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Why Does My Roku TV Keep Restarting? FOUND A FIX! (2024)

You have a Roku TV that keeps restarting, and you don’t know why happens or how to fix it. Trust me, I’ve been there (but not anymore). 

In my own case, it was restarting after a few seconds and won’t even get past the logo screen. 

In some other cases, the TV may freeze and reboot after showing the logo (which may also be very dim).

Roku TV keeps restarting

If you’ve checked other contents online, you might have seen some suggestions like:

  • Install new software update
  • “Reset to factory settings in the TV menu”
  • “Remove some apps on your Roku TV”
  • “Check network settings” etc.

However, your Roku TV won’t even stay on long enough to get to do any of those things!

So, I am not here to tell you any of those. 

In this guide, I am going to show you some actual ways to fix a Roku TV that keeps restarting

It doesn’t matter whether you have an Hisense Roku TV, TCL Roku TV, Onn Roku TV, Sharp Roku TV, Philips Roku TV, Westinghouse Roku TV, Roku Express, Roku Ultra, or the recent Roku’s own TV.

Without any further ado, let’s dive right in!

Roku TV Keeps Restarting

Some of the common reasons why a Roku TV may keep restarting by itself include:

  • Software glitches
  • Roku TV is overheating
  • Issue with the power outlet or power cord
  • Issue with connected external devices
  • There’s one or more faculty capacitor(s)

That said, below are some proven ways to fix the Roku TV boot loop issue. 

1. Power Cycle Your TV

If your Roku TV keeps restarting, then the first thing you want to do is simply power cycle it. This is also known as a soft reset.

Here’s how to power cycle your Roku TV:

  • While your Roku TV is on and stuck in the reboot loop, unplug the power cable directly from the power outlet
  • Leave it unplugged for 60 seconds
  • While unplugged, press and hold the power button on the TV for 30 seconds
  • Plug the TV back into the power source
  • Turn it on using the Roku remote controller or the power button on the TV

If it’s still stuck in the reboot loop, try the power cycle again but this time, wait for 10 minutes after unplugging it before plugging it back in. Just be patient, a lot of users were able to fix it by waiting for up to 10 minutes.

My best guess on why waiting 10 minutes before plugging it back works?

Overheating!

That’s right, overheating is generally a common reason why TVs (and even some other devices) remain stuck in reboot loop. 

Therefore, while a quick 60 seconds power cycle will fix the reboot loop issue if caused by a software glitch, you might have to wait for up to 10 minutes if your Roku is actually overheating.

If any of those fixes the issue for you, great! Otherwise, move to the next step. 


2. Check the Power Adapter and Cord

Another reason why your Roku TV may keep turning on and off by itself is if there’s an issue with the power adapter, cord or even power outlet! 

If any of these is affecting the power supply to your Roku device, then it won’t be a surprise if your Roku TV keeps restarting. 

  • First, try unplugging your Roku TV and plug it into a different power outlet

Unplugging Roku TV From Power Source

  • If you have a Roku Express or ultra, the power cable may be faulty as well. Hence, find a replacement power cable and use it with the power adapter that came with your Roku device. 

replacement power cable

  • However, if the power adapter itself is actually, then changing the cable will obviously not be enough. Hence, you need to find a different power adapter that is compatible and has the minimum power ratings to power on your Roku device. The replacement Roku adapters also often comes with the USB cable to use with them.

Roku power adapter and cable

NOTE: You can use a phone charger with a micro-USB port to power it on as long as it has a similar rating to the one on your Roku adapter. 


2. Reset Roku TV without Remote

This was the method that worked for me personally – using the reset button on my Roku TV. 

From what I’ve seen, a lot of users who had the same issue were able to fix it by doing this. 

If you hadn’t noticed, there’s a reset button on your Roku TV close to the HDMI port (it has a label ‘Reset’ next to it).

Here’s how to reset Roku TV that keeps restarting by itself:

  • First, locate the physical reset button on your Roku TV (at the back of the TV, usually close to the HDMI port). This is the same for Hisense Roku TV, TCL Roku TV, Onn Roku TV, Sharp Roku TV, Philips Roku TV and others. 

press the reset button on Roku TV

  • Once you locate the reset button, you will need a pin or any tiny object to push the button. 
  • Press and hold the button firmly for about 10-20 seconds while your device is powered on. When it shuts down, keep holding down the reset button until it powers on and shows the Roku TV logo again. Then, you can release the button
  • When the factory reset is complete, the TV will reboot twice and finally turn on without turning off again by itself.

Now, go ahead and set up your Roku TV again – select language, select mode of use, setup network connection or skip it.

Then, you are good to go!


