Roku is a great streaming service that lets you stream a large number of free as well as paid channels. You can stream movies, news, sports, and entertainment. Now, to watch or stream such content, your Roku devices must be connected to the internet using Wi-Fi or an ethernet connection. And almost anything that has a TV channel on the Roku Channel Store. However, there is one question that a number of Roku owners out there have been asking – Can I browse the Internet on my Roku device? Well, today we will be answering this question so read on to know the actual answer.
So, to answer your question about whether you would be able to browse the internet or for that matter even install a web browser on your Roku device, the answer is no. For reasons only known to Roku, owners of any Roku device cannot install a web browser. As a matter of fact, there isn’t any web browser app that you would also be able to download onto your Roku device. Heck, even if you have a TV that has Roku OS built into it, you cannot browse the internet. There is however one simple and easy way to browse the internet on your Roku device. You can read on to know-how.
Roku Internet Browser
While there might be one single app on the Roku Channel Store called Safari browser, (which is actually not a web browser from Apple, but rather a third-party browser that uses the same name and logo.) Now nobody really is recommending users to install this browser because of two reasons.
- The Safari browser does not work properly as you would expect it to. The 1.4 Stars rating that over 6000+ users have given talks a lot about how bad the browser is.
- There could be a high possibility of the web browser being removed from the Roku Channel Store.
Best Way To Browse the Internet on a Roku Device
The only sensible way to browse the internet on a big screen with Roku is by screen mirroring the web browser app from your PC or mobile device. You can follow these steps on how that can be done.
Screen Mirror Web Browser from PC to Roku
If you have a Windows PC, you can follow these steps to screen mirror your Roku device.
- First, connect your Windows PC as well as your Roku device to the same WiFi network.
- Now, on your Windows PC, launch the Google Chrome web browser.
- If you do not have a web browser, you can download it by heading here.
- With Google Chrome open on your desktop, click on the three-dot menu at the top right corner.
- Now, from the menu that opens up, simply choose Cast.
- It will now search for wireless displays that are connected to the same network.
- When you find your Roku device, select it.
- You can now choose to share either the web browser or the whole screen of your PC.
- Once connected, you will be able to use the web browser on your Roku right away.
Screen Mirror Web Browser from iOS device to Roku
If you have an iOS device, you need to ensure that your Roku device supports Apple AirPlay. Here is a list of all Roku devices that support Apple AirPlay.
- AOC Roku TVs
- ATVIO Roku TVs
- Element Roku TVs (Series 400, 450)
- Hisense Roku TVs (R6, R7, R8)
- Hitachi Roku TVs
- InFocus Roku TVs
- JVC Roku TVs (Select, Premier, and Elite Series)
- Magnavox Roku TVs (55MV379R/F7, 65MV379F/F7)
- Onn Roku TVs (10012588, 100024699, 100012584, 100005396, 100005397, 100012587, 100012585, 100012586)
- Philco Roku TVs
- Phillips Roku TVs (4000 Series)
- RCA Roku TVs (RTRQ6522-US, RTRU5027-US, RTRU5527-W, RTRU6527-US, RTRQ5522-US, RTRU4927-US)
- Roku 3 (2013)
- Roku Express (2017, 2019)
- Roku Express+ (2017, 2019)
- Roku Premiere
- Roku Premiere+
- Roku Streambar
- Roku Streambar Pro
- Roku Streaming Stick
- Roku Streaming Stick+
- Roku Streaming Stick+ Headphone Edition
- Roku Ultra (2019, 2020)
- Roku Ultra LT
- Sanyo Roku TVs (FW50R79FC, FW55R70F, FW55R79FC, FW65R70F, FW65R79FC)
- Sharp Roku TVs (2T-C45CF2UR, 4T-C60CL2UR)
- TCL Roku TVs Series 4,5,6,8()
- Westinghouse Roku TVs ()UX and UT Series)
Now that you know what Roku device supports Apple AirPlay, you can follow these steps to know how you can screen mirror or AirPlay your web browser from your iOS device to the Roku device.
- First, make sure that your Apple device and your Roku device are connected to the same WiFi network.
- Now, pull up the Control Center by either swiping down from the top right corner or swiping up from the bottom edge of the screen.
- You will see an icon that says Screen Mirroring. Tap on it.
- Now, the Apple device will begin to search for Apple AirPlay compatible wireless devices.
- Once you spot your Roku device in the list, tap on it.
- You will be asked to enter a passcode on your iOS device that is displayed on your Roku’s screen.
- Now that the device is screen mirroring to your Rou, simply launch the web browser of your choice and browse the internet on your Roku device.
Screen Mirror Web Browser from Android to Roku
Now, if you have a Roku device that is updated to the latest version and has wifi, you will be able to screen mirror almost any Android device to any Roku device. Here is how you can screen mirror your web browser from an Android to your Roku device.
- Connect your Roku device and your Android device to the same WiFi network.
- Now, on your Android device, open the Settings app.
- Now, enter Screen Mirror/Wireless Display or Mirror Display in the search bar of the Settings app, or you can tap cast from the notification panel.
- When you find the option, tap on it. Your Android device will begin to search for wireless displays connected to the same WiFi network.
- Once you spot your Roku device from the list, tap on it.
- Now that your Android device is connected to your Roku device, you can easily screen mirror your favorite web browser to the big screen and browse the internet.
Conclusion
And this is how you can use a web browser on your Roku device. Sure, it might not seem like a reasonable solution to screen mirror your web browser to Roku, but again, this is the only way you can browse the internet Since Roku has no built-in web browser and neither does it have any proper web browser app for users to browse the internet. We hope this guide has helped you answer the question about browsing the internet on your Roku device.
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