I imagine you‘re reading this because you just got some new AirPods and a Roku TV. Congratulations! Now you want to connect those wireless earbuds to your brand new television set for private listening.
That makes complete sense – wirelessly streaming audio straight into your ears allows you to watch movies late at night without bothering your family members asleep in nearby rooms. Fortunately new technology like Bluetooth makes this kind of wireless connection possible between devices like your phone, earbuds, and TV.
In this guide, I‘ll explain exactly how Bluetooth allows these wireless connections to work. I‘ll also provide some history on Roku‘s private listening and take you through each step to connect your AirPods or wireless headphones to start privately listening on that Roku TV in no time!
An Overview of Roku and AirPods
First, some quick background to level-set what Roku and AirPods each actually are.
Roku refers to a family of streaming players, sticks, and TVs that plug into your television set. They run a Linux-based operating system called Roku OS that allows you to access over 10,000 streaming channels offering movies, TV shows, music and more. Here is a breakdown of some popular Roku device types:
| Device | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Roku Express | Small streaming stick that plugs into TV‘s HDMI port | $29.99 |
| Roku Streaming Stick+ | Faster streaming with voice remote with TV controls | $49.99 |
| Roku Ultra | Top-end model with Bluetooth/headphones, USB, Ethernet | $99.99 |
| Roku Streambar | Streamer + soundbar all-in-one system | $129.99 |
| TCL/Roku TV | TVs with Roku software built-in from 32" to 85" | $199+ |
As you can see, Roku offers streaming devices at just about every price point. They continue to be one of the most popular options with over 60 million monthly active accounts globally as of 2022.
AirPods are Apple‘s hugely successful wireless Bluetooth earbuds first released in 2016. They automatically connect with Apple devices like iPhones and stream audio over a short-range Bluetooth connection. Here are some quick AirPods stats:
- Over 50% market share in true wireless earbuds in the US as of Q2 2022
- Estimated 72 million AirPods sold globally in 2021
- Average rating of 4.7/5 stars across major reviews
Much of the appeal comes from the seamless connectivity with iPhones, wireless charging cases, tap controls, and active noise cancellation on higher models. It‘s no wonder AirPods have taken the personal audio world by storm!
Why Connect AirPods to Your Roku TV
You‘re likely purchasing a bunch of great new gear, so being able to use them together makes sense! Here are some of the main benefits of connecting your AirPods to that new Roku TV:
Convenience – Not having to manually disconnect and swap headphones between phone and TV listening
No Wires – Complete wireless freedom without tripping over cords
Private Listening – Hear the TV sound directly without disturbing family members
Pretty great set of perks! The good news is that connecting them is quick and easy if you follow this guide.
Now that you‘ve got the basics on what we‘re connecting, let‘s get to it!
Step 1: Pair Your AirPods with Your iPhone
First things first – you need to get your AirPods paired locally to your iPhone over Bluetooth.
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless communication standard that allows data transmission between devices over radio waves rather than cables/wires. Bringing AirPods close to an iPhone creates a Bluetooth connection between the two where data like audio can be streamed.
To pair your AirPods:
- Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your iPhone
- Open the AirPods case close to your phone
- A pairing popup will appear – tap Connect
- Open Settings > Bluetooth to verify AirPods appear as Connected
This same Bluetooth pairing process allows all types of devices to connect from headphones to speakers to cars. Pretty incredible technology!
Step 2: Download the Roku Mobile App
Now you need to grab the Roku app from your phone‘s app store:
- Search for "Roku" and select the Roku app
- Tap Install/Get to download the app
- Open the Roku app once downloaded
This app will act as the remote control for your Roku TV. It also enables streaming the TV audio to headphones so having it installed is critical.
Fun fact – the Roku app has been installed over 200 million times making it one of the most popular entertainment apps globally!
Step 3: Sign In to Link Your Roku Account
Upon opening the Roku app, you need to sign in using your Roku account credentials:
- Input your Roku email and password
- This links your iPhone to your Roku account and devices
By using the same Roku account, you are authorizing connectivity across devices like from the TV to your phone. If this is your first time signing in from the mobile app, the TV may prompt confirming linking the new device.
