Roku is a fantastic streaming device, and you’ll have a lot of fun with it. The device, however, is not without flaws. When your Roku has no sound, this is a common problem.
When watching a video or trying to play an audio file on your Roku, you may notice that there is no sound. Roku acts in this manner for a variety of reasons. This sound problem, however, can be fixed in a number of ways.
Make Sure Mute Is Turned Off
If your Roku isn’t making any sound, check your TV’s mute mode first. If you want your Roku to play any sound, you must turn off the mute mode. Pick up your TV remote and press the mute button to turn off the mute mode on your Roku-connected television.
Also, make sure your TV’s volume is set to a reasonable level so that the sound is audible. Turn the volume up to around 50% on your TV’s remote.
Before you go any further with troubleshooting, make sure you’ve completed these basic checks.
Unplug Cables and Plug Them Back In
If you still don’t have sound from a Roku-connected device, the problem is most likely with Roku’s cables. In this case, unplug all of the wires that connect your Roku device to your screen or television.
Unplug the HDMI cable from both your Roku device and your TV, for example, if you’ve connected your Roku to your TV via an HDMI cable. Then, reconnect the cable to the appropriate ports.
If there’s a problem with the cable being loose, this should solve the problem.
Connect to a Different Input on the TV
It’s possible that the port on your TV to which you connect your Roku isn’t working, resulting in no sound from your device. A TV’s port may not work for a variety of reasons, including dust in the port.
The fact that most modern TVs have multiple HDMI ports is a plus. You can then connect your Roku to a different port on your TV to see if it works.
If the port was the problem, switching to a different port should resolve it, and sound should now be available.
Change Roku Audio Mode
Roku has a variety of audio modes to choose from, so pick one that works with your TV and cable connection. It’s worth attempting to manually change the audio mode to see if this resolves your Roku sound issues.
TOSLINK Cable
If you use a TOSLINK cable with your Roku, change the audio mode to Dolby Digital to potentially fix sound issues:
- Press the Home button on your Roku remote to access Roku’s main interface.
- Select Settings on Roku’s main screen.
- Scroll down the Settings menu and choose Audio from the list.
- Choose HDMI and S/PDIF on the Audio settings screen.
- Select Dolby Digital from the audio options available in the menu.
If you use your Roku to watch a video or listen to music, the sound should be fine.
HDMI Cable
If you’re using an HDMI cable to connect Roku to your TV, try setting PCM-Stereo as the default audio mode to see if that helps:
- Access your Roku’s main interface by pressing the Home button on the Roku remote.
- Select Settings on Roku’s main interface.
- Choose Audio followed by HDMI on the Settings screen.
- From the audio modes list, select PCM-Stereo.
Play an audio or video file and see if you can hear the sound.
Related: How to Screenshot Only One Monitor in a Multi-Monitor Setup
Disable Volume Leveling
Volume leveling is a Roku feature that adjusts the volume levels on your device automatically. When you have sound problems, it’s worth turning off this feature to see if it fixes the problem:
- Play a video or audio on your Roku device.
- While the media is playing, press the * (asterisk) button on your Roku remote.
- Select Sound settings from the menu that opens in the left sidebar.
- Highlight the Volume leveling option using your Roku remote.
- Press the right-arrow key on your Roku remote until the option says Off.
That should fix the sound issues with your Roku.
Reset Roku
If nothing else works, go back to the factory settings on your Roku. This should take care of any issues that arise as a result of incorrectly configured options. When you reset your Roku, it returns to its factory settings.
Keep in mind that when you reset your Roku, you lose access to all of your customized options. Your Roku account is also delinked from your device. After your Roku has been reset, you can reconnect it to your account.
- Press the Home button on your Roku remote.
- Select Settings on Roku’s main interface.
- Choose System from the Settings menu.
- Select Advanced system settings on the System screen.
- Highlight the Factory reset option.
- In the right area of your screen, you’ll see a four-digit code. Type this code using your Roku remote to reset your device.
After you’ve reset your Roku, connect it to your account to gain access to your content.
There is another way to reset your Roku if you are unable to follow the above steps for some reason. A Reset button or pinhole can be found on the back of your Roku device. To reset your Roku, press this button or poke it with a pinhole.
It’s Easy to Resolve Roku’s Sound Issues
It’s inconvenient when your Roku device suddenly stops playing sound. With the simple solutions listed above, you can eliminate the sound error and resume normal media playback.
