Roku is taking away a free feature, and fans aren’t happy

Roku (ROKU) is taking away a popular feature from its streaming devices next month, and some longtime users aren’t ready to say goodbye.

The company is retiring Aquatic Life, the free screensaver that turns a 4K TV into a virtual saltwater aquarium. Viewers have begun seeing an on-screen notice saying the screensaver “will no longer be available” starting Dec. 1, 2026, and that it will switch to Roku City.

TheStreet confirmed the notice on a Roku TV. Cord Cutters News first reported the change on Nov. 2.

Roku has not publicly explained the decision. TheStreet has asked the company for comment and will update this story if it responds.

Fans have already started petitions, and the replacement happens to be one of Roku’s most valuable pieces of advertising real estate. The change also lands while Roku is in the middle of a roughly $22 billion takeover by Fox Corp. (FOXA).

Also Read: Fox’s $22 billion Roku bet just won over a longtime skeptic

Roku’s Aquatic Life screensaver is going away Dec. 1

Roku offers Aquatic Life only on 4K streaming devices, according to its support site. After the cutoff, affected users will be switched to Roku City, the animated cityscape Roku introduced in 2017.

The notice tells users who want something different to browse the Theme Store under Settings, then Theme, then Screensaver.

Cord Cutters News noted that several other screensavers aren’t showing the same discontinuation message, including the Jungle and Nautical screensavers, “Star Trek: The Original Series,” and a range of holiday-themed options.

Roku has not shared how many people use Aquatic Life. The company does say it reaches more than 100 million streaming households worldwide.

A message reads: Starting Dec. 1, 2026, the Aquatic Life screensaver will no longer be available, and your screensaver will switch to Roku City.

Kelly Tyko/TheStreet

Why is Roku getting rid of Aquatic Life? What we know about the change

Roku City is more than a screensaver — it has become an advertising product.

In its annual report, Roku described native ads as “high-visibility placements,” including within the Roku City screensaver.

Those ads are one of several types Roku sells inside its own interface, which also include branded wallpaper themes on the Home screen, spotlight ads below the Home screen menu, and marquee ads beside the app tiles.

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Roku said it enhanced Roku City in 2025 with a new format for music, original storytelling, and interactive programming.

The company also shared in its 2023 annual report that it opened the screensaver to major advertisers in a broader range of industries. They included McDonald’s (MCD), Mattel (MAT), and Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corp. (CCL).

Cord Cutters News noted that viewers have spotted ads in Roku City for years, from a Barbie billboard to McDonald’s golden arches.

Roku has not said whether advertising played any role in retiring Aquatic Life.

Roku fans start petitions to save the Aquatic Life fish tank

Users aren’t taking the news quietly. At least three Change.org petitions started on Nov. 2 ask Roku to keep Aquatic Life, and together they had nearly 800 signatures as of 11:30 a.m. EST on Nov. 3.

One petition started by Toni Hershey said the screensaver’s underwater scenery has become a comforting part of many homes, including for families and children. It asked Roku to gather customer feedback before dropping features people enjoy.

Another petition started by Rhen Denis addressed Roku CEO Anthony Wood, saying the writer has used Aquatic Life for five years and that it makes the room feel cozy and familiar. The petition adds that the writer’s cat is mesmerized by it.

A third, started by Taylor Ellis, also asks Roku to keep the screensaver.

Fans have been vocal before. Roku’s community forums include threads going back to at least 2018 from users who found the aquarium missing from their devices.

In a later thread about the Home screen shortcut disappearing from some Roku Ultra players, one user wrote that their grandkids were not happy and asked, “Papa, how do I get the fish?”

Another user asked Roku to restore the shortcut and said they would “totally pay for it” as a $5-a-month subscription. A third wrote in an earlier thread that they “only purchased Roku because of this.”

Those posts were about earlier changes, not the Dec. 1 removal, but they do show how attached some owners are.

Fox’s $22 billion Roku takeover: Where the deal stands

Fox agreed in June to buy Roku. It will pay $96 in cash and 0.9693 shares of its Class A stock for each Roku share, according to its annual report.

Stockholders of both companies approved the deal in October, but it still needs antitrust clearance, Fox said in a quarterly filing. The Justice Department asked for more information in September, TheWrap also reported. The companies expect to close in the first half of 2027.

Nothing publicly links the screensaver decision to the deal.

How to change your Roku screensaver before Dec. 1

If you’d rather pick your own screensaver than get Roku City by default, you can change it now, according to Roku’s support site.

Go to Settings, then Theme, then Screensaver.

Choose an installed screensaver or browse the Theme Store, as the on-screen notice suggests. Roku’s support site says some screensavers are free and others can be purchased.

Select Preview to see how a screensaver looks before you commit.

Choose how long your Roku waits before the screensaver starts, or turn it off.

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