4. Unplug Connected Devices

If your Roku TV still keeps restarting by itself after the reset, then it’s most likely one of 2 reasons:

  • There’s an external device connected to your Roku TV that is causing it to reboot
  • You have one or more faulty backlight capacitor(s) that needs to be replaced

First, let’s look at the first one. 

There’s a feature called HDMI-CEC (HDMI-Consumer Electronics Control) on many smart TVs (including Roku TVs) that allows the TV to be controlled by HDMI devices that are connected to the TV.

When turned on, it can cause your TV to turn on and off by itself (when in fact, it’s actually coming from an external device connected to it via the HDMI port). 

connected HDMI devices

Therefore, you need to unplug and troubleshoot any external device that is connected to your Roku TV (if any). 

  • Detach all external devices from your Roku TV, reboot the TV and check if it stops restarting by itself.
  • If the issue does stop, then you know it’s coming from an external device attached to the TV
  • If you have multiple external devices attached, plug them in one after the other to find the exact one causing the issue. 
  • Once located, try to find the HDMI-CEC feature on the device and turn it off. 

If you don’t have any external device attached to your Roku TV or unplugging them didn’t make a difference, then move to the next step. 


5. Replace Faulty Backlight Capacitors

Another common cause of Roku TV being stuck in boot loop is having a faulty backlight capacitor on the TV panel. 

You may notice the Roku TV freezing and shutting off on startup (in some cases with very dim backlight, but not necessarily.)

What you simply need to do is replace the faulty capacitors with capacitors with same rating.

I have explained everything you need to do step-by-step below, including how to:

  • Open up the back of your TV
  • Locate the faulty capacitors
  • Get the right replacement capacitors
  • Remove the faulty ones
  • Put the new ones correctly

NOTE: Before you start, make sure you unplug your TV and leave it unplugged for 30 seconds. Also, press the power button on the TV for 30 seconds. This will help discharge the capacitors before you open up the TV panel (they can be dangerous otherwise).

Now, here’s a step-by-step process of what you need to do:

  • Remove the screws and open the back cover of the TV.
  • Next, unplug all the cables going into the main board like the speaker cable, Wi-Fi module cable etc.
  • Then, do a quick visual inspection to see if there is any faulty capacitor. It’s quite easy to see this.

If a capacitor is faulty, some of the signs you might see include:

  • The capacitor is bulging at the top
  • The capacitor is leaking
  • Corrosive layer on one or both legs of the capacitor

swollen capacitors on main board

Now, here’s how to remove the faulty capacitor(s):

  • Carefully take note of the pin on the board that the capacitor is attached. You should do the removal with a soldering iron (do not force pull it out)
  • With the heated soldering iron, carefully apply pressure from the back of the board on the pin for the faulty capacitor until it melts.
  • Then, you can go ahead and remove it.

While replacing the capacitor, you should know the following:

  • The new capacitor must be placed in exactly the same orientation as the old damaged one
  • Ideally, you should replace the capacitor with a new one that matches the ratings (Voltage, Temperature and Micro farads). In case where you can’t get the exact value for the 3 ratings, you can get one that has voltage and temperature that is higher that that of the old capacitor but not lower. The micro farad can also be slightly higher, but not lower.

Once you have gotten the new capacitors, replace the old faulty one you removed using a soldering iron.

Remember: The capacitor needs to be placed exactly how the old one was placed. 

  • Once replaced, plug back all the cables you had disconnected from main board and assemble the TV back
  • Now, plug in the TV, turn it on and the TV should fire up right away. The Roku TV should now stop restarting by itself

Here’s a video showing the whole process:

If you can’t do this on your own, you can get it repaired. Depending on your location, it should cost between $100 – $200.

NOTE: The capacitor may be faulty and not show any visual sign. Hence, the most accurate way to check in such case will be to use a multimeter to check the voltage, and compare it to the expected/labelled voltage of the capacitors. If you see a wrong voltage reading on the multimeter, then it is faulty even if there is no visual sign.


6. Contact Roku TV Support

If you have tried all the methods discussed in this guide, your Roku TV should have stopped restarting on its own.

However, if the issue still persists, the only thing you can do is to contact Roku for support. 

The official help line is 1-877-300-8837.

If your TV is still under warranty, you may also consider returning it instead. 

Bottom Line

There are a number of things that can cause a Roku TV to keep restarting. Some of these include:

  • Software glitches
  • Roku TV is overheating
  • Issue with the power outlet or power cord
  • Issue with connected external devices
  • There’s one or more faculty capacitor(s)

By trying each fix suggested in this guide, you should be able to get your Roku TV out of the boot loop. 

If you found the content helpful, let me know which of the methods worked for you in the comment section below. 

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