If there’s anything that could pour cold water on your plan to watch your daily staple of great movies on your Roku TV, a black or flickering screen would have to be top of that list. Fortunately, there are quick fixes you can DIY to turn the situation around.
To fix the Roku black screen or flickering black screen, power cycle your TV. Do this by unplugging your Roku TV from the wall outlet and holding its power button for 60 seconds before plugging it back in.
If that didn’t work, don’t fret! In this guide, we’ll show you not one, but six proven solutions to this frustrating issue!
Why is my Roku showing a black screen?
Several factors can cause your Roku TV to show a black screen. Here are the most common causes:
- Loose cable connection: Leaving your Roku TV’s power or HDMI cables loose can cause power supply and display issues, resulting in a black screen.
- Outdated software and overuse: The black screen or flicker issue can happen if the Roku TV is used nonstop for a long time or its software version hasn’t been updated.
- Wrong image settings: The settings on your Roku could have been accidentally tweaked. Also, you may need to adjust zoom levels or turn on/off overscan.
How to Fix Roku Black Screen or Flickering Black Screen
The good news is fixing the Roku black screen or flickering black screen issue can be a walk in the park. We’ve listed effective solutions below to help you deal with it; we strongly recommend you apply them in the order they are presented.
FIX 1. Power cycle the Roku device
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 1 minute and 10 seconds |
| Things Needed | A working wall outlet |
Power cycling your Roku TV is an effective way to solve various performance and display issues that you’ll encounter during use.
This action will help you shut down and reboot your Roku TV, which will help refresh its system memory and fix any minor errors. You can think of this as a simple restart procedure with the bonus of discharging the device’s residual electrical energy.
Basically, power cycling involves the removal of any residual electrical energy stored on your Roku TV, which is a usual culprit of display issues. Also, this helps boost the performance of your Roku TV since it fixes errors that slow down the device.
Step 1: Shut down your Roku TV by unplugging its power cable from the wall outlet. |
Step 2: Discharge your Roku TV’s residual electrical energy by pressing and holding its power button for about 60 seconds. Note: Your Roku TV’s power button can be found on different spots depending on its manufacturer. We suggest checking your Roku TV’s user manual for the exact location of its power button. |
Step 3: Turn your Roku TV back on by plugging its power cable into the wall outlet. Note: Your Roku TV should turn on automatically as soon as it’s plugged into the wall outlet. Otherwise, you’ll need to manually press its power button to turn it on. |
FIX 2. Check the Roku TV’s connections.
Having a loose connections can cause problems with your Roku TV, including a black or flickering screen. But sometimes, it only appears that way if the Roku TV isn’t receiving enough power from the wall outlet due to a loose cable.
Even if electricity can flow into your Roku TV, flickering may happen if the power keeps fluctuating because of a loose power cable. As such, you must always check the connections on your Roku TV and ensure everything is a snug fit.
This applies to both ends of the HDMI and power cable plugged into your Roku TV and the wall outlet or external input device. If you’re using a Roku streaming stick, you must ensure it’s securely plugged into your TV’s HDMI port.
Reseat the Roku streaming stick on your TV to fix the loose connection
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 2 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 5 seconds |
| Things Needed | Roku streaming stickA TV with an open HDMI port |
Step 1: Unplug the Roku streaming stick from the HDMI port of your Smart TV. |
Step 2: Plug the Roku streaming stick back into the HDMI port of your Smart TV and make sure it’s tight and secure. |
Reseat the HDMI cable on your Roku TV to fix the loose connection
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Roku TVAn external HDMI device |
If you instead have a Roku TV with an external input device plugged into it, you need to check if the HDMI cable is plugged in securely. Unplug and re-plug the HDMI cable into your Roku TV and tighten it to avoid a loose cable connection.
Step 1: Unplug the HDMI cable plugged into your Roku TV. |
Step 2: Plug the HDMI cable back into your Rokyu TV and make sure it’s tight and secure. |
| Step 3: Repeat the first two steps on the other end of the HDMI cable that goes into the external input device. |
Reseat the power cable on your Roku/Standard TV to fix the loose connection.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 5 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 15 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Roku/Standard TVA working power cableA working wall outlet |
Whether you have a Roku TV or a standard TV plus Roku stick combination, reseating the power cable is an excellent way to fix the loose connection.
