For the most part, I really enjoy using my Roku Ultra. It's fast, the menus are straightforward to navigate, and after a long day when I just want to put my feet up and relax, it makes jumping into a show or movie incredibly easy.
That said, there's one part of the Roku experience that's always annoyed me, and I'm certainly not the only one this has bothered. It's the constant stream of ads and recommendations scattered throughout the interface. When I'm trying to get to my apps on the home screen, I don't want to scroll past row after row of recommendations just to find what I'm looking for. And I especially don't like it when Roku suddenly changes my wallpaper into an advertisement, as it recently did to promote the World Cup.
Unfortunately, there's no way to completely remove all of Roku's ads and recommendations. However, you can significantly cut down on how many you see, making the overall experience much more enjoyable and the interface less cluttered. There's also an important setting you should turn off to limit Roku's ad tracking. Here's how I reduced the number of ads on my Roku Ultra and further protected my privacy. This process also works on any Roku smart TV or Roku Streaming Stick.
Get rid of the Recommendation rows
Navigate to your apps faster
One of the biggest sources of ads and recommendations on Roku's home screen is the Recommendation Row. As the name…