If the front LED on your Roku device is flashing half red, half blue, you should reset the device or check the power supply and HDMI connection.
Roku has some of the most popular streaming and home-entertainment devices on the market because of its strategic brand partnerships and user-focused designs.
The LED light on the front of Roku streaming boxes is part of this design and when it flashes half blue and half red, this could indicate the need for a restart, a power supply issue, or an HDMI cable issue.
Contents
Why are the Roku devices so popular?
In 2020, Roku devices dominated with about a third of the market share in the United States. By the end of the year there were reportedly 51.2 million active Roku accounts.
There are many reasons why Roku, specifically, has become such a giant in the streaming and home entertainment industries.
Firstly, Roku released its first device back in 2008 and quickly began issuing licensing agreements with some of the top television manufacturers in the world.
However, Roku’s commitment to user-friendly design is what has helped the brand to stay successful and relevant.
Why is the Roku LED flashing half blue, half red?
Roku’s user-friendly approach is partially captured in the design of their sticks, boxes, and televisions and in most cases these devices only need to be plugged in and connected to your Wi-Fi in order for you to start streaming.
This means that the Roku devices are incredibly easy to set up and navigate and intuitive to use from the beginning.
The best example of this is the LED indicator light on the front of the Roku boxes. If this light is off or white, it means that the Roku device is functioning as it should and that there are no errors or issues that need your attention.
However, if this light starts flashing in any colour, it means that there is an issue with the device that you will need to investigate.
Officially, this light should only be flashing red to indicate that there is an issue with the power supply to your unit.
However, as always, Roku users have reported a number of different colours that their LED lights have flashed in the past, including blue and purple, and even half red and half blue.
In most cases, rebooting your Roku device when this light starts flashing should clear up most issues.
However, if this reset does not solve the problem, you should check the power supply to your device and ensure that the HDMI wire is connected securely and is not damaged.
How to reboot your Roku device
Resetting your Roku device is a gentle way of making sure that the system is running correctly, without removing your data and saved settings from the device.
You can reset your device by following these steps:
- Step 1: Press the “Home” button on your Roku remote
- Step 2: Select the “Settings” menu
- Step 3: Choose the “System” option from the list
- Step 4: Select the “Power” option or
- Step 5: Find and click the “System restart” option
Checking the power supply to your Roku device
Most Roku streaming devices are USB-powered, and this is quite a convenient way to power the device. But if this USB is not providing enough power to the device, it could cause instability, crashing, and other operational issues.
To ensure that your Roku device is sufficiently powered, you will need to do the following:
- Check that you are using the USB cable that came with your Roku device to power it
- Check whether the device works better if you move the cable to a different USB port on your television
- Check whether your device works better if you use the a USB power adaptor to plug the USB cable into a power outlet in the wall instead of your television
Ensuring that the HDMI cable is connected securely and is not damaged
If you have already restarted your Roku device and you have established that the power supply is not the problem, then your best option will be to carefully inspect the HDMI cable for possible issues.
Firstly, you need to ensure that the HDMI cable is connected securely to your device and to your television.
If you suspect that your HDMI cable may be damaged in some way, it is the safest option to try a different HDMI cable with your device to see if this solves the problem.
If you have switched out the HDMI cable and your Roku device is still flashing half red and half blue, you may need to contact the Roku support team via their website for further assistance.
