How to Install XCIPTV Player on Firestick & Android TV

XCIPTV Player is a media player for Android TV, Android phones and Android tablets made by OTTRUN. It plays live channels, films and series from an IPTV account you already have, using two built-in players, ExoPlayer and VLC. XCIPTV is a third-party app: it is not made by us and, as its own listing says, it contains no channels or other content.

Menu names below come from the developer’s documentation, parts of which were written for earlier versions, so a label can differ slightly in the build you install.

Which Devices Does XCIPTV Run On?

XCIPTV runs on Android TV, Google TV, Android phones and Android tablets running Android 5.0 or later, and the developer lists a separate Apple TV version. The Android build comes from Google Play and the Apple TV build from the App Store. A Firestick is the awkward case, because Fire TV has no Google Play.

Source: OTTRUN’s app pages and the XCIPTV PLAYER listing on Google Play.

How to Install XCIPTV on Android TV and Google TV

On a certified Android TV or Google TV device, install XCIPTV from Google Play; no sideloading is needed.

1. Open the Google Play Store, or the Apps tab on a Google TV home screen.
2. Search for XCIPTV.
3. Open the XCIPTV PLAYER result and check that the developer shown is OTTRUN. Several unrelated apps use similar names.
4. Select Install, then Open.

If the store has no listing, the box probably runs phone Android with a TV launcher rather than certified Android TV. Our guide to IPTV on Android TV boxes explains the difference.

How to Install XCIPTV on a Firestick

Search the Amazon Appstore first; if no official XCIPTV listing appears, the only other route is sideloading, and the installer should come from your provider or the developer. OTTRUN’s site does not publish a Fire TV download or a Downloader code, so we do not give one here either.

1. On the Fire TV home screen, open Find and search for XCIPTV. If an official listing appears, install it like any other app and skip the rest of these steps.
2. If not, install Downloader by AFTVnews from the Amazon Appstore.
3. Go to Settings → My Fire TV → Developer Options and turn on Apps from Unknown Sources. If you see a list of apps instead of a single switch, turn it on for Downloader. On some software versions Developer Options is hidden until you open Settings → My Fire TV → About and press the select button on the device name 7 times.
4. Open Downloader and enter the installer address that your provider sent you.
5. Choose Install when the download finishes, then delete the installer file to free space.

Avoid copies from mirror sites, which can carry malware. Our Firestick IPTV setup guide covers Fire TV sideloading in more detail.

Why Your Provider May Give You a Branded XCIPTV App

Many providers hand out their own version of XCIPTV, because OTTRUN sells the player as a white-label app that providers brand and publish under their own developer account. A branded copy can carry a different name and logo, and may already contain the server address, so it asks only for a username and password. The provider also controls extras such as on-screen announcements and the portal address, so if a branded app stops logging in, contact the provider.

How to Add Your Playlist: Xtream Codes or M3U

Log in with Xtream Codes details if your provider sent them, and use an M3U link only if that is all you have. The developer lists support for Xtream Codes and Xtream UI panels, EZHometech (EZServer), Streaminy and M3U URLs, the last from version 3.2.2 onward.

1. Open XCIPTV and choose the login type that matches what your provider sent. The wording on this screen varies between versions and branded builds.
2. For Xtream Codes, enter the server address exactly as written, including http:// and any port number, then the username and password.
3. For M3U, paste the full playlist link. Typing it on a phone and sending it to the TV is easier than using a remote.
4. Confirm and wait while the app downloads channels, films, series and the guide.

Xtream Codes is the better choice when both are offered, because the app then fetches categories, film details and the guide from the server. Our Xtream Codes and M3U comparison explains the difference.

You can keep more than one account. According to the developer’s documentation, you switch from Account on the home screen: select the account, then Login. Select an account and choose Remove to delete it. If you have not chosen a provider yet, you will need an IPTV subscription before the app has anything to play.

XCIPTV Settings Worth Changing

Most people only need to change the built-in player, the guide timeshift, auto start and the last-channel option. Paths are from the developer’s wiki.

• Player. XCIPTV includes ExoPlayer and VLC. If a channel stutters or will not start, try the other player before blaming the stream.
• EPG Timeshift. Settings → EPG Timeshift moves the guide by hours and minutes if programmes appear at the wrong time.
• Auto start. Settings → Other Settings → Auto Start after reboot opens XCIPTV when the device powers on, so the TV behaves more like a cable box.
• Last channel. Under the settings icon at the bottom right, Other Settings → Load Last Live TV Channel Automatically resumes the channel you were watching.
• Manual refresh. Settings → Update Contents → Update All reloads channels, films, series and the guide.

How XCIPTV Refreshes Channels and the TV Guide

XCIPTV reloads everything when the last full update is more than 24 hours old, and refreshes only the guide in the background when the guide is more than 12 hours old. Those figures come from the developer’s documentation.

A full update also runs when you log in or switch accounts, which is why some launches take longer. Because the background job refreshes only the guide, a newly added channel may not appear until the next full update; run Update All to get it now.

Fixing Common XCIPTV Problems

Most XCIPTV faults come from the stream, the guide time or the account’s connection limit.

• “Source Type Error!” The developer lists three causes: the stream address is down, or the server sends HLS where the app expects TS, or the reverse. If every channel fails, the problem is on the server side.
• Guide shows the wrong programme. Set the correct date, time and time zone on the device first, then use EPG Timeshift. Our EPG troubleshooting guide covers the cases where no guide loads at all.
• Sound but no picture. Switch between ExoPlayer and VLC.
• Multi-screen shows fewer channels than expected. XCIPTV can show up to 4 channels at once, but the developer notes that each view uses one connection on your account and that the device needs enough hardware decoders. If your account allows 3 connections, only 3 views play.
• Constant buffering. Usually the network or server, not the player; see our steps for fixing IPTV buffering.

Recording, Multi-Screen and Other Features

Beyond live TV, the Google Play listing and the developer’s pages describe up to 4 views on one screen (multi-screen), plus:

• Scheduled recording to internal or external storage, including recording scheduled from the guide.
• Programme reminders, and catch-up from the guide where the provider offers it.
• Films with IMDb information, series by season and episode, and favourites.
• Backup and restore to sync several devices, and parental control on categories.
• A built-in OpenVPN client and a speed test.

When Another Player Suits You Better

Choose another player if you want a grid guide as the main screen. People who mostly channel-surf often prefer a guide-first app such as TiviMate, while OTT Navigator and Perfect Player are other common choices. To weigh them side by side, see our roundup of IPTV player apps. The login details or M3U link from your provider work in other players too, so you can switch apps without changing provider.

XCIPTV Questions