Roku is messing with your TV again. Honestly, if you turned on your Roku TV this week and felt like someone rearranged your living room furniture without asking, you aren’t alone. The Roku home screen public testing expansion is officially hitting high gear in early 2026, and it's making a lot of people very grumpy.
Basically, the classic 3x3 grid we’ve all used for a decade is being treated like a rough draft. Roku is currently pushing out a massive update to its "beta" groups that completely replaces your hand-picked app order with algorithmic suggestions.
It's a big deal.
The "Personalized" Chaos Explained
The core of this expansion is something Roku calls "Dynamic Tile Sorting." In theory, it sounds great. The software watches what you watch, notices you open Netflix every night at 8 PM, and moves that tile to the top left. Easy, right?
But in practice, it’s causing some serious friction. Imagine waking up and your "YouTube" app has migrated three rows down because you haven't clicked it in 48 hours. Roku is banking on the idea that we want our TVs to be smarter than us. They want to reduce "scrolling fatigue," but for many long-time users, the muscle memory of knowing exactly where Hulu is located is worth more than a "smart" guess.
What’s Actually Changing in the New Layout?
This isn't just about moving icons. The Roku home screen public testing expansion includes a few specific UI (User Interface) shifts that are rolling out to more users this month:
- The 4x4 Grid Test: On some high-end 4K models, Roku is testing a denser grid. Instead of nine apps on the screen, you get sixteen. It makes the icons smaller, which is great for power users but a nightmare for anyone who forgot their glasses.
- The "For You" Shelf: A dedicated row of content recommendations that sits above your apps. It pulls from Disney+, Max, and Paramount+ to show you "Continue Watching" items in one place.
- The Collapsible Sidebar: The left-hand menu (Home, Search, Streaming Store) now hides itself. It only pops out when you scroll all the way to the left. It looks cleaner, sure, but it adds an extra click to get to your settings.
- Backdrops vs. Photo Streams: This is a big one for January 2026. Roku is officially killing "Photo Streams." If you used your TV as a digital picture frame, you're being forced into "Backdrops," which mixes your photos with 4,500 pieces of digital art.
Why Roku is Doing This Now
It’s a money game. Google TV and Amazon’s Fire TV have already moved toward "content-first" interfaces. Those platforms don't want you to see apps; they want you to see shows. Why? Because when you click a show recommendation, Roku often gets a cut of the subscription or ad revenue.
Preston Smalley, a VP at Roku, recently mentioned that the goal is an "intuitive TV journey." That’s corporate-speak for "we want to show you more stuff you might buy."
How to Get (or Get Out of) the Beta
The "public" part of this expansion is a bit of a misnomer. You can't just go into settings and click a "Join Beta" button to see the new screen. Roku picks devices at random based on their internal metrics. If you’re lucky—or unlucky—the update just appears overnight.
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However, if you want to be on the cutting edge for future updates, you can sign up for the official Roku Beta Program. You'll have to sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) and deal with occasional crashes, but you get the new toys first.
On the flip side: If your home screen just updated and you hate it, there is a "sorta" fix.
Go to Settings > Home Screen > App Order. On many of the test builds, there is a toggle to switch from "Suggested" back to "Manual." Flicking that switch stops the icons from dancing around. It won't get rid of the new "For You" rows, but it gives you back your control over the grid.
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The Verdict on the Expansion
Roku is at a crossroads. They have over 90 million active accounts, and they’re terrified of looking "old" compared to the flashy AI-driven interfaces of their rivals. This expansion is their attempt to prove they can be high-tech without losing the simplicity that made them famous.
Whether they succeed depends on how much they listen to the feedback from this current test. Early reports on Reddit and tech forums suggest that users find the 4x4 grid useful, but they absolutely despise the "Dynamic Sorting."
Actionable Steps for Roku Owners
If you're part of the Roku home screen public testing expansion, here is what you should do:
- Check your software version: Go to Settings > System > About. If you're on a build higher than 14.5, you're likely seeing the new elements.
- Lock your grid: If your apps are moving, head to the "Home Screen" settings immediately to see if the "Manual Sort" toggle is available for your account.
- Explore "Backdrops": Since Photo Streams are ending this month, set up your Backdrops now so you don't lose your screensaver preferences in February.
- Provide Feedback: Use the "Give Feedback" option in the secret menu (Home x5, Up, Right, Down, Left, Up) if you really want the engineers to hear your thoughts on the new layout.
This testing phase isn't permanent, but the features that "win" will become the standard for every Roku device by the end of the year. Keep an eye on your home screen—it might look different tomorrow.