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Private listening lets you use headphones with your Roku TV or streamer, no wires required. Here's how to set it up.

When it comes to providing an easy-to-use and affordable platform for accessing your favorite streaming services like Netflix or Disney Plus, Roku devices have always been in the top tier. The Roku Express 4K Plus is CNET's top pick for streaming devices , offering 4K video, voice search, Apple AirPlay  and more for less than $50.

Roku's free mobile app for Android and iOS gets a lot of love too, with 1.3 million ratings and a 4.7-star average on Apple's App Store. It lets you use your phone as a remote, type using your keyboard and even perform voice searches. But my favorite feature on the app is one I don't often hear talked about.

It's called "private listening," and it allows you to stream the audio from your TV directly to your mobile phone, skipping the TV's speakers entirely. By connecting to a pair of headphones, either wired or wireless, you can watch TV late into the night without annoying anyone else in your household. 

Here's a rundown on how to use this feature.

Once you've downloaded the Roku app, you'll have to first connect your app to your Roku device of choice. You can find nearby devices in the app under the Devices menu at the bottom of the screen, which should be on the app's bottom right-hand side, with a TV icon. In order for your Roku to show up, both your phone and the device need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Click on the remote icon. On the mobile app, it should be the third option to the right and is conveniently labeled "remote." Tapping on the remote button should bring up a screen with a similar layout to the physical Roku remote, but with some extra buttons for keyboard typing and voice commands.

The private listening button, under the arrow keys, looks like a pair of over-ear headphones.

The private listening button will look like a pair of over-ear headphones. On most interfaces, the private listening button is below the purple select and arrow keys, often on the right-hand side. On the iOS app, it's on a row right above the play/pause, rewind and fast-forward buttons.

Once you click on private listening, you'll get a prompt explaining that private listening has been enabled, and how to turn the feature off (hint: it's just clicking on the button again). If you're using wired headphones, audio should immediately begin playing from your device.

If your headphones or other audio device is wireless, you'll first want to make sure the device is connected via your phone's Bluetooth settings. 

If for some reason the audio streaming into your headphones seems out of sync with the video on your screen, the Roku app can help. 

In the remote menu, click the settings icon (shaped like a gear) at the top left of the screen. This will take you to the controls settings menu.

The Roku app allows you to adjust audio delay using your phone camera.

Near the bottom of the menu, you should see an option that says Adjust audio delay. Before you begin this process, you'll need to disconnect from private listening. Once you're ready, click Get started.

You'll now be asked to hold your phone camera up to the screen, making sure the majority of the screen is captured. Once you click Continue, the screen will turn purple, and flash an occasional white screen alongside audio beeps to test the sync between the two. After about 10 seconds, audio should be synced up. If the audio is still off, you should be able to run through the syncing again until it lines up.

Now you should be good to go. 

For more information on private listening, visit Roku's support page.