How to use Roku Backdrops for cool TV art

It’s only after you have to furnish your first adult home that you realize how expensive art is. When you’re a kid, or you’re in college, you can get away with hanging movie posters or sports team banners on your walls and no one will mind. But past a certain age, it’s not considered as cool (I didn’t make the rules). Trying to find sensible artwork to level up your home decor can be difficult.

If you want some artistic variety, you’re likely looking at either artistic photographs you took or buying something else — and don’t get us started on how much getting something professionally framed costs. Luckily, Roku just recently announced a new feature that can transform rooms in your home by turning your TV into artwork.

With a few simple clicks, you’ll be able to build a library of your favorite artwork through Roku Backdrops and even turn it on and off with your voice. You’ll also be able to control just how long the piece of art stays on your TV until it is switched with another piece of art. This is a game changer for anyone who doesn’t want to buy a TV specifically made to offer this as a feature. Here’s how to use Roku backdrops and when it will be made available.

Roku TV

Roku TV is the operating system of the Roku device. These can be standalone devices or Roku makes TVs with the OS built into it. It allows consumers to stream thousands of films, TV shows, and live events.

What is Roku Backdrops?

It’s an ideal addition to any art lover’s home

Roku

Roku Backdrops is a new feature available through Roku TV that allows users to set their Roku screen as a piece of artwork or a photograph to turn their TV into a picture frame. The feature is very similar to Samsung’s The Frame TV. With The Frame TV, you pay a subscription to be able to download some of the most famous pieces of art in history and display them as the background of your TV.

With Roku Backdrops, you don’t have to pay anything, as it is a completely free feature in the operating system. It is an app that will become available to your Roku TV or Roku device soon. Roku has started by rolling this out on Roku TV systems first with Roku standalone devices eventually being able to access this in a few weeks. The new feature was announced the first week of September 2024, so depending on when you’re reading this, it could be available now for you.

There is a library that you can peruse through to be able to find your favorites and build a collection from. The Roku Backdrops catalog will feature famous pieces of art, collections from different museums, a large array of abstract designs, and more. You’ll also be able to turn your Roku into a streaming device for your family photos as well, as you’re able to upload photos to the system and display them on your TV.

How to access Roku Backdrops

Once it’s on your TV, you’re set

Roku

Roku Backdrops is not available for every Roku TV or Roku device yet. That will be rolling out in updates over the next few weeks. Once it is available, you’ll be able to find it easily. What you’ll need to do to check if it is available on your device is:

• Go to Settings on the Home page
• Click on Home Screen Menu
• Click on Backdrops
• Open Backdrops

From there, you will have access to Roku Backdrops. You can choose a single image or a collection of photos to be your backdrops, and you’re able to customize how long each picture lasts as the backdrop if you choose a collection.

To start the Backdrops feature, you just need to hit the power button on your Roku remote or in the Roku app on your mobile device. If you press the power button, it will switch Backdrops on.

If you hold the power button, it can turn your TV off. You’re also able to use the Roku Voice remote and send a voice command to start up Backdrops.

How to customize Roku Backdrops

Pick the ones that you love

Roku

Once you’re set up in Roku Backdrops, you’re able to customize what you want to display. You can start by searching an artist or an artist’s collection.

• In Backdrops, choose collections by selecting one or searching one in the Search bar.
• At the top of one of the collections, choose “Set as Backdrops” or “Start Backdrops.”
  • “Set as Backdrops” allows you to select that collection as the Backdrops for your TV. “Start Backdrops” actually begins to show it as your Backdrops.

If you just want to choose one photo, you can click on the photo and select “Start Backdrops.” If you want that one photo to be something that is a personal photo of yours, you can do that as well. In the Backdrops app, you can click the Add your photos feature. After selecting Upload photos, there is a QR code you can scan that will allow you to upload photos from your phone to your device. You’re also able to connect and upload pictures from a synced Google Photos album.

The feature even allows users to create Favorites album of collections or images to be able to revisit as set Backdrops. Additionally, you can set default Bakcdrops by implementing the following:

• In the Backdrops App, select Settings
• From there, select Enable/Disable Backdrops
• You can also select Backdrops Brightness, Image Duration, and Daily Stop Time.
  • You’ll be able to get to the Backdrops Brightness, Image Duration, or Daily Stop Time is you hit the * button while you’re on a Backdrops image.

As you’re customizing your Backdrops collections, you can create and store up to 10 photo albums in your Favorites and reuse for different times of the day, week, month, or year.