If you are looking to get an Internet browser on your Roku device, well, you will be glad to know that there are a couple of browsers that you can use with your Roku. While you can install an internet browser on your Roku device, the number of Roku web browser options is quite limited and support fewer features.
Even so, if you want to know how you can use an internet browser on your Roku device and want to have a better web browsing experience, go through the information provided below.
Guide to Use an Internet Browser on Roku
Even after being around for several years and despite the fact that most of the competitors offer internet browsers on their own streaming device, there are only two browsers in the Roku Channel Store that you can use. The two web browsers that are available in the Roku Channel Store are
- Web Browser X
- POPRISM Web Browser
- Using Web Browser X on Roku
Out of the two, the best web browser available for Roku is Web Browser X. Well, not to misguide you with the word “best”, you should not expect Web Browser X to be slick and feature-loaded like the modern browsers. If you will use Web Browser X, you will find it like it was designed a couple of decades back. The fonts and the interface of Web Browser X appear to be very old-fashioned.
Though Web browser X might struggle to render and format highly complex pages, however, it would function. What’s positive about this browser is that the browser comes with pre-saved favorites such as CNN, Google News, and ABC News, and also you can browse any site by entering the URL. Moreover, you also get the option to add your own frequently visited sites to your favorites list.
In order to navigate a web page in Web Browser X, you will need to use the left and right buttons on your remote. This will help you in moving through the links available on a page. If you wish to scroll through the text, you will need to use the up and down arrows.
What disheartening about this browser is the fact that the browser does not allow you to play videos. So, surfing YouTube is not possible. Additionally, you will not be able to fill in web forms, username fields, and password fields.
NOTE: When downloading and installing the Web Browser X from the Roku Channel store, make sure to check the price. It might show the price of the browser as $0.00, however, it might reflect some price in your monthly invoice. You can consider it as another disadvantage of using a browser on Roku.
- POPRISM Web Browser
Apart from Web browser X, the other web browser available in the Roku Channel Store is POPRISM Web Browser. That said, POPRISM Web Browser appears to be a lot more disappointing than Web Browser X.Why do we say that? Well, the POPRISM browser is only good if you wish to only read text; it does not support images, GUIs, CSS, JavaScript, and the list continues. No matter the website you open on this browser, you are only going to find a trail of unformatted text.
Therefore, it won’t be wrong to say that the browser is completely useless for most of the sites. It’s ideal for text forums, RSS feeds, and content that is based heavily on text. Well yes, you can use Google search as results are readable. Well, what’s positive about the POPRISM web browser is that it doesn’t scam you out for $4.99 charges.
Workaround to Get Internet Browser on Roku
As you now know the capability and limits of using the browsers available on the Roku Channel Store, you can decide whether you should get on for yourself or not. In case you are looking for an alternative option, below are the suggestions that you can consider.
Screen Mirroring to Browse the Internet on Roku
The best way to browse the internet on Roku is to use screen mirroring and cast a web browser using your phone or computer directly to your Roku device.
Steps to Cast a Web Browser to Roku from Windows
In order to cast a Windows web browser on Roku, go through the step-by-step instructions provided below:
- Make sure that your Roku is running with at least a 7.7 version of the operating system. You can check this by going to Settings > System > About. If this doesn’t help, you will need to go to Settings > System > System Update > Check Now and wait until the process gets completed.
- On Windows, go to the Action Center by clicking on the relevant link located in the bottom-right corner of your screen.
- Next, you will need to click on the Connect In case you are unable to see it right away, you will need to click on the Expand option.
- Then, you will need to allow Windows to scan for the Roku. This process might take up to 30 seconds.
- Now, you will need to click on the name of the Roku in the list of devices. The connection will then set up automatically.
- After that, you will need to open the desired web browser and you can start surfing. If later on, you wish to disable casting, simply select Stop Video on your TV screen or hit Disconnect on Windows.
Steps to Cast a Web Browser to Roku from Android
If you wish to browse the internet on Roku using your Android phone or tablet, go through the information provided below:
- On your Android device, go to the Settings
- In the Settings section, you will need to go to the Connected Devices > Pair New Devices
- You will need to wait until your device finds your Roku streaming stick or set-top box.
- Then, you will need to tap on the name of your Roku device and wait until the connection gets initialized.
- After that, you will need to open the web browser which you wish to use through your Roku.
So, these are the workarounds that can help you get an internet browser on your Roku device.