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To watch IPTV on Android TV or Google TV, install TiviMate from the Google Play Store on the TV itself and add the Xtream Codes login from your IPTV Canada provider as a playlist. It takes about 15 minutes on a Sony Bravia, a TCL or Hisense Google TV, the Google TV Streamer, a Chromecast with Google TV or an NVIDIA Shield, and there is nothing to sideload. Your login is in the welcome email that comes with an IPTV Subscription. Android phones and tablets use a different player with the same login, covered in section 6.
1. What You Need
- A TV or streamer with Google Play, signed in to a Google account. On Google TV, use the main profile: kids profiles only get apps a parent approves.
- Your login: a server address, username and password (Xtream Codes), or a single M3U link. Our post on where to get an IPTV URL explains each part of it.
- About 25 Mbps for a 4K stream, or 10 Mbps for HD.
- Free storage. A Chromecast with Google TV has only 8 GB, so remove games you no longer play. The Google TV Streamer has 32 GB and a gigabit Ethernet port.
- Your phone as a keyboard. The Google Home app turns your phone into a remote with a keyboard for a Chromecast or Google TV Streamer, which makes typing a server address far easier.
2. Which App to Install
TiviMate is the player we recommend on a TV: it installs straight from Google Play, takes Xtream Codes and M3U logins, and its grid guide is one of the clearest of any IPTV app. Our best free IPTV apps post compares it with players for other devices.
| App | Where you get it | Works on | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| TiviMate IPTV Player | Google Play | Android TV and Google TV only | Free, optional paid Premium |
| Televizo | Google Play | Android phones and tablets | Free, optional paid upgrade |
| XCIPTV Player | Google Play | Android phones and tablets | Free |
| Kodi | Google Play | Phones, tablets and TVs | Free |
Use Xtream Codes when your provider offers it: one sign in loads the channels, the TV guide and the on-demand library. An M3U link works too, but the guide usually needs a separate EPG link (section 4).
3. Install TiviMate and Sign In
Step 1: Install TiviMate from Google Play
- On Google TV, open the Apps tab and select Search for apps and games. On older Android TV menus, open the Google Play Store app from the apps row instead.
- Type TiviMate, or press the microphone button on the remote and say it.
- Select TiviMate IPTV Player and check that the developer is Armobsoft FZE. Copycat apps use similar names.
- Choose Install, then Open. Later you will find it under Apps > Your apps.
Step 2: Add your Xtream Codes login
- Select Add playlist. TiviMate starts empty: it is a player, and your channels come from your login.
- Choose Xtream Codes as the playlist type.
- Fill in Server address exactly as your email shows it, including
http://orhttps://and the port number after the colon. Then fill in Username and Password, which are case sensitive. Leave Include TV channels and Include VOD ticked, and select Next.
- TiviMate checks the login and shows Playlist is processed with the number of channels, movies and TV shows it found. Give the playlist a name such as “Home” and select Done.
- Wait a few minutes while the TV guide loads in the background. A large lineup takes longest the first time.
If the counts show zero, the login has a typo: go back and retype every field before you contact your provider.
4. Using an M3U Link Instead
- Select Add playlist, then M3U playlist.
- Choose Enter URL and type the whole link, or Paste from clipboard if you copied it on the TV. Select Next.
- On the EPG URL screen, enter the guide link from your welcome email and select Done. TiviMate reads guides in XMLTV format, and you can add or change the link later in its settings.
- Name the playlist and finish, as in step 4 above.
5. Set Up the Guide, Favourites and Picture
Once the guide fills in, TiviMate shows each channel in a grid with what is on now and next. Open the menu on the left edge of the guide to reach Settings.
- Favourites: press and hold the select button on a channel and add it to Favourites. They get their own group at the top.
- Hide groups you never watch under the playlist settings, and move the ones you do watch to the top. On a large lineup this changes how the guide feels every day.
- Wrong programme times: check the TV’s time zone in its own settings first, then adjust the guide offset in TiviMate only if it is still off.
- Empty guide: update the EPG from TiviMate’s settings. With an M3U link, check the EPG link is there.
- Smoother sports: on Google TV, go to Settings > Display & Sound > Advanced display settings and turn on Match content frame rate if your device offers it.
