If you have a Roku TV you’re probably wondering if your device has Bluetooth connectivity and if you can connect Bluetooth headphones to it for the moments you want to listen to something without disturbing the other members of your family.
Do Roku TVs have Bluetooth?
Roku TVs don’t have direct Bluetooth connectivity capabilities, so you cannot connect your Bluetooth speaker or wireless headphones directly, but you can use the Roku app to create a connection between the 2 devices. So the Roku app (and a smartphone, tablet, or computer) will act as a connector between your Roku TV and a Bluetooth device.
So usually Roku devices don’t use direct Bluetooth connectivity. The only exception in the product lineup are Roku Streambar or Roku smart soundbar, but these are separate Roku devices that you connect to your Roku tv so it’s still not a direct connection to the TV.
So the Bluetooth compatible devices in this case are the actual Roku smart soundbar and Roku Streambar, and not the Roku TV directly.
Roku app private listening feature
To be able to connect Bluetooth headphones to your Roku TV you will have to use the Roku app and use the Private listening feature.
To get the app just search for Roku in Google Play Store or Apple App Store, download the Roku app to your smartphone or tablet and install it.
Once you install the app connect to the same wifi network as your Roku TV. When you open the app you will be prompted to search for nearby devices and your Roku TV should be discovered.
After you select your Roku TV and connect to it you can use the Roku app as a remote.
At this point, you can pair Bluetooth devices directly to your smartphone. To do this go to your mobile phone Bluetooth pairing screen and select your Bluetooth headphones or Bluetooth device speakers.
Once these Bluetooth devices are connected to your mobile phone you are ready to use them in the Roku app.
To use the Bluetooth device as the audio streaming device open the Roku app, go to Remote and click the button that looks like headphone icon.
This button will activate the Roku’s private listening feature and your Roku TV will play audio through your Bluetooth device.
How many devices can use Private listening at the same time?
The cool thing about the private listening mode is that up to four people can use it at the same time.
The only requirement for this to work is that each person uses the Roku app and that each phone is connected to the same wifi network as the Roku TV.
Connect Bluetooth compatible devices
As we previously mentioned you can connect some official Roku products directly to your Roku TV using Bluetooth.
To set up this connection you have to make sure your Roku Bluetooth device, Roku TV, and phone are all connected to the same network.
The process of connecting your devices through Bluetooth is called pairing, which is a process in which devices discover each other and trust each other to form a secure wireless connection.
The pairing process is usually only done once because devices remember previous connections even if turned off.
To pair your Bluetooth device follow these steps:
- Press the Home button on your Roku remote
- Scroll down and select the Settings menu
- Select Remotes & devices
- Select Pair Bluetooth device
Once the pairing screen shows up move to your phone to complete the setup.
Open the Bluetooth settings on your phone, tablet, or computer and make sure Bluetooth is enabled on the device.
Wait for your phone to start scanning for Bluetooth devices and select your Roku device once it shows up in the search.
The connection process is finished and once you play something the sound will come from your Bluetooth device.
Disconnect Bluetooth device
If you want to remove the Bluetooth speaker or other Bluetooth devices connected to your Roku TV you can disconnect them from your TV Settings page.
The steps to do this are similar to the pairing process.
- Press the Home button on your remote
- Go to the Settings page
- Go to Remotes and Devices, and then Bluetooth devices
- Select your Bluetooth device
- Select Disconnect
This will finish the disconnection process and you will not be able to use the Bluetooth device until you go through the pairing process again.
Use the private listening feature with wired headphones
If you still want to use the private listening feature but don’t have Bluetooth headphones you can use wired headphones connected to your smartphone. Simply install the Roku app and follow that entire process, but don’t pair your Bluetooth audio. Just plug your headphones into the smartphone to redirect the sound to it.
Another way of using a wired sound bar is to connect it to a Roku Voice Remote pro headphone jack. If you have this model of a remote you will have a jack on the side that will offer private listening without needing to use a smartphone.
Simply plug an audio cable in the headphone jack placed on the side of your Roku remote and the sound will come through the connected device.
Conclusions
Except for a few Roku-specific products you cannot connect Bluetooth speakers or Bluetooth headphones directly to a Roku TV.
But Roku offers an easy-to-use alternative for your wireless headphones and allows you to pair Bluetooth devices through the Roku mobile app. This way you pair your Bluetooth audio device to your smartphone or tablet, and the mobile phone to the Roku TV.
The mobile device acts as a connection point between the Roku TV and the Bluetooth audio device and the connection is done through the Roku mobile app.