Roku Removes Aquatic Life Screensaver to Roku City
Roku is retiring its fish tank screensaver, with the Roku City screensaver becoming the default on December 1, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Aquariums
On December 1, 2026, Roku will remove the Aquatic Life screensaver, also known as the fish tank screensaver, and switch to Roku City as the default. Roku users are already receiving an on-screen notification about the change.
Why it matters
The change replaces a long-running ambient screensaver with a promotional space that has grown into an advertising platform for the company. Users who prefer the fish tank visuals can still browse the Theme Store to select a different screensaver.
The Aquatic Life screensaver will be removed on December 1, 2026, and Roku City will take its place as the default. Roku City was introduced in 2017, and the source does not say how many users are affected by the switch.
The players
Roku
Roku is a streaming device and platform company whose devices and operating system display the screensaver in question.
The details
Roku is removing the Aquatic Life screensaver, which has also been called the fish tank screensaver. Roku City, introduced in 2017 as an entertainment utopia, has gradually become an advertising opportunity, with recent examples including a Barbie billboard and McDonald's golden arches.
Timeline
2017: Roku City is introduced as an entertainment utopia screensaver.
April 2026: Roku launches the Roku City Dash game.
December 1, 2026: The Aquatic Life screensaver is removed and Roku City becomes the default.
Culture Shift
The move reflects a broader pattern in which ambient streaming-device screens are used for promotion rather than neutral visuals. Roku City's evolution from a 2017 entertainment utopia into a platform for brand billboards illustrates that shift.
Viewers who leave their Roku devices idle will see Roku City instead of the fish tank visuals starting December 1, 2026. Users who want to keep an aquarium-style display can browse the Theme Store in Settings > Theme > Screensaver to choose a different one.
The takeaway
Roku users who want to keep the fish tank look should check Settings > Theme > Screensaver before December 1, 2026, to pick a replacement. Otherwise the default screensaver will switch to Roku City on that date.
What happens next
On December 1, 2026, the Aquatic Life screensaver will be removed and Roku City will become the default screensaver.
Further reading
For more on the fish tank visuals at the center of this change, see our Aquariums coverage.
