Previewing Your Channel on a Roku Device

This documentation will walk you through how to preview your Roku app before submitting to the marketplace. You will first need to unlock Roku Developer Mode and sideload your app to a Roku device in order to preview. 

Note: Your Roku device and the Roku Development Application Installer should be left on and open during this entire process.

Prerequisites 

• A Roku device

Step 1: Unlock Roku Developer Mode on your Roku device

Head to your device and turn your Roku ON. Leave the device on throughout this entire process. Enabling developer mode starts by pressing a sequence of buttons on your Roku remote.

In order, press:

Home three times, then
Up two times, then
Right once, then
Left once, then
Right once, then
Left once, then
Right once.

Follow the steps provided in the following Developer Settings sign up flow:

Note: Make sure to save your Roku IP address and username for later! 

a. Select "Enable installer and restart"

b. Agree to SDK License Agreement

c. Set your webserver password and save for later

d. Select "Set password and reboot"

This completes the steps for enabling Roku Developer Mode, continue to the next section for sideloading applications onto the device.

Step 2: Verify your Roku device and computer are connected to the same WiFi network 

Step 3: Navigate to the Development Application Installer 

a. Open a web browser, and enter your Roku IP address (i.e. http://192.168.x.x)

b. Enter your User Name and Password generated from Step 1 when prompted

c. Leave this web browser open during the entire process

Step 4: Sideload Your App to Preview

a. Select "Upload" under the File section to upload the zip file that has been emailed to you in the final step of the Roku App Builder Template flow in your Zype account. 

b. Click "Install." If successfully installed, you will see a "success" message in green at the bottom of the Development Application Installer screen and your app will appear on your Roku device in a matter of moments for you to preview. Newly added channels typically appear towards the bottom of your channel list.