- Recording and several playlists come with TiviMate Premium, bought separately from your IPTV plan. Check the features in the app before you pay.
6. IPTV on an Android Phone or Tablet
TiviMate is built for TV screens, so it does not appear when you search Google Play on a phone. Install Televizo or XCIPTV Player instead: both take the same Xtream Codes or M3U login.
- Open Google Play on the phone and search for the player’s name.
- Check the developer (Andrey Menscikov for Televizo, OTTRUN for XCIPTV Player) and tap Install.
- Open the app, choose Xtream Codes, and copy the server address, username and password from your email instead of typing them.
On mobile data, lower the stream quality in the player to save your data plan. To watch on the big screen, install the player on the TV rather than casting: casting adds a second device between the stream and the screen, and the picture is softer.
7. Other Ways to Install
If an app is not in Google Play, use the official Downloader app, which is on Google Play for TVs. Allow it under Settings > Apps > Security & restrictions > Unknown sources, download the app only from its developer’s own website, then switch the permission off again. Never install a “premium unlocked” file from a forum: modified apps are the usual way malware reaches a TV box. Keep Google Play Protect on, since it also scans apps you install this way.
On a box with its own player, such as a BuzzTV or a Formuler, the same login works in the built in app. On a Firestick, TiviMate installs through Downloader instead of a store. Our IPTV Guide covers every other device we support.
8. Fix Common Android TV Problems
TiviMate does not appear in Google Play
Search from the TV, not from a phone or a computer: the listing only shows on Android TV and Google TV devices. If it is still missing, update the device under Settings > System > About > System update and try again.
Login fails or the channel list is empty
Retype every field: a missing port, a space after the password or a lowercase letter that should be a capital causes most failures. An expired plan also loads an empty list. If the details match your email and it still fails, IPTV Support can confirm your account from their side.
Buffering in the evening
Restart the TV and the router, then move the device to Ethernet or 5 GHz Wi-Fi. A Chromecast with Google TV can take a USB-C power adapter with an Ethernet port. If it continues, our checklist for IPTV that stops working tells you within five minutes whether the problem is the TV, your network or the service.
The app freezes or closes
Go to Settings > Apps, select TiviMate and choose Clear cache. Clear storage only if you are ready to add your playlist again. Then check the free space on the device and install any system update.
Black screen with sound
TiviMate cannot decode that channel’s video with the current setting. Switch between hardware and software decoding in its playback settings and try the channel again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does TiviMate update by itself?
Yes. Apps from Google Play update automatically when auto updates are on, so you never need to reinstall TiviMate to get a new version.
Can I use the same login on my TV and my phone?
Yes. Sign in on each device with the same details. Each device that streams at the same time uses one of the connections your plan allows.
Is the Google TV Streamer better than a Chromecast for IPTV?
For IPTV, yes. It has four times the storage and an Ethernet port built in, so guide data has room to grow and evening streams stay steady. A Chromecast with Google TV still runs TiviMate well if you keep its storage free.
Can I record live TV on Android TV?
TiviMate Premium can record to the device’s storage or to a USB drive. Recording uses a lot of space, so a device with 8 GB fills quickly.
What if my TV does not have Google Play?
Then it runs another system, such as Samsung’s Tizen or LG’s webOS, with its own app store and different players. The simplest fix is a Google TV Streamer or a Firestick on a spare HDMI port, set up as in this guide or the Firestick one.
Is it legal to install TiviMate?
Yes. TiviMate is a legal player that ships empty. Whether the channels are licensed depends on the provider behind your login, as our post on whether IPTV is legal explains.
Do I need a VPN for IPTV on Android TV?
No. A VPN is optional. It adds privacy and can help when your internet provider slows streaming at busy times, but it costs some speed and does not change whether the content is licensed.
Conclusion
On Android TV and Google TV, the whole setup is TiviMate from Google Play plus your Xtream Codes login, with nothing to sideload. Spend two extra minutes after the first sign in: add your five most watched channels to Favourites and hide the groups you never open, because that is what makes the guide quick to use every evening. If you are still choosing a service, an IPTV free trial gives you a login to test TiviMate on your own TV before you pay.