TCL Roku TV 'Activation Required' — How to Activate Your TV

What it means

'Activation Required' (or 'Let's activate your Roku — go to roku.com/link') on a TCL Roku TV is part of normal setup, not a fault.
The TV is asking you to link it to a free Roku account so it knows which apps to install and which store to use.
It's free — you only enter a payment method if you choose, and you can skip that step.
The TV won't let you watch anything until activation is done.

Affected Models

All TCL Roku TVs during first-time setup
TCL Roku TVs after a factory reset
TCL 3-Series, 4-Series, 5-Series, 6-Series Roku models

Common Causes

First-time setup — every Roku TV must be linked to a Roku account before it can run apps
After a factory reset, the TV has to be re-activated
TV is offline and can't reach roku.com/link
Account region doesn't match where the TV is (US Roku account, UK TV, for example)
Sign-up screen times out and re-shows the same prompt
Suspicion of a 'pay to activate' scam page — the real Roku page never charges you to activate

How to Fix It

Connect the TV to the internet first.

Activation needs the TV online.
Pick your Wi-Fi network and enter the password, or plug an Ethernet cable into the TV's LAN port.
Wait for the connection check to pass.
Until the TV has internet, the activation code won't appear.
Note the code on the TV screen.

The TV shows a short code (usually six characters) and the address roku.com/link.
Write it down or take a photo.
The code expires after a while — if it does, the TV will show a new one.
Open roku.com/link on a phone or computer.

Type roku.com/link into a browser — do not use a search engine for 'roku activation', because the top results are sometimes scam sites that ask you to pay.
The genuine page is on roku.com and is free.
Enter the code from the TV when asked.
Sign in or create a free Roku account.

If you already have a Roku account, sign in.
If not, follow the create-account steps — email, password, and your country.
You don't have to add a credit card; on the 'Payment method' step, choose Skip (or 'I'll set up later') unless you actually want to buy paid channels.
Pick the country your TV is in.

Choose the country that matches where the TV physically is.
Mixing a US account with a UK TV, or vice versa, leaves you with the wrong store and missing apps.
If you already created the account in the wrong country, you'll need to make a new account for the right one — Roku doesn't let you change a country on an existing account easily.
Wait for the TV to finish activating.

Within about a minute of completing the web form, the TV moves past the activation screen on its own and downloads its app icons.
If it stays stuck on the activation screen for more than five minutes after you finished on the website, restart the TV (unplug for a minute, plug back in) — it'll pick up the activation on next boot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does TCL Roku TV activation cost money?

No.
Genuine Roku activation through roku.com/link is free — you only enter a payment method if you choose, and you can skip that step entirely.
If you land on a page that asks for a fee to activate your Roku, you're on a scam site.
Close it, type roku.com/link directly into your browser, and start again.
Roku is funded by ads and the apps you install through it, not by activation fees.