Why Is My Roku Blinking? (Answered!)

First released in 2008 in collaboration with streaming giant Netflix, Roku has been a staple in many households over the years. I know that it is in mine. Whether I’m watching the most recent true crime documentary series on Discovery+ or the kids are re-watching Blippi for the eight-millionth time, it seems like Roku is always playing.

Well, almost always.

There have been a few times when the Roku stopped functioning like it was supposed to. And in one of those cases, there was a blinking red light which I now refer to as the Blinking Red Light of Death. 

I’ll get to what that red light means shortly, so if this is what you are experiencing on your Roku, don’t freak out too badly.

There are multiple lights that will come up on the Roku, and they each have different meanings. A solid white light means something totally different than the Blinking Red Light of Death. 

Knowing which light means what can really come in handy when something goes awry with the Roku. With that being said, let us take a look at some of the reasons why your Roku is blinking and how you can troubleshoot each issue.

Of course, if worse comes to worst, you might have to resort to contacting Roku’s customer support for additional guidance.

Why Is My Roku Blinking? (Answered!)

If your Roku device is experiencing either a connectivity issue or loss of power, there will be a light that blinks. WIFI, HDMI, and remote pairing can all contribute to connectivity issues. On the other hand, if the Roku is overheating or if there is not enough power being supplied to the TV, there will be power issues.

Why is your Roku flashing at you, and what does it mean when this happens? 

What is the difference between a red and a white light on the Roku? 

And just how are you supposed to fix these oddball Roku issues? 

Read on for a little extra guidance from someone who has been through it with their Roku.

Why does my Roku keep flashing?

There are a few possible reasons as to why your Roku is flashing a light at you, and it will be either red or white. 

If you have a Roku Player, it will have two lights. A Roku remote will only have one. 

Sometimes the TV will also flash if there is something wrong with the Roku, although this seems a bit more rare.

What does a flashing white light on my Roku mean?

If you see a flashing white light on your Roku, it means there is an issue with your WIFI connection. If this is the case, you will need to try resetting both your router and your Roku player.

You might want to make sure that they are placed close enough together.  If that doesn’t work, try changing your WIFI router’s connection channel. Refer to your router’s operating manual for instructions on how to do this.

You might also want to check and see if your local Internet connection is down. A blinking white light might also mean that you have a faulty HDMI cable, so remove that one and try a different HDMI cable.

Why is there a light flashing on my Roku remote?

A flashing light on the front of your Roku remote means that the batteries are dying.

If the light in the battery compartment area is flashing, though, this alludes to a connection issue.

This is the pairing light, and it will flash when your Roku is attempting to connect with your Roku Player.

Why is the screen flashing when I use the Roku Player?

Although this issue isn’t terribly common, your TV screen might flash when you are experiencing problems.

One reason for this might be that Auto-adjust Display Refresh Rate isn’t working appropriately. 

You can disable this feature by going to Settings > System > Advanced System Settings > Advanced Display Settings > Auto-adjust Display Refresh Rate.

Try another HDMI cable if this method does not work.

A 4K cable might be required.

What does it mean if the Roku flashes twice?

If your Roku flashes twice, either Roku’s servers or your WIFI connection is experiencing issues.

It might also mean that you are using a faulty HDMI cable and need to swap it out.

What does a blinking red light mean?

Red will indicate that you’re experiencing a power issue. 

If it is blinking red, this means your Roku is not being supplied with an ample amount of power. 

You normally won’t have this issue unless the wall socket your device is plugged into is experiencing power issues. 

If your Roku plugs into a wall socket, try switching outlets and check to make sure you haven’t tripped the breaker.

If your Roku plugs into your TV’s USB outlet, you might see a message that indicates an insufficient amount of power or that the USB port will not power the Roku. 

Try plugging your device into another of the TV’s USB ports and see if that helps. 

If not, you might need to replace the USB cord or connect the Roku directly into a wall socket.

What if the red light is solid?

If that red light is solid, your Roku is overheating. 

A message should accompany this saying that the device is overheating. 

Unplug your Roku and give it time to cool down. 

Plug it back in after 10-15 minutes, making sure you have the Roku kept in a cool, dry area.

If your Roku is enclosed in a TV cabinet, placed under direct sunlight for too long, or placed atop another electronic device, it can overheat. 

It is recommended that you refrain from doing any of these things with your Roku.

Why is the Roku pairing light flashing?

If the pairing light keeps flashing, your device is stuck trying to pair. 

Your devices need to locate each other again.

To resolve this issue, you will need to:

1. Unplug your Roku player.
2. Either reinsert or replace the remote’s batteries.
3. Plug your Roku player back in.
4. Press and hold down on the ‘reset’ button – which you can find in the remote’s battery compartment – and count out three seconds.
5. Once your Roku player has restarted, look for a pairing notice to pop up on the screen.

What if the Roku pairing light isn’t flashing?

If the pairing light does not flash after you try to reset the device, try again but hold the button down longer. 

This time, try holding it for 5-10 seconds. 

Should this fail, you’re probably going to need to put some new batteries in the remote.

Closing Thoughts

The lights on your Roku device can be somewhat confusing, but they are all there for a reason. 

Most of the time, troubleshooting is simple and efficient enough. 

You just need to know what these lights indicate. 

However, if your Roku device still isn’t working after running the gambit of troubleshooting techniques, you might want to either contact Roku or just go ahead and buy a replacement.