Roku has revealed plans to terminate Photo Streams in early 2026, substituting it with Backdrops, which provides limited personal photo capabilities but comes with a collection of artwork. The transition is in progress, with notifications regarding the change expected to surface in the upcoming months. By late January 2026, Photo Streams will cease functioning, guiding users towards Backdrops. Currently, Photo Streams acts as a screensaver, showcasing user-uploaded pictures. These pictures will still be available on Backdrops, but only a single gallery can be seen at once, and Backdrops must be enabled for photos to show. By February 2026, non-active Roku screens will revert to the Roku City backdrop, which features advertisements.

This modification may disappoint users who appreciated the ease of showcasing personal photos. To facilitate the transition, Roku is providing complimentary digital art, featuring approximately 4,500 images, including pieces by artists such as Johannes Vermeer, Paul Gauguin, Leonardo da Vinci, and Mary Cassatt, alongside images of nature and cityscapes. Users can modify the photo display duration and initiate it using the power button on the Roku remote.

Roku claims that Backdrops consolidates photos into a single app that is more user-friendly, customizable, and will offer new photo and ambient experiences over time.