5 Must-Have Roku TV Apps That Everyone Should Try

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Every iteration of Roku has come with more perks than the last, from the addition of streaming services to all kinds of Roku TV apps. Even if you started with a Roku stick pre-Disney+ — those were wild days — there are plenty of reasons to stick with the new and full-featured Roku TVs available these days.

Roku isn't just for TVs either — you can find Roku smart home devices that make life easier, in addition to more entertaining. And when it comes to customizing your Roku device, the best place to start is with a selection of on-screen apps.

When I bought my most recent Roku TV, the first thing I did was download all my family's favorite streaming apps, from DirecTV to Disney+ to Paramount and more. Little did we know, there was so much more available on the Roku TV than just those platforms. Plus, most of them don't cost anything. These are five must-have Roku TV apps you should download and check out.

YouTube is basically a no-brainer in terms of additional entertainment. Like anything else, it's probably the most rewarding if you have YouTube Premium, since you'll experience ads otherwise. But either way, watching free programming on YouTube is one of the ways to get the most out of your Roku without spending on more subscriptions.

While you can access Apple TV and other streaming services on your Roku TV, YouTube has some content you can't really find anywhere else. For example, I recently discovered ambient videos like crackling fireplaces and snowflakes falling outside windows. Whatever kind of white noise you prefer, you can find that on YouTube, too, so you can have something running for background noise while you're doing other things.

YouTube also has plenty of content you can find on traditional streaming services, like sports, game shows, and late night TV programs. Even if you don't stream anything else on your Roku TV, I doubt you'll run out of things to watch.

NASA's Roku TV app is probably my favorite recent discovery.The app offers all kinds of shows, documentary series, and even archival footage of past (and sometimes very long ago) rocket launches, all for free. Multiple documentary series have dozens of episodes, and there are hours and hours of space-y things to watch. There are also upcoming launch schedules where you can tune in live to whatever is happening with NASA.

The NASA app has content for all ages, too, including programming for kids. If you didn't already know how to move the apps and channels on your Roku, you'll want to put NASA at the very top. The only potential drawback I've found is that the International Space Station live feed isn't always live streaming, which could be attributed to tech glitches. However, the image of the day and astronaut picture of the day are cool features.

You can also listen to various podcasts about space exploration, and there's a radio station, too. Third Rock Radio streams "new rock discovery," according to NASA's release on the subject.

It may have been updated and revamped for modern (aka iPad) audiences, the classic game of Snake is still a favorite of many millennials. If you're after some nostalgia, the good news is that your Roku TV has the perfect solution: a very retro Snake game right on your TV. This one's a classic game for those of us who remember the original game on our Nokia phones, but my kids like it, too.

There are both free and paid versions, but the free one is plenty to try out different levels and pass time. It's also far easier to play using your Roku remote (you might need the Roku remote finder) on the TV screen than it was on your Nokia's tiny monochrome LCD screen.

Games are one practically hidden feature on Roku, and something I never thought about before scrolling through the app store. While there are other hidden features on Roku that make it more fun to use, being able to play a few basic games makes it more than a streaming tool.

Live camera feeds are one of my family's favorite things to check out, because we like to see what's going on in other parts of the world. FlyCams Live is another must-have Roku TV app if the TV viewers in your household are nosy, too. FlyCams Live offers live camera feeds from places all over the world, although some of the genre-specific streams are from a singular location. For example, most of the animal live feeds are streaming from the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California. When we tuned in, we saw an elephant eating hay and some apes swinging around their exhibit.

Other camera feeds show beaches and piers, famous landmarks, and even some sports facilities like a pickleball court in Hilton Head Island, Georgia. You can tune in to a feed from behind the Hollywood sign or people watch over Venice Beach (both in California) or see what's going on at a city market in Savannah, Georgia.

Not every live feed is active at the same time, which is to be expected since, ostensibly, different people or organizations own and maintain each one. However, there is still plenty to watch at any given time.

If "America's Funniest Home Videos" is a show you enjoy, you might like tuning into AFV Animal Clips, too. Unlike the actual show, AFV Animal Clips don't have any commentary, so it's just the actual audio from each clip. You also don't have to struggle through watching the least-funny videos winning thousands of dollars (don't you hate it when that happens?).

The Roku app is also solely animal videos (though some also feature humans), with different options you can stream. It's also free, although it does have ads in between the videos. You do get plenty of videos in between ads, though the ad bit could be frustrating if you're used to paying for premium streaming without interruptions.

Whatever you're into, being able to change settings on your Roku TV and download a variety of apps lets you personalize your viewing experience. Whether you're new to Roku or have had it for years, there's always something surprising to add to your entertainment queue.