What to do if your Smart Bulb, Smart Light Strip, or Smart Plug does not power on

Bulb or plug fails to power on

If your light bulb, light strip, or plug will not power on, review the suggestions below.

Inspect the power source connection

Check that the power source you are using with your smart home device is working properly.

• Power outlet:
  • Test your device by plugging it into a different power outlet. Alternatively, you can see if a different electronic device works in the same outlet.
  • Unplug your device from any power strips and connect it directly to a power wall outlet.
• Light switch: When connected to an outlet controlled by a light switch, be sure the switch is on.
• Dimmer switch: We do not recommend using a dimmer switch because they can cause flickering or intermittent blinking. If connected to an outlet controlled by a dimmer switch, make sure to set the dimmer to its highest level. Your smart home lights should only be dimmed using the smart home app or a voice command.
• GFCI outlet: A GFCI outlet can cut off power during a surge or outage. Check that the outlet does not need to be reset.
• Breaker box: Check the main electric panel for a tripped breaker.
• Loose bulb:If your Roku^® Smart Bulb isn't turning on, try tightening it securely into the socket.
• Power adapter: Only use the power adapter included in the box to power your smart home devices, and ensure it is securely connected to both the device and a working power outlet.

Tip: Use a voltmeter to check that the power outlet, light socket, or breaker box provides adequate voltage. If you need help, consult a licensed electrician.

Restart your device

You can also try restarting your Roku Smart Bulb, Smart Light Strip, or Smart Plug.

• Power outlet: Remove the power adapter for your device from the power outlet for roughly 10 seconds and then plug it back in.
• Light socket: Remove your smart bulb from the socket for roughly 10 seconds and then plug it back in.
• Breaker box: Go to the main electrical panel and turn the breaker off for about 10 seconds and then turn it back on.

Roku® Smart Bulb, Smart Light Strip, or Smart Plug cannot be powered on or off in the app

If you open the Smart Home Mobile App and cannot control power on your Roku^® device, start by checking if the device is powered on. You can look at the status light on your device to help determine this. If the device is OFF, review the suggestions in the previous section to get your device powered on. If the device is ON, go through the troubleshooting steps below to try and restore control.

Update and restart the app

Make sure the app is running the latest version by visiting the appropriate app store.

• iOS^®: Open the App Store^® on your iOS device and search for "Roku Smart Home mobile app," or visit the online App Store and download the latest version.
• Android^™: Open the Google Play^™ store on your Android device and search for "Roku Smart Home mobile app," or visit the online Google Play store and download the latest version.

If the problem continues, try restarting the smart home app using the following instructions.

Check device firmware

Confirm the software running on your bulb, plug, or light strip is up to date.

If you notice that your device is listed in the STATUS UNKNOWN section, it is offline and likely disconnected from Wi-Fi. For more help, learn why a smart home device may be offline.

Test Wi-Fi connection

If you recently moved, upgraded any network equipment, or changed the network name and/or password, you likely need to update the Wi-Fi settings for your smart home device.

Smart home device turns off and on unexpectedly

If your Roku^® Smart Bulb, Smart Light Strip, or Smart Plug is turning off and on unexpectedly, check the following in the Roku Smart Home mobile app.

• Review any automation: Open rules and look at any that include your device. Specifically check for a schedule that powers the device on and off at specific times or another smart home device performs an action. For help, learn how rules can automate your Roku Smart Home experience.
• Disable vacation mode: Vacation mode is designed to make it look like you are home when away by randomly turning your smart lights and plugs on and off. Turn vacation mode off to test if this is causing the unexpected behavior.

If a setting does not explain the behavior, determine if any of your other smart home devices are turning on and off unexpectedly. If only some devices are affected, try moving them closer to your Wi-Fi router. If all your smart home devices are affected, network instability or power fluctuations are typically to blame. Try testing the affected devices at another location to help rule out your network and power as the culprit.

Bulb, light strip, or plug does not turn on after a power outage

Some Roku Smart Home devices have a setting called power loss recovery that allows you to configure the power state after an outage. This means you can either choose to have your device turn on automatically when recovering from a power outage, or return to the state it was in before power went out. Use the steps below to adjust the power loss recovery setting.

Note: If you do not see the Power loss recovery selection, the feature is not supported on your device.

If your device is configured to maintain the last power state and it was off before a recent power outage, then it will still be off when power is restored. You must turn the device on manually, and you may want to change the power loss recovery setting to turn on your device after the next power outage.

Advanced troubleshooting steps

If you were not able to resolve your issue using the steps provided in the previous sections, try the solutions below.

Set up your device again

Refer to the appropriate setup article on the smart home devices category page. You do not need to remove your smart home device from the mobile app to set it up again.

Reset your device

If setting up your smart home device did not resolve the issue, you can factory reset it and then set it up again. This should be a last resort for troubleshooting purposes as doing so removes all preferences and settings.

If after checking all the suggestions above, your smart home device does not power on and it is under warranty, contact Roku Customer Support to get a replacement.