TIVRA is installed via sideloading (it's not on the Play Store yet). The easiest method:
Install the Downloader app from the Google Play Store on your TV
Open Downloader and enter: tivratv.com/downloads/tivra-latest.apk
Wait for the download, then select Install
If prompted, enable "Install unknown apps" for the Downloader app in your TV's settings
How do I install TIVRA on my phone or tablet?
The same APK runs on Android phones, tablets, and Android TV — auto-detected at launch.
Open your browser on the phone/tablet and visit tivratv.com/downloads/tivra-latest.apk
Tap the downloaded file to install. If prompted, allow your browser to install unknown apps.
Open the app — the mobile UI loads automatically.
A first-launch popup will walk you through the gestures. You can switch back to the original TV layout anytime via Settings → Appearance → Use mobile UI (beta).
How do I create an account?
Open the app and tap Sign in with Google. Use any Google account. Your TIVRA account is created automatically on first sign-in.
How do I add my IPTV provider?
After signing in:
Go to Settings from the sidebar
Select Providers
Enter your M3U playlist URL or Xtream Codes credentials (server, username, password)
Save and wait for channels to load
What IPTV formats are supported?
TIVRA supports M3U/M3U8 playlists and Xtream Codes API. Both live streams and VOD catalogs are supported. EPG data can be loaded from XMLTV sources.
Remote Control Quick Reference
Tip: TIVRA is designed entirely for D-pad navigation. Every feature is accessible with the standard Android TV remote — no mouse or touchscreen needed.
Long-Press Actions
These actions require holding the button for the specified duration.
Where
Button
Hold
Action
Live TV Player
Right arrow
800ms
Open channel history popup
TV Guide (EPG)
Back
500ms
Fullscreen player (if preview active)
Channel card
OK / Enter
500ms
Add/remove favorite
Category pill
OK / Enter
500ms
Move or hide category
Global Controls
Button
Action
Back
Close overlay/menu, or navigate back. On a top-level page, opens the sidebar.
OK / Enter
Select, confirm, or toggle the player overlay
D-pad arrows
Navigate menus, lists, and grids
0-9 number keys
Direct channel entry (auto-tunes after 1.5s)
Live TV Player
Channel Navigation
Button
Action
Up / Down
Change channel (wraps around)
Right arrow tap
Jump to last watched channel
Right arrow hold 800ms
Open recent channels list (up to 10)
Left arrow
Open channel sidebar
0-9
Type channel number directly
Overlay & Info
Button
Action
OK / Enter
Show/hide program info overlay
Space
Play / Pause
Audio & Subtitles
Open the overlay (OK), then navigate to the Audio or Subtitle button. Only one selector can be open at a time.
Exiting
Press Back to close overlays one at a time: history popup, audio/subtitle selector, sidebar, overlay, then exit the player.
TV Guide (EPG)
Grid Navigation
Button
Action
D-pad arrows
Move between program cells
OK (first press)
Preview channel in the top-left video window
OK (second press)
Enter fullscreen player for that channel
G key
Jump grid to current time
Page Up
Scroll back 2 hours
Page Down
Scroll forward 2 hours
Back Button
Button
Action
Back tap
Open sidebar menu
Back hold 500ms
Fullscreen player for preview channel
Category Tabs
Press Up from the grid to reach category tabs. Use Left/Right to navigate. OK to filter. Hold OK to move or hide a category.
Tip: Use the refresh button in the top-right corner to manually update EPG data from your XMLTV source.
Touch Gestures
Tip: The mobile UI is touch-only — no D-pad chrome. A first-launch popup walks you through the gestures below; you can replay it by clearing app data.
Anywhere
Gesture
Action
Tap
Select / play / open detail
Long-press
Show "Send to another device" picker (channels, EPG cells, episodes, movie cards)
Swipe down
Pull-to-refresh on Home and content lists
Rotate device
Apps follow rotation; the player goes full-screen landscape
Bottom navigation
Five tabs at the bottom: Home, Live, VOD, Search, Settings. The Live tab has a Live/Guide sub-tab; VOD has Movies/Series.
