Roku’s autoplay ads on startup are rubbing users the wrong way

What you need to know

  • Roku is testing autoplay video ads that hit users before they even reach the home screen.
  • Early reports said these ads were unskippable, but Roku claims there’s a way to close them.
  • Roku confirmed the ads are part of an official test but won’t reveal how many devices are affected, why they’re doing it, or if it’s permanent.

Roku users have started noticing a new and pretty intrusive ad tactic popping up over the past few days, and, as you’d expect, people aren’t happy about it.

Ars Technica reports that some Roku users are now getting hit with ads before the home screen even shows up. While Roku is no stranger to sprinkling ads around the home screen, this new move takes it up a notch, forcing folks to sit through video ads just to get to their usual setup.

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