out films I had already watched, limiting my means to leap in proper from the start throughout film nights. The characteristic is known as On the spot 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 capable of be toggled on or off, that is one possibility that apparently Roku doesn’t need customers to have management over.

What’s Roku On the spot Resume?

Serving to you retain your house when you’ve got different issues to do.

Do not get me incorrect, Roku’s On the spot Resume characteristic is pretty helpful in the event you’re the one one utilizing your TV and primarily watch issues solo. I lately watched Defunctland’s four hour deep-dive on Disney parks’ so-called living characters on YouTube, and despite the fact that I in all probability would have loved with the ability to watch your complete 4-hour video straight by means of, life obtained in the best way it took me a number of classes to truly make it by means of your complete video. Thankfully, due to Roku’s On the spot Resume characteristic, my place was held each single time, and I may leap again into the video each time I needed to select up the place I left off.

Nonetheless, when sharing a tool (or attempting to indicate a brand new film to mates) 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 company to spoilers in the event that they take a look at the TV on the incorrect time.

I assumed there might need been a straightforward option to merely flip off this characteristic, however curiously, regardless of what number of menus you look by means of, it merely does not seem. Nonetheless, there’s a option to pressure Roku to neglect what you have been watching.

A small workaround

Use the Roku’s pressure shut operate to do away with your watching information

Although it isn’t an ideal workaround, if you realize that you do not need to use Roku’s On the spot Resume characteristic, you possibly can clear your watch information by pressure closing no matter app you need the information faraway from. In an effort to do that, as an alternative of urgent the Dwelling button, you will have to press and maintain the again button in your Roku distant till the Roku system prompts affirmation to shut the app completely. If you relaunch the app, all your viewing information and saved spots shall be gone, and film night time shall be saved!

Notice, despite the fact that Roku may not save your information, in case you are utilizing a logged-in account on an app like YouTube or Netflix, your house nonetheless is perhaps saved on the account degree, which might supersede the Roku On the spot Resume workaround talked about above.

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