The Roku has amazed me with many of its features. It seemed only natural that I’d be able to connect a keyboard to its USB port and use it to navigate and type. That doesn’t work though. Nor is there a Bluetooth keyboard solution available. It’s the one missing feature that would make the Roku absolutely perfect. Typing using the standard remote control is sometimes aggravating. Fortunately, There are a few handy alternatives for people who absolutely must use a keyboard with their Roku.
Roku app
Use your smartphone or tablet to control your Roku, right from the Roku official app. Not only does the app have a keyboard, but you can also speak commands to change the channel. Commands don’t work to call up individual movies, but it’s still a nice feature. The keyboard (and the entire app) only works vertically, which is perplexing since the keyboard would work so much smoother sideways. The Roku app is available for Android and iOS.
Note: Some users are reporting the Roku app does not work in YouTube. In this case, try the next option.
remoku.tv
This handy web-based app will connect to your Roku player via your home network and allow you to use the standard arrow controls as well as a keyboard. You can use the website from almost any web browser including Android’s Chrome browser and Safari for iOS. Just type in the IP address to your Roku on the Setting screen (the scan option didn’t work for me) and you can instantly control your Roku.
Those are the best keyboard connection solutions we could find. How do you use a keyboard with your Roku? We want to hear about it in our comments section.
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