Roku is ending Picture Streams, pushing all screensavers to Roku Metropolis

TV streamer Roku not too long ago introduced it is ending Picture Streams in early 2026 and changing it with one thing referred to as Backdrops, which limits private picture choices however features a library of paintings to cull from.

The transition from Picture Streams to Backdrops is already underway. “Over the following few months, you’ll begin seeing messages about Picture Streams shifting to Backdrops,” Roku introduced on their web site. “On the finish of January 2026, Picture Streams will cease working and solely show a message directing you to open Backdrops.”

Picture Streams at the moment operates as a screensaver for customers who set it up, filling in inactive display time by that includes footage uploaded by the person. These uploaded pictures will nonetheless be accessible on Backdrops, however just one gallery is offered to view without delay — and Backdrops have to be particularly turned on for the photographs to seem. By Feb. 2026, the screens of all inactive Roku classes will default to the (in)well-known Roku Metropolis background, which options promoting.

This transformation is clearly a bummer for individuals who cherished that includes their private pics on a big display with out having to assume a lot about it. Roku is making an attempt to melt the blow by providing free digital artwork, totaling about 4,500 pictures, for customers of Backdrops. Works by artists like Johannes Vermeer, Paul Gaugin, Leonardo da Vinci, and Mary Cassatt had been accessible as of early December, together with pictures of nature and cityscapes. Background customers may also be capable of modify the picture show time and launch it straight with the Roku distant’s energy button. 

Roku doesn’t say there may be an promoting element behind the change, as a substitute stating, “Backdrops brings photographs into one app that is simpler to make use of, extra customizable, and can enable us to maintain including new picture and ambient experiences over time,”