How to Turn Your Roku TV into a Frame-Like TV Today – Free

Roku Backgrounds, launching in late 2024, turns your TV into an art display when you’re not watching anything. It works by showing curated artwork, photography, or your own photos as a rotating gallery or as a single static image. Backgrounds is available in newer versions of Roku OS, so make sure your device is up to date.

How to get Roku Backgrounds:

1. From the Roku home screen, go to Settings > System > System Updates.
2. Select Check Now and install any available updates.
3. Once updated, see the backdrop on your home screen.
4. Don’t see it? Open the streaming channel, find the backdrop and add it.

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On some Roku TVs, the backdrop also appears under Settings > Background.

One of the best parts of Backgrounds is that it includes thousands of free images ranging from classic paintings to modern photography, so you don’t need to prepare your own art to display.

How to browse Roku’s art collection:

1. Launch the Backgrounds app and select the Browse button.
2. Browse curated collections. You’ll see classic artwork from famous artists, landscapes, abstract paintings, fine photography and more.
3. Select any collection to preview the images in it.
4. You can also open individual images to preview them and view details like the artist’s name or artwork title.

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The backdrop will let you display an entire rotating collection or a single image, which brings me to the next step.

Once you find something you like, you need to tell Roku how to display it. If you want to mimic a traditional framed print, I recommend choosing a single image to display.

How to set up artwork or a slideshow on Roku:

1. To display an image, open an image for preview and select Start Backgrounds.
2. You can also press the * button on your Roku remote to preview it, set it, or add it to favorites.
3. To set up a slideshow, open a collection and select Set as background.

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You may also want to adjust your TV’s settings so that the image looks natural in your room. Try lowering the brightness and contrast, turning off motion smoothing, and switching to a mode like Picture or Movie. The exact steps vary by TV, so check your model’s manual or settings menu.

It doesn’t cost anything, it only takes a few minutes to do and it instantly makes your TV feel like framed art.

If you have your own art you want to display, you’re not limited to Roku’s collection. Backgrounds lets you upload individual photos or link a Google Photos album.

How to Display Your Art on Roku:

1. In the Backgrounds app, select Upload photo at the bottom.
2. You may be asked to scan a QR code with your phone.
3. Next, upload the picture from your phone or computer through Roku’s site.
4. Organize photos into albums if you want multiple collections.
5. Alternatively, select Connect Google Photos and select an album.

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Once uploaded, your individual albums will appear in the background below Roku’s collection. For best display quality, Roku suggests using high-resolution photos in JPG or PNG format. The resolution should match or exceed the resolution of your TV to avoid any pixelation.

The backdrops will automatically activate when your Roku device is idle. This is part of what makes the whole setup feel like magic. You can adjust your backdrop settings under the Background app > Settings > Background preferences. From there, enable the backdrop, set your image duration, and choose a start and end time.

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If you want to manually put your TV into Art mode, you can do that as well.

How to Manually Enter Art Mode on Roku:

1. If you have a Roku Voice Remote, say “Launch Backgrounds” to start displaying your artwork.
2. Once your background is displayed, press * on your remote to browse image duration, auto-start time, daily stop time, and backgrounds.