Return to Roku Home and move between menu items. If their names are read aloud, check Settings → Accessibility → Screen reader. If menus are quiet but a show describes actions, inspect that app's audio track. Turning off the Roku screen reader does not select a different soundtrack in Netflix.
Find out when the extra voice speaks before changing more settings. Roku’s Screen reader reads menu text; an audio-description soundtrack describes what happens inside a show. Either can be useful, but turning off one will not necessarily change the other. Keep the feature wanted by the person using the device and adjust the unwanted voice.
Test menus and playback separately
Press Home on the Roku remote, then move between a few menu items. Listen for app names, button labels, or the position of the highlighted item. Next, open the affected app and play the title where you heard the narration.
| What you hear | First place to check |
|---|---|
| Roku reads menu names as you move the selection | Roku Screen reader |
| Menus are quiet, but a narrator describes scenes | The streaming app’s audio-language track |
| Only one show or episode has the extra voice | That title’s selected track and the app’s support |
| Speech comes from the television’s own settings menu | The television manufacturer’s accessibility guidance |
These observations narrow the next check; they are not proof of a hardware fault. Note whether you use a Roku TV or a separate player connected to another television. The TV’s own controls and a streaming app can have settings outside the Roku Home interface.
Turn off Roku menu speech and check the shortcut
On a supported US Roku device, open Settings → Accessibility → Screen reader and set it to Off if that is the desired setting. Roku previously called this feature Audio Guide, so older instructions may use that name. Return Home and move the selection again to confirm menu speech stopped.
The remote shortcut is four quick presses of Star, the Options button below and to the right of the directional pad. It toggles the feature when the shortcut is enabled. Repeatedly trying the shortcut can switch it back on, so use the settings menu when you need to confirm the current state.
In the Screen reader settings, review Shortcut. Disable it if accidental Star presses keep turning menu speech on and you do not need that shortcut. When disabled, four Star presses will no longer enable the reader. This setting does not remove a narrated soundtrack from a movie.
Roku’s current device-specific guide lists supported US models. If a listed model lacks the feature, it directs you to check for a software update. Use that official guidance for your model rather than assuming every TV or app has the same menu. If the remote cannot navigate Home, resolve its connection first; pressing TV volume buttons does not show that the Roku navigation link works.
If Netflix still describes the scenes
Start the affected movie or episode in Netflix. For a TV or streaming player, Netflix says to press Up or Down on the remote to show playback controls. Open Audio & Subtitles, or the language options shown at the bottom on some TVs. Use Other if it is offered to reveal additional options.
Choose the desired language track whose name does not include Audio Description. Resume the same scene and listen for normal dialogue without the added scene description. Keep the volume audible so you can compare the original dialogue as well as the extra narration.
This is Netflix’s audio-track procedure. Another app may arrange its language or accessibility controls differently. Use that app’s official help instead of expecting its menus to match Netflix. Turning captions off changes displayed text; it does not select a different audio track.
If Netflix keeps returning to the previous choice, check the profile and title you used. Netflix notes that preferences may not save when most Kids titles are watched from an adult profile; the viewer’s appropriate profile matters. Do not change a child’s access restrictions just to troubleshoot a soundtrack. Record whether the setting persists after leaving and returning to playback.
Confirm the result before resetting anything
Check both parts of the original problem: move around Roku Home, then reopen the affected app and title. The desired result may be quiet menus, ordinary dialogue without scene narration, or both. A change in one place does not establish that the other was fixed.
If only one episode or language track remains affected, keep its title, season, episode, selected language, profile type, Roku model, and software version for the streaming provider. Netflix offers accessibility feedback and its normal support channels. For Roku menu speech that remains despite the confirmed Off setting, use Roku’s official support route.
Avoid factory-resetting the device or canceling a subscription for this first symptom. Those actions can remove preferences or access without identifying the voice. If someone else relies on accessibility features, agree on the intended setting before changing it again. A useful support report says exactly where speech continues and which menu or audio-track selection you confirmed.
Primary sources
- Roku Support — Screen reader and shortcut settings
- Roku Support — Accessibility on the Roku platform
- Netflix Help — Audio Description for shows and movies
- Netflix Help — Accessibility and feedback
Interfaces and policies change. We recheck the steps above against these sources and show the verification date at the top of the guide.