Install TiviMate on Chromecast (Google TV)

“Chromecast” has meant two different kinds of device. The early models are receivers that show what a phone sends them. The Chromecast with Google TV, sold in 4K and HD versions, and the newer Google TV Streamer are full streaming devices with a remote and the Play Store. TiviMate — a third-party IPTV player from Armobsoft FZE — installs only on the second kind.

Which Chromecast Do You Have?

Install TiviMate on Chromecast with Google TV

1. On the Google TV home screen, move to the Apps tab.
2. Select Search for apps and enter TiviMate, or hold the Assistant button on the remote and say the name.
3. Open TiviMate IPTV Player and confirm the developer is Armobsoft FZE.
4. Select Install. When it finishes, select Open.
5. Add your provider’s details when prompted — the add a playlist to TiviMate guide explains each field.

Make Room First

The Chromecast with Google TV ships with 8 GB of storage, and the system uses a large share of it. A device that has been in use for a year can be within a few hundred megabytes of full, at which point installs and updates fail. Before installing:

• Open Settings → System → Storage to see what is using space.
• Uninstall apps you no longer open.
• Clear the cache — not the data — of the largest remaining apps.
• Restart the device, which lets it finish clearing temporary files.

The Google TV Streamer has 32 GB and rarely runs into this.

Add Wired Internet with a USB-C Hub

The Chromecast has no Ethernet port of its own, but its USB-C power socket accepts a hub that passes power through and adds an Ethernet port, a USB port, or both. A wired connection is the most effective single change for stable live television, and a USB port gives TiviMate Premium somewhere to save recordings. Buy a hub described as supporting power delivery, and use the original power adapter with it. The Google TV Streamer has Ethernet built in.

Tidy the Home Screen

Newly installed apps land at the end of the apps row. Highlight TiviMate, hold the select button, choose Moveand slide it to the front. If you would rather the device opened straight into live television, switch on the launch-on-boot option in TiviMate’s general settings.

If Something Goes Wrong

• The install button does nothing or fails. Storage is almost always the reason. Free space as described above.
• Channels stutter in the evening. Work through the TiviMate buffering fix, starting with the network checks.
• The programme guide is empty. See TiviMate EPG not updating.
• The device feels slow with a very large playlist. Hide the channel groups you never watch from the playlist’s settings so the app has less to load.

Other Google TV hardware follows the same steps. See install TiviMate on Android TV and Google TV, or the TiviMate install guide for every device.