IPTV Setup Guide

IPTV setup made simple: step-by-step guides for Fire TV, Samsung and LG TVs, Android TV, iPhone, Android and MAG boxes, plus the best app for each.

Setting up IPTV takes a few minutes: install a player app, add the login we email you, and your channels load. Pick your device below and follow the steps. If you get stuck, contact us and a real person will help.

Before you start

When your plan or free trial is ready, we email your login details in one of two formats:

  • Xtream Codes login: a server URL, a username and a password. This is the easiest option, because most apps use it to load live channels, the TV guide, movies and series in one go.
  • M3U playlist link: a single web address that contains your channel list. Use it with apps that don’t support Xtream Codes, such as VLC. Here’s how M3U playlists work.

You’ll also need a supported device, one of the player apps below (compare them in our best IPTV player guide) and a steady internet connection: at least 10 Mbps for HD and 25 Mbps or more for 4K.

Tip: copy, don’t retype

Server addresses are easy to mistype with a TV remote. Where you can, copy and paste them from our email on your phone or computer, or add your playlist through the app’s own website.

How to set up IPTV on Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick

Fire TV Sticks, Fire TV Cubes and Fire TV smart TVs all run the same system, so the steps are the same on each.

  1. From the Fire TV home screen, open Find and choose Search.
  2. Search for an IPTV player app, for example IPTV Smarters or IBO Player Pro, then select Get or Download.
  3. Open the app and choose the option to add a user or playlist with an Xtream Codes login.
  4. Enter a name (for example, SubscribeIPTV), then the server URL, username and password from our email.
  5. Wait a moment while the app loads your channels, TV guide and on-demand library, then open Live TV.
Can’t find your app?

App listings in the Amazon Appstore change from time to time. If the app you want isn’t there, message us and we’ll suggest one that works on your Fire TV model.

How to set up IPTV on Samsung and LG smart TVs

Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) TVs install IPTV players from their own app stores. Many of these apps are activated with your TV’s MAC address instead of a username and password.

  1. Open Apps on a Samsung TV or the LG Content Store on an LG TV.
  2. Search for IBO Player Pro, or another IPTV player your TV supports, and install it.
  3. Open the app. It shows your TV’s MAC address and a device key. Write both down.
  4. Send us the MAC address and device key through our contact form, or add your M3U link yourself on the app developer’s website using those details.
  5. Restart the app. Your playlist loads and you can start watching.

Some smart TV players charge a small one-time activation fee after their own free period. That fee goes to the app developer, not to SubscribeIPTV.

How to set up IPTV on Android TV and Google TV

These steps work on Chromecast with Google TV, NVIDIA Shield and TVs from Sony, TCL, Hisense and other brands that run Android TV or Google TV.

  1. Open the Google Play Store on your TV.
  2. Install TiviMate IPTV Player or IPTV Smarters Pro.
  3. Choose Add playlist, then Xtream Codes.
  4. Enter the server URL, username and password from our email and select Next.
  5. Give the playlist a name, confirm, and let the TV guide finish loading.
TiviMate tip

The free version of TiviMate covers the basics. Extras such as multiple playlists, favorites management and recording need TiviMate Premium, which is sold separately by the app’s developer.

How to set up IPTV on iPhone and iPad

  1. Open the App Store and search for an IPTV player that supports Xtream Codes or M3U playlists. IPTV Smarters and GSE Smart IPTV are common choices.
  2. Install the app and open it.
  3. Choose the option to log in with Xtream Codes (sometimes called Xtream API) and enter your details.
  4. Open Live TV or Movies to start watching.

Want the picture on your TV? Most of these apps support AirPlay, so you can send playback to an Apple TV or an AirPlay-compatible smart TV. Setting up the Apple TV itself? See the best IPTV apps for Apple TV.

How to set up IPTV on Android phones and tablets

  1. Open the Google Play Store and install IPTV Smarters Pro or another IPTV player.
  2. Open the app and choose Login with Xtream Codes API.
  3. Enter any name, then the username, password and server URL from our email.
  4. Tap Add user and wait for your channels to load.

Many Android players can cast to a Chromecast or Google TV device, which is handy for watching on a bigger screen when you travel.

How to set up IPTV on a MAG box

MAG set-top boxes connect through a portal that is linked to the box’s MAC address, so there is one extra step before you can watch.

  1. Find the MAC address on the sticker under the box, or in the box’s system settings under device information.
  2. Send it to us through our contact form from the email address you used to order. We link it to your subscription and reply with your portal URL.
  3. On the box, go to Settings > System settings > Servers > Portals.
  4. Enter a portal name (for example, SubscribeIPTV) and the portal URL from our email, then save.
  5. Restart the box. The portal loads with your channels and on-demand library.

How to watch IPTV on a Windows or Mac computer

The quickest way to test on a computer is VLC media player, which is free for Windows and Mac.

  1. Install VLC from the official VideoLAN website and open it.
  2. Choose Media > Open Network Stream on Windows, or File > Open Network on a Mac.
  3. Paste your M3U playlist link and select Play.
  4. Open the playlist view to browse and switch channels.

VLC doesn’t show a TV guide. For a full guide and on-demand menus on a computer, use a desktop IPTV player that supports Xtream Codes. Our VLC IPTV guide covers Windows, Mac and mobile in more detail.

How to use IPTV once you’re set up

Every player app looks a little different, but they all organize your subscription the same way:

  • Live TV groups channels into categories such as news, sports, entertainment, kids and international.
  • TV guide (EPG) shows what’s on now and next for channels that include guide data.
  • Movies and Series hold the on-demand library, with search and resume where you left off.
  • Favorites let you pin the channels you watch most, so you’re not scrolling through the whole list every time.

Your plan covers one active stream at a time. You can install your login on several devices and switch between them; just stop playback on one before you start on another.

Quick fixes if something isn’t working

“Invalid login” or “authorization failed”

Check the server URL, username and password for typos, extra spaces or a missing http://. If your plan was only just activated, wait a few minutes and try again.

The picture keeps buffering

Restart your router and your device, move closer to the router or switch to 5 GHz Wi-Fi, and run a speed test. If you’re watching in 4K, try the HD version of the channel. Our IPTV buffering guide has more fixes.

The TV guide is empty

Open your app’s settings and refresh or update the EPG. After a first login, the guide can take a few minutes to fill in. See how to fix a missing IPTV guide.

One channel won’t play

Try another channel in the same category. Some channels only broadcast during live events, so an empty stream outside those times is normal.

Still stuck? Contact support with your device, the app you’re using and any error message, and we’ll walk you through it.