Roku is preparing a fairly substantial refresh to its home screen. The OS update appears to be bringing an overalled user interface alongside quality-of-life improvements. One of which is the introduction of a ‘Continue Watching’ row.
The new Roku OS 12 update is currently being tested by select users. In leaked screenshots, it’s shown that the ‘Continue Watching’ row highlights pieces of content recently watched across select apps. This feature is commonly seen across services like Netflix, Prime Video, etc. However, it’s Google TV that brought it to Android TV OS nearly 10 years ago.
The overhauled home screen Roku is introducing includes a new 4×4 grid layout. This effectively expands the current 3×3 grid. It’s a neat perk that adds more apps to the home screen without having to scroll. The ‘Continue Watching’ row looks to be right above the grid, as shown by CordCuttersNews. Right above this new section are the custom shortcuts users can create.
The ‘Continue Watching function’ was first introduced by Roku in its OS 11.5 update. However, it was hidden under the ‘What to Watch’ section. The overhauled home screen simplifies the experience of finding your recently viewed content without jumping to another page.
As of now, there’s no confirmation on when the Roku OS 12 update will be released. Historically, the company reserves its larger software updates to sometime in the fall. This is likely when the 4×4 grid is being introduced. However, there’s no guarantee the ‘Continue Watch’ row will be ready for a wide launch at that time.
Image credit: CordCuttersNews
Source: CordCuttersNews