Step 1: Shut down your TV by unplugging its power cable from the wall outlet. |
Step 2: Unplug the other end of your TV’s power cable from its DC/IN port at the back. |
Step 3: Plug the Roku TV’s power cable into the wall outlet. |
Step 4: Plug the other end of your TV’s power cable into its DC/IN port at the back. |
| Step 5: Turn on your TV and check if it still has a black or flickering black screen issue. |
FIX 3. Swap out your Roku TV’s faulty cables
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
| Things Needed | A replacement power cableA replacement HDMI cable |
If reseating the connections still didn’t work fix your Roku’s black or flickering screen, you should check out the cables and connector pins.
Inspect all cables and look for any signs of damage. Watch out for worn and torn wires and broken connector pins on the HDMI connector too.
If you found some damage, you should get a replacement. You can browse online stores or local electronic shops for compatible HDMI and power cables on your Roku TV.
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FIX 4. Disconnect and reconnect your Roku stick
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 2 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 5 seconds |
| Things Needed | Roku streaming stickA TV with an open HDMI port |
If you’re using a Roku streaming stick, you can quickly solve these issues by temporarily disconnecting it from your TV’s HDMI port. Force-stopping your Roku device is an excellent way to fix any issue that occurs while it’s in use.
Plus, disconnecting your Roku device from your TV is a simple way to reset and refresh its system memory quickly. This way, you can give your Roku device time to shut down and correct the issues causing it to malfunction and have a black screen.
This method is beneficial if you’ve been running your Roku device for some time now without turning off your TV.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 65 seconds |
| Things Needed | Roku streaming stickA TV with an open HDMI port |
| Step 1: Unplug the Roku streaming stick from the HDMI port of your Smart TV. |
| Step 2: Unplug your Roku streaming stick for at least 60 seconds. |
| Step 3: Plug the Roku streaming stick back into the HDMI port of your Smart TV and make sure it’s tight and secure. |
FIX 5. Update the Roku TV’s OS
Performing a Roku OS update is an effective way to fix your device’s software-related issues that are causing the black or flickering black screen.
Software updates are also suitable for improving the overall performance of your Roku device and preventing some errors in older OS versions.
Use the Roku settings menu to check and install the latest software version.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 7 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 5 minutes |
| Things Needed | A Roku TV remote controlA working internet connection |
Step 1: Press the home button on the Roku TV remote control to head to the home screen. |
Step 2: Scroll down and select Settings to open the Roku TV settings menu. |
Step 3: Scroll down and select System to open the Roku TV system settings menu. |
Step 4: Scroll down and open the System update option. |
Step 5: ClickCheck now to allow the Roku TV to search for a software update. |
Step 6: Wait as the Roku TV searches for a new software version. |
| Step 7: Download and install the latest available Roku OS on your TV. |
Use the USB stick method to install the latest software version on your Roku
| Difficulty | Moderate ●●●○○ |
| Number of Steps | 33 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 7 minutes |
| Things Needed | A Roku TV remote controlA USB stickA PCA working internet connection |
This method is a bit complicated, but it’s the best way you can achieve your results if you have internet issues.
| WARNING: The USB stick method can only be used on a Roku TV that hasn’t been activated yet. If it’s already activated, you must perform a factory reset first to undo the activation and restore its default settings. |
Before we begin, note that your USB stick must be formatted to FAT32 using a PC to be usable on a Roku TV. Also, your USB stick must also support at least 256 MB.
