How to Clear the Cache on a Roku Device or Roku TV

Your Roku used to snap from tile to tile, and now it stalls. Menus take a beat to load, an app freezes on launch, or playback buffers and stutters partway through a show. None of that means your device is failing.

Almost always, it is temporary cached data piling up after heavy use. Clearing it restores responsiveness, and you do not lose your channels or logins to do it.

Here is the part most people miss: Roku has no single "Clear cache" button. There is no Settings option that wipes temporary app files while leaving everything else untouched. Instead, the cache clears as a side effect of restarting the device, so the methods below are ordered quickest and most common first.

Use the Hidden Remote Shortcut

This is the fastest way to clear the system cache. It triggers a restart without opening any menu, which is handy when navigation already feels sluggish. Make sure you are on the Roku Home screen and the remote is working, then press these buttons in order:

1.Press the Home button 5 times.
2.Press the Up arrow 1 time.
3.Press the Rewind button 2 times.
4.Press the Fast Forward button 2 times.

The screen may freeze for a moment, then the Roku restarts on its own and clears the cache. The reboot takes roughly 30 seconds to a couple of minutes before the Roku logo reappears. Do not unplug the device or press extra buttons during the reboot.

This is not a factory reset. Your installed channels and streaming-service logins are kept.

If you prefer menus, or the remote shortcut did not register, the System restart option does the same job. Navigate to Settings > System > Power > System restart:

1.From the Roku home screen, scroll down the left-hand menu and select Settings.
2.Select System.
3.Select Power. On Roku models without a separate Power submenu, go straight to System restart.
4.Select System restart.
5.Select Restart to confirm.

Wait for the device to reboot. The system cache is cleared during the restart, and your installed channels, logins, network settings, and preferences are all preserved.

Force a Full Power-Cycle

Use this when the device is frozen, the remote is not responding, or a normal restart did not help. It also gets around "Fast TV Start," the instant-on standby feature that keeps the device in a low-power state and preserves caches. Because of Fast TV Start, pressing the Off button on the remote may leave the cache intact, so a full power-cycle is the reliable fix.

1.Do not rely on the remote's Off button.
2.For a Roku streaming stick or box, unplug it from power. If it is powered by the TV's USB port, turn the TV off instead. For a Roku TV, unplug the TV from the wall outlet.
3.Leave it unplugged for at least about 30 seconds. Some sources suggest up to 60 seconds.
4.Plug everything back in and power the device on.

The hardware and Roku software restart fresh, clearing temporary cached data along the way.

Clear One App by Removing and Reinstalling It

Sometimes only a single channel misbehaves: it loops on an error, glitches during playback, or crashes on launch while everything else runs fine. That points to corrupted cached data inside that one app. Roku has no per-app clear-cache button, so you clear it by removing the channel and reinstalling it.

1.On the Roku home screen, highlight the problem channel tile but do not open it.
2.Press the * (Star / Options) button on the remote to open the options menu.
3.Select Remove channel and confirm. This deletes the app and all data it stored on the device.
4.Open Streaming Channels (the channel store), reinstall the same app, and sign back in to it.

Note that this wipes the app entirely, so you will need to sign back in to that one service. It does not affect your other channels.

Factory Reset as a Last Resort

Only reach for this if a restart and the steps above did not resolve the issue. A factory reset erases everything, so treat it as a final option rather than a routine cache clear. The path is Settings > System > Advanced system settings > Factory reset:

1.From the home screen, go to Settings.
2.Select System.
3.Select Advanced system settings.
4.Select Factory reset and follow the prompts.

This erases all data and settings. You will need to re-add every channel, re-enter your network information, and sign in to all services again.

Tips and Gotchas Worth Knowing

There is no one-click "clear cache" setting on Roku. The reliable options are a system restart (menu or remote shortcut) or a full power-cycle.
A system restart and the secret remote sequence are not factory resets. They do not uninstall your channels, sign you out, reset network settings, or erase preferences.
A brief freeze after the remote sequence is normal. Let the reboot finish on its own instead of unplugging or pressing more buttons.
Removing a channel deletes its stored data permanently. Plan to reinstall and sign back in to that single app.
The remote shortcut only works if the remote is functioning and the Home menu is reachable. If the Roku is fully frozen, use the unplug method instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Roku have a dedicated "Clear cache" button?

No. There is no single Settings option that wipes temporary app files on their own. The cache is cleared as a side effect of restarting the device, either through System restart, the hidden remote shortcut, or a full power-cycle.

Will restarting delete my channels or log me out?

No. A system restart and the secret remote sequence keep your installed channels, streaming-service logins, network settings, and preferences. Only a factory reset erases everything.

How long does the restart take after the remote shortcut?

Roughly 30 seconds to a couple of minutes. The screen may freeze briefly first, which is normal. Do not unplug the device or press extra buttons until the Roku logo reappears.

I pressed Off on the remote but nothing improved. Why?

"Fast TV Start" keeps the device in a low-power standby state that preserves the cache, so the Off button may not clear anything. To force a clean start, fully power the device down by unplugging it (or turning off the TV that powers it) for at least about 30 seconds.

Only one app is acting up. Do I have to restart the whole device?

Not necessarily. If a single channel loops on errors, glitches, or crashes, highlight its tile, press the * button, choose Remove channel, then reinstall it from the channel store and sign back in. That clears just that app's stored data.

My Roku is completely frozen and the remote does nothing. What now?

Skip the remote entirely. Unplug a Roku stick, box, or TV from power, wait at least about 30 seconds (up to 60), then plug it back in. The hardware and software restart fresh and clear the temporary cached data.