Step 4: Select Your Roku TV
If you have multiple Roku devices under your account like and Ultra, Streambar, and Roku TV – you need to specify which Roku TV to control:
- Tap on Devices in the bottom menu
- Select the name of the specific Roku TV
This ensures the Roku app controls connect to the streaming box and television you intend. For most homeowners, there is likely only one Roku TV to choose from.
Step 5: Enable Private Listening
Here comes the most important step to get audio playing from the Roku TV directly into your AirPods.
On the Roku mobile app:
- Navigate to the Remote menu
- Select the Headphones icon
- Confirm enabling Private Listening if prompted
By passing the Roku TV sound to your iPhone first before routing to the AirPods, you‘ve enabled private listening!
Step 6: Start Streaming Roku Audio!
You‘re finally ready to start streaming a movie or TV show with audio privately playing through your AirPods:
- Put in AirPods and double check Bluetooth is connected on iPhone
- Use the Roku app remote to select a show on your Roku TV
- Audio should now stream from the TV to your iPhone and out through the AirPods!
It‘s that simple. I‘d recommend starting with a popular movie on Netflix or Hulu to fully enjoy your fancy new wireless home theater setup!
What About Other Bluetooth Headphones?
A great aspect about Roku private listening is that you can use all types of headphones – you‘re not restricted to only using AirPods.
Any Bluetooth headphones paired to your iPhone will stream the audio once connected. Or you can use wired headphones plugged directly into your phone‘s headphone jack if you want.
Here are some other headphone types that will work perfectly:
- Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds
- Sony WH-1000XM5 Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones
- Basic Apple Wired EarPods
- JBL Bluetooth Speaker (shared audio)
- And more! Shop around for your preferences
So while the steps above focus specifically on AirPods, keep in mind nearly all headphone models can connect. Our instruction apply universally thanks to the brilliant concept by Roku years ago.
Speaking of which, let‘s talk about the history behind Roku‘s private listening capability and how far it has come over the past decade.
A Brief History of Roku Private Listening
It may surprise you to know that Roku devices have offered private listening functionality since long before AirPods and mainstream wireless headphones…
In fact, the first Roku streaming box released back in 2008 included a standard 3.5mm headphone jack built right on the remote control itself!
By plugging wired headphones into the remote, users could stream audio privately without disturbing the rest of the room. Keep in mind this was well before the days of Bluetooth remotes or earbuds.
The downside was dealing with long cords dangling from your remote. And the two AAA batteries powering the remote would drain quickly streaming lots of audio.
But still – it highlighted fantastic innovation and underscored Roku‘s early commitment to private listening features.
In 2014, Roku brought private listening to mobile phones and tablets with the Roku app. This coincided with improving Bluetooth support and wireless headphones gaining traction globally.
Fast forward to 2022 and connecting Bluetooth earbuds like AirPods provides the ultimate convenient private listening configuration. The underlying capability traces back over a decade earlier to those humble wired headphone remote beginnings!
Now you know more about the impressive history that brought us to today‘s cord-free, multi-device private listening on Roku.
Final Thoughts
Well there you have it friend! In just a few quick steps you can be privately streaming movies, TV shows, and music to your new AirPods using that shiny new Roku TV.
No wires, no syncing multiple headphones, no waking up the kids or roommates. Just grab your phone loaded with the Roku app and start listening through the AirPods.
Here‘s a quick summary of what we covered:
- What Roku streaming devices and AirPods wireless earbud are
- Why connecting them is so useful
- How to pair AirPods to your iPhone
- Getting the Roku app and enabling private listening
- The history behind Roku‘s private listening features
With your gear all connected, now you can truly put your feet up and unwind with hours of great entertainment ahead!
Let me know if any issues getting your AirPods to play sound from the Roku once connected. I‘m always happy to help troubleshoot. Enjoy!
