Install TiviMate on Android TV & Google TV

Android TV and Google TV are the platforms TiviMate was written for, so this is the easiest install of any device. It applies to televisions from Sony, TCL, Hisense and Philips that run Google’s software, and to set-top boxes and sticks from Xiaomi, Onn, MECOOL and others. TiviMate is a third-party player from Armobsoft FZE; it is not made by us and it does not include channels.

Install TiviMate on Android TV from the Play Store

1. From the home screen, open the Apps tab, or the Google Play Store app on an older Android TV home screen.
2. Select the search option and type or say TiviMate.
3. Open the TiviMate IPTV Player result and check that the developer shown is Armobsoft FZE.
4. Select Install and wait for the download to finish.
5. Select Open. The app starts with a prompt to add a playlist.

On Google TV the search box on the home screen searches apps as well as films, so typing the name there reaches the same listing. If several similarly named apps appear, the developer name is the reliable way to tell them apart.

If the Play Store Has No TiviMate Listing

The Play Store filters its catalogue by device type. A box sold as an “Android TV box” that actually runs phone Android will not be offered TV apps, and some are sold with no Play Store at all. In that case sideload the app:

1. Install Downloader (by AFTVnews) from whichever store your box has, or open a file manager that can fetch files from a web address.
2. Open the device Settings and find the security or apps section. Allow Downloader to install unknown apps.
3. Open Downloader and enter the code from the TiviMate Downloader code guide.
4. When the file finishes downloading, choose Install, then delete the installer file to recover the space.

Only install the app from the developer’s own listing or installer. Modified copies advertised as unlocked Premium are a common way malware reaches streaming boxes, and they break at the next update.

First Launch: Add Your Playlist

TiviMate opens to an empty screen until it has a playlist. Choose Add playlist, pick Xtream Codes or M3U depending on what your provider sent, and enter the details exactly as written. The guide to adding a playlist to TiviMate goes through each field. The first load takes a minute or two on a large playlist, because the app is downloading the channel list and several days of programme guide.

Settings Worth Changing on a Television

• Launch on boot. In the app’s general settings you can have TiviMate open when the device starts, which makes the television behave like a cable box.
• Turn on the last channel. A playback setting resumes the channel you were watching when the app opens.
• Auto frame rate. If motion looks juddery on film or European channels, the AFR option switches the television’s refresh rate to match the stream. Turn it off again if it causes a black flicker on every channel change.
• Remote buttons. The remote-control settings let you assign actions to long presses, useful on remotes with few buttons.

More of these are covered in the TiviMate settings guide.

Built-In Televisions Versus Add-On Boxes

A television with Google TV built in runs TiviMate without extra hardware, but televisions tend to ship with modest processors and little storage, and they receive system updates for fewer years than a dedicated streamer. If the guide scrolls slowly or channels take a long time to start on a built-in set, moving the app to an external box on the same television is a common fix. The IPTV box comparison lists the usual choices, and there are separate guides for the NVIDIA Shield and Chromecast with Google TV.

Common Problems on Android TV

• “Not enough storage” during install. Uninstall apps you do not use, or clear the cache of large ones, then try again.
• The app installed but is not on the home screen. Open the full apps list; newly installed apps are added to the end of the row.
• Premium does not appear after a reinstall. Premium is tied to your TiviMate account, not the device. Sign back in from the app’s settings — see the TiviMate Premium guide.
• Channels buffer on Wi-Fi. Televisions often have weaker Wi-Fi radios than phones. The TiviMate buffering fix lists what to check in order.

For the general, player-neutral version of this setup, the IPTV on Android TV guide covers other apps too.