Summer travel streaming tips

Posted: 28 Jun 2019 08:19 AM PDT

Abby Reyes, Roku’s resident entertainment trends expert, has been covering streaming entertainment since 2015. She answers customer questions monthly in her #HeyAbby series right here on the Roku blog.

Summer is here and the longer days mean one thing — more time to sit back, relax and, of course, stream! Lately, folks have been asking #HeyAbby about streaming tips and tricks for people on the go this travel season. Before you hit the road, don’t forget to pack your entertainment alongside your sunblock and flip flops because who wants to be stuck in a hotel room with limited channels or a rental home with dusty old VHS tapes (gasp!). There’s nothing like kicking up your feet, plugging in your Roku player and making it a summer of streaming with these Roku travel tips.

#1 Be the perfect host with Guest Mode

Are you preparing to host guests at your home or short term rental property this summer? Guest Mode lets your guests sign in to streaming channels using their own account credentials, so they can stream with their accounts and not yours. Guests can specify the dates of their stay and their credentials will be automatically removed from your Roku device when they leave. To turn on Guest Mode, go to Settings > System > Guest Mode. Your guests can now avoid the frantic post-departure shuffle that occurs when they realize they haven’t logged out of their account! For a full rundown on the feature, here’s everything you need to know about Guest Mode.

#2 Streaming at your hotel

If you’ve ever thought, "wouldn't it be great if I could take my Roku player with me when I'm on the go?" then Hotel & Dorm Connect is the perfect feature for you. This handy feature allows you to easily connect your Roku player* to “captive portal” wireless networks – e.g. those networks in hotel rooms, college dorms or other public locations that require sign-in through a web browser. With Hotel & Dorm Connect, you can easily connect your Roku streaming device to the hotel’s wireless network using your computer or smartphone. If you're planning a hotel stay this summer, here’s how to use our Hotel and Dorm Connect feature.

#3 Watch The Roku Channel on the go with the Roku mobile app

The Roku mobile app for iOS or Android is your ultimate companion for streaming on-the-go. Whether you’re waiting for your taxi or killing time between flights, use the free Roku mobile app to stream The Roku Channel anywhere, anytime. You can watch hundreds of free movies and TV shows, live news, sports, and more. Your existing Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel like HBO, CINEMAX, SHOWTIME, STARZ and EPIX are also available to watch through the app.