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How to find and manage subscriptions on your Roku device
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How to find and manage subscriptions on your Roku device





Through its line of streaming-ready devices, Roku connects users to the subscription services needed to immerse themselves in the latest TV hits and Hollywood blockbusters. Unfortunately, finding and managing individual subscriptions to the many streaming apps available can become tedious. Did you have Hulu or did you subscribe to Netflix? Who still remembers it? Since it’s rare for streaming services to be bundled together, cancel your Disney+ subscription and changing the payment method on your Discovery+ account in the same night is an obnoxious, multi-step process.

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The embarrassment is further increased when you consider that there are more than 200 streaming services. Even if you limit your selection to eight best streaming optionsThat’s still a lot of individual accounts to manage. Fortunately, Roku has made it easier for users to not only find and access each of these services, but also subscribe or unsubscribe from a specific platform. Streaming providers intentionally make it difficult to cancel a service. Some don’t even let you fully manage your account on their dedicated mobile app, forcing you to use a web browser instead.

One of the best app management features that Roku offers is a simple pop-up warning you that a free trial is about to end. This gives you the option to cancel a subscription and avoid unwanted charges (although there are a few things to know before canceling Netflix). Beyond that, you’ll have to dig a little deeper to find and manage subscriptions. The following steps were performed on a Roku TV, but should be similar on other Roku devices.

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Finding active subscriptions on your Roku device

There are usually several ways to subscribe to premium streaming services. The traditional method is to subscribe directly through the service’s website, but your Roku device is also capable of managing your streaming subscriptions. To manage these accounts through Roku, you will need to determine if you originally signed up through Roku. If a subscription was not purchased through Roku, you will need to access the account through the service’s website.

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The quickest way to determine if a subscription is managed through Roku is to find the app (or channel) on your device’s home screen. Using the included remote control:

  1. Go to the app icon
  2. Press the star button
  3. Select “Manage Subscription”

If renewal and pricing information is displayed, your subscription is managed through Roku. If it’s managed through Roku, you’ll also see an option to “Turn off auto-renewal.” Select this if you want to cancel your subscription. If you’re upgrading to a new Roku device and don’t remember if you had a subscription on your old device, you may need to add the app to your home screen first. To do this:

  1. Press the Home button on your remote
  2. Go to the sidebar menu
  3. Select “Search”
  4. Search for app name
  5. Find the appropriate app under “Channels”
  6. Select “Add channel” to add it to your device

Once the channel is added to your Roku device, it should stay there until you delete it or reset your Roku TV or streaming stick.

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Starting new subscriptions on your Roku device

Just as easily as you can cancel a subscription through your Roku device, you can also create a new one. Premium services you can subscribe to can be accessed through the preloaded Roku channel on the home screen. Once you access the Roku channel:

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  1. Scroll down to “Browse Premium Subscriptions”
  2. Find the service you want to subscribe to
  3. Press the star button
  4. Choose the subscription you want to activate

To subscribe to any service on your Roku device, you will need to have a payment method saved. This can be added by going to the home screen, scrolling down and selecting “Settings”, then selecting “Payment method”. Here you can add a new payment method or update an old one.

The app may not open a prompt after pressing the Star button; you may need to open the app directly from the home screen. Different streaming services have different menus to navigate, so starting new subscriptions may differ between services. For example, when you open the AMC+ app, it takes you to a page with subscription plans to choose from.

Other apps offering free content may only display this screen when you try to access premium shows or movies. Some may hide the new subscription prompt behind verbiage like Get Access. Either way, as long as the subscription is started on your Roku device, you will be able to manage the account directly on the device.

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