Apple Watch now has a Roku app

Too lazy to reach for your remote or even your phone? Roku's got you.

Corinne Reichert Senior Editor

Corinne Reichert (she/her) grew up in Sydney, Australia and moved to California in 2019. She holds degrees in law and communications, and currently writes news, analysis and features for CNET across the topics of electric vehicles, broadband networks, mobile devices, big tech, artificial intelligence, home technology and entertainment. In her spare time, she watches soccer games and F1 races, and goes to Disneyland as often as possible.

Expertise News, mobile, broadband, 5G, home tech, streaming services, entertainment, AI, policy, business, politics Credentials

I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.

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Corinne Reichert

Nov. 8, 2019 2:13 p.m. PT

38-apple-watch-series-5 — The Apple Watch can now be a Roku remote.
Sarah Tew/CNET

The Apple Watch can now be used as a Roku remote while streaming. It's the same remote that appears on the phone app -- just wrist-sized. As of Friday, it'll appear on your Apple smartwatch if you update the mobile app to version 6.1.3 via your iPhone .

The Roku app on the Apple Watch also allows you to launch channels on your TV by tapping your watch screen, with the channels listed in order of most recently watched. You can additionally use voice search via the watch by tapping the voice icon inside the Roku app.

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Lastly, if you can't find your Roku remote, the Apple Watch app can be used to locate it. The smartwatch will signal the remote, which will then play a chime sound.

Apple launched its most recent smartwatch, the Watch Series 5, last month, while Roku unveiled its 2019 lineup in September. Its streaming players start at $30 with a new Express model and end at $100 with a more-ultra Ultra. The latest Apple Watch starts at $399 and now comes with an always-on display.