● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsLow impact2 neutral
Roku to discontinue Aquatic Life screensaver by December 2026
Key points
- Roku's Aquatic Life screensaver will be removed on December 1, 2026.
- Devices using Aquatic Life will automatically switch to Roku City.
- The screensaver has been available for many years.
- Users have expressed disappointment over the removal.
- Jim Sachs, the developer of Aquatic Life, ended his licensing agreement with Roku.
- Sachs ended the agreement because Fox acquired Roku.
- The licensing agreement with Roku is renewed every October.
- Sachs developed the screensaver through his company SereneScreen.
Roku Discontinues Popular Screensaver
Roku announced that its Aquatic Life screensaver will no longer be available starting December 1, 2026. Users who currently have this screensaver set as their default have begun seeing messages informing them of the change. After the discontinuation date, devices will automatically switch to the Roku City screensaver.
User Reaction and Alternatives
The Aquatic Life screensaver, which features a digital aquarium with tropical fish, has been a long-standing and popular choice among Roku users. Many users have expressed disappointment on social media platforms like Reddit regarding its removal. Roku has acknowledged user feedback, stating it is being passed to the team.
For users seeking alternatives, the original screensaver is available as a two-minute clip on Roku's YouTube channel, which can be looped in a playlist. Additionally, numerous aquarium display videos are available on YouTube, and several third-party aquarium apps exist for Roku devices, though some may include advertisements. The original application can also be downloaded from SereneScreen for other devices.
Updates
- Jim Sachs, the developer of Aquatic Life, ended his licensing agreement with Roku.
- Sachs ended the agreement because Fox acquired Roku.
- The licensing agreement with Roku is renewed every October.
- Sachs developed the screensaver through his company SereneScreen.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
How outlets covered it
The developer of the "Aquatic Life" screensaver, Jim Sachs, has ended his licensing agreement with Roku, effective December 1. This decision was made after Sachs learned of Fox's acquisition of Roku, citing his unwillingness to be associated with Fox. Roku devices using the screensaver will automatically switch to the "Roku City" screensaver.
Roku will remove its Aquatic Life screensaver on December 1, 2026, automatically switching affected devices to the Roku City screensaver. The Aquatic Life screensaver, which displays a digital aquarium, has been a popular option for many years, and its removal has prompted user feedback.