Server Version#: N/A (client-side Roku UI issue; server behavior unchanged)
Player Version#: Plex for Roku 9.0.34.10854-d6855ec86
Logs: Not attached (UI regression; no playback issues)
On multiple Roku devices in my home, the Plex Roku app recently removed the left sidebar navigation and replaced it with top tabs.
This is a usability regression compared to the previous Roku Plex UI and is inconsistent with Plex on Android TV (NVIDIA Shield still uses sidebar navigation).
Why this matters:
- Navigation now takes more button presses and is slower to use
- Breaks muscle memory for household members and guests
- Creates inconsistent UI across devices in the same home (Roku vs Android TV)
Request:
Please add a setting on Roku to choose between:
- Classic Sidebar Navigation
- New Top Tabs Navigation
Roku devices tested (multiple hardware generations and OS versions):
- Roku Ultra (4800X) — Roku OS 15.0.4 build 5534 — Plex for Roku 9.0.34.10854-d6855ec86
- Roku Ultra (4660X) — Roku OS 15.0.4 build 5534 — Plex for Roku 9.0.34.10854-d6855ec86
- Roku Ultra (4800RW) — Roku OS 14.6.4 build 9914 — Plex for Roku 9.0.34.10854-d6855ec86
- Roku 3 (4200X) — Roku OS 15.0.4 build 5534 — Plex for Roku 9.0.34.10854-d6855ec86
Troubleshooting attempted:
- Rebooted Roku devices
- Signed out/in to Plex
- Removed and reinstalled Plex channel
Behavior persists across devices.
Screenshots available comparing Roku UI vs NVIDIA Shield UI if needed.
Changed in Sept 2025: New Plex Experience for Roku - Available for Everyone
The Plex mobile apps, iOS & Android, also have the new UI.
All apps, including Android TV, will eventually have the new UI.
Welcome to the party. They’ve made their intent clear. Emby are looking to add sidebar nav to Roku, if you’re considering an alternative. Whether or not that will happen or not is unclear but seems likely.
Their current stance and has been since the rollout….
I have to control what I say because I just want to spit out a torrent of hate and anger over my frustration with this change. Whatever has been done to the interface is terrible and unusable. Nothing is more irritating than to have something that you’ve spent time configuring and getting to work, only to have it completely replace by a thoughtless decision made by someone else.
I’ve spent my career in human factors engineering and user interface design and I can say with authority that the current Roku app behavior is terrible. Please fix ASAP
I’ve been using the new interface for 3 months now. If you think you’re ready to spit hate now, wait for 3 months, you’ll still hate it. It’s awful. You may have missed when it was slow and awful, now it’s just awful.
The best thing to do is try not to watch different things. Pick something that has a long episode list and only watch that. I think you’ll find you notice the interface less this way.
There are many threads on this Roku UI topic.
You’re better off taking your arguments to Roku, in the form of no longer buying their boxes or TV-OS until they give you the option to lock down app versions.
It’s too late to revert the app once it’s upgraded. Jellyfin made changes once which the community rejected and within days they launched Jellyfin Classic as an alternative app, until the community accepted the latest changes.
Plex refused to rollback or rebrand the old version and their leadership team are not listening and instead are ignoring the community.
I’m having this same issue and it’s making me regret ever suggesting Plex as an option for our household. We are definitely not giving Plex or whoever buys their future hollowed-out husk any more money until this is fixed.