Step 1: Press the home button on the Roku TV remote control to head to the home screen. |
Step 2: Scroll down and select Settings to open the Roku TV settings menu. |
Step 3: Scroll down and select System to open the Roku TV system settings menu. |
Step 4: Select About to open the Roku TV device information page. |
Step 5: Take note of the model and serial number of your Roku TV. |
Step 6: Open an internet browser on a PC and visit tvupdate.roku.com. |
Step 7: Click the drop-down menu and select the Roku TV brand. |
Step 8: Enter the Roku TV model and serial number on their respective text fields and click Next. |
Step 9: Click Confirm on the confirmation window. |
Step 10: Click Download Software to download the latest Roku OS to your PC. |
Step 11: Click Next step to proceed. |
Step 12: Plug the USB stick into your PC, right-click its directory from the PC’s drives menu, and select Format. |
Step 13: Format your USB stick file system as FAT32 and click Start to continue. |
Step 14: Click OK to format your USB stick. |
Step 15: Go to the PC’s Downloads folder, right-click the Roku update file, select Send to, and click the USB stick. |
Step 16: Go to your Roku TV and press the home button on its remote control to head to the home screen. |
Step 17: Scroll down and select Settings to open the Roku TV settings menu. |
Step 18: Scroll down and select System to open the Roku TV system settings menu. |
Step 19: Scroll down and select Advanced system settings to open more Roku TV settings options. |
Step 20: Click Factory reset. |
Step 21: Scroll down, click Factory reset everything, enter the code provided, and click OK to start the reset. |
Step 22: Wait as the Roku TV factory resets and follow its on-screen instructions to set it up afterward. Note: Select the option to Connect to the Internet later when you reach the Connect to the Internet section to stop the Roku TV from activating. |
Step 23: Head to the Roku TV home screen and plug in your USB stick. |
Step 24: Scroll down and select Settings to open the Roku TV settings menu. |
Step 25: Scroll down and select System to open the Roku TV system settings menu. |
Step 26: Scroll down and select System update. |
Step 27: Scroll down and click the I can’t connect option. |
Step 28: Write down the 12-digit code on the Roku TV display screen. |
Step 29: Go to the PC’s internet browser and enter the 12-digit code from your Roku TV to continue the update process. |
Step 30: Write down the 6-digit response code given by the Roku update page. |
Step 31: Go to the Roku TV and click Next. |
Step 32: Enter the 6-digit response code and click OK to start the USB update. |
Step 33: Wait for the Roku TV to install the software update inside your USB stick. |
FIX 6. Perform a Roku TV soft reset to clear its cache
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 2 minutes |
| Things Needed | A Roku TV remote control |
Soft resetting your Roku TV is the quickest way to resolve the issues that the device is experiencing at the moment. You can perform this quick reset efficiently by entering a secret button combination on the Roku remote control.
As such, you can only use this method if you have a working Roku remote control or the Roku app as your temporary remote.
Step 1: Press the Roku TV remote control’s home key five times, the up key once, the rewind key twice, and the forward key twice. |
Step 2: Wait for the Roku TV to shut down and reboot. Note: Your Roku TV screen will appear stuck or frozen after the button combination is entered, but you don’t have to worry, as it’s not an error. |
FAQs about Roku Black Screen Issue
Why is the Roku TV screen black, but I can hear the audio playing?
Incorrect input selection is why your Roku TV screen remains black even when audio is playing. You must set the correct display input source on your Roku to display the images on the TV screen.
In extreme cases, this can also be the result of having a broken Roku TV LCD panel or backlight. You can shine a flashlight on your black Roku TV screen to check if it’s generating images and if the backlight is the actual culprit.
Why does my Roku stick have a flickering black screen issue?
A loose connection causes the flickering black screen issue on Roku TVs. You need to ensure that the cables and the Roku streaming stick are connected securely to your TV to prevent and fix display issues.
Why is my Roku device only showing a black screen?
Various reasons can cause your Roku device only to show a black screen. A loose power cable connection is the most common cause of this issue, which results in a Roku TV having a black screen due to not turning on properly.
You can also experience a black screen issue if you haven’t set the Roku device as the input source on your TV.
How do I reset my TCL Roku TV if it has a black screen instead of a Roku stick?
Unplug the power cable of your TCL Roku TV from the wall outlet and power cycle it by pressing and holding its power button for 60 seconds. After that, plug your TCL Roku TV back into the wall outlet and turn it back on.
