Roku microSD Card Performance Tips



Roku SD Card Performance Tips


Use these tips to select the right microSD card and get it working perfectly on your SD supported Roku media Streamer

Using an SD card on your Roku if it supports it, can help channels load faster, back up your game scores and offer a little better overall performances in some cases.



Roku SD card not working, try these tips



Roku media players generally don't come with much onboard memory. 1GB total system memory (Current Ultra vs 512 MB for the Older Ultra) for channel storage are typical on current higher-end Roku models, and some of the lower cost models including Streaming sticks typically have 512MB total memory and only 256 MB for channel storage.

Fortunately, unless you have a ton of Roku channels installed, most channels won't use much memory for storing channels and some of the channel content is stored on Roku's servers or the Internet.

When you end up reaching your allocated memory your Roku will offload less frequently used channels from memory. When you open these channels again, it may take them a little longer to load without an SD card installed. By increasing your memory available this can help keep this slow-down from happening more channels installed than your internal memory can handle.

Roku uses a very efficient form of Linux operating system which does not need a lot of memory to work well unlike other media streamers which require a lot more.

When it comes to SD cards, not all are equal and not every microSD card will work reliably in your Roku.


Roku Models That Support External microSD Storage


This is a current list of all Roku models that will accept SD Cards.
  • Roku 2 HD (3000)
  • Roku 2 XD (3050)
  • Roku 2 XS (3100)
  • Roku 3 (4200)
  • Roku 3 (4230)
  • Roku 2 (4210)
  • Roku 4 (4400)
  • Roku Premiere (4620)
  • Roku Premiere+ (4630)
  • Roku Ultra (4640)
  • Roku Ultra (4660)

Choose Your Roku SD Card Carefully

For some reason, SanDisk cards won't always be recognized or work very reliably in Roku.

You don't need to use a super large memory card. Remember Roku's only use 1 GB typical memory total in their higher end models and their entry models use half as much. 

You will gain nothing by buying a super large SD card for storing channels. Unless you have a larger one laying around, then you can go ahead and try it.


Roku recommends a Class2 or faster microSD storage card with a minimum of 2GB of storage or larger.

Here are some smaller microSD cards that should work fine on your Roku. This list is not all inclusive other brands may work well. The main thing is try to avoid SanDisk.


When Installing Your SD Card in Your Roku Do This


1. Turn your Roku off, this is best accomplished by unplugging your Roku from either the wall outlet or pulling the power cord from the back. (Which ever is easier to get to.)

 2. Insert the SD card firmly into your Roku making sure it's all the way in. There should be nothing extending from the box. You may need to use your fingernails to push it all the way inside until you hear it click.

 3. Plug your Roku back in. Once it boots, the SD card should be detected by your Roku and it will be formatted.


Roku Enters an Endless Reboot

It's been reported that in some cases a Roku will enter an endless reboot state. This is where it boots up over and over again. The fix for this is to remove the microSD card and then boot up your Roku again.

If your Roku boots up normally, try installing the microSD card again following the steps outlined above. If this won't fix it, your card may be damaged.

You can try reformatting the microSD card in your PC and then try installing it again in your Roku. If this does not fix it try another microSD card.











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