Live TV Player
Playback & overlay
Gesture
Action
Tap screen
Toggle the player overlay (channel info + controls)
Tap cast icon (top-right)
Send the current stream to another signed-in device
Tap back
Exit the player
Rotate phone
Switch between portrait and landscape — fills the screen in landscape
Channel switching
Tap the channel sidebar from the overlay to pick another channel. Audio and subtitle pickers live in the bottom bar's sub-menu.
TV Guide (EPG)
Navigation
Gesture
Action
Swipe left / right
Scroll the program area through time. The channel column on the left stays fixed; the time labels at the top scroll with the programs.
Swipe up / down
Scroll through channels
Tap a program / channel
Start playing that channel
Long-press a program / channel
Send to another device
There's no video preview pane on mobile — the program info shows in a compact band at the top, and the program grid takes the rest of the screen.
Send to Another Device
If you're signed in on multiple devices (e.g. phone + Android TV), you can send any stream from the phone to another device. The target device must be signed in to TIVRA and online — it polls every ~30 seconds and starts playback when it picks up the command.
Where to send from
Where
How
Live TV channel card
Long-press the card
Live TV / EPG channel column
Long-press the channel
EPG program cell
Long-press the program
Movie detail page
Tap "Play on Device"
Series episode
Long-press the episode
Home screen card
Long-press the poster or backdrop (movies and Continue Watching only — series cards open the detail page)
Anything currently playing
Tap the cast icon in the player's top bar
Tip: Don't see your TV in the picker? Make sure it's signed in to the same TIVRA account and connected to the internet. The list also flags devices as Offline if they haven't checked in for 5+ minutes.
Library & Multi-View
What is the Local Media Library?
The Library section puts your own movies and TV shows alongside your IPTV content. You can connect a Jellyfin server, an Emby server, or a NAS share over SMB — and everything appears together in the app's Library, with Continue Watching and Next Up rails, detail pages with resume, and watched progress that syncs across your devices. Trakt scrobbling covers library playback too.
Do you support Jellyfin or Emby?
Both, as first-class sources. Add one under Settings → Providers → Add Provider on the TV (or from the web dashboard's Providers panel — changes sync to the TV automatically). You just need the server URL plus your username and password. Jellyfin/Emby items use the server's own artwork and metadata, and TIVRA reports playback back to the server — so Continue Watching stays in sync in both directions. Full step-by-step guide ›
How do I add my NAS to the Library?
Add an SMB source under Settings → Providers → Add Provider (or from the web dashboard). You'll need:
Server — IP address or hostname, e.g. 192.168.1.50
Share name — e.g. media
Folder (optional) — you can point movies and TV shows at separate folders
Username + password for the share
For the best metadata matching, name files like Movie Title (2021).mkv and use show folders like Show Name (2004)/Season 1/.... See the full NAS library guide.
Do my own movies and shows get posters and descriptions?
Yes. SMB shares get automatic metadata matching — posters, artwork, descriptions, and cast for movies and shows, based on file and folder names. Jellyfin and Emby libraries use the artwork and metadata your server already has. Full NAS setup guide ›
Can I browse my library from the web dashboard?
Yes. The dashboard's Library panel lets you browse your movies and shows in the browser, click Play on TV to start playback on your television, and use Sync Library to rescan your sources.
What is Multi-View and how do I open it?
Multi-View lets you watch 2, 4, 6, or 8 live channels at once. Long-press OK on any channel in Live TV and choose Multi-View. Press OK on an empty slot (or the + in the toolbar) to add a screen — pick a provider, then a category, then the channel. Sound follows the highlighted screen; press OK on a screen to move audio focus, or turn on Audio Mixing to blend the other screens at low volume. Hold OK on a screen for fullscreen, then LEFT/RIGHT to switch which stream is fullscreen. Press UP from the top row of screens to reach the toolbar and its layout picker. Full walkthrough in the Multi-View guide.
Can Multi-View use channels from different providers?
Yes. Each screen can come from a different provider, and each provider uses its own connection allowance — for example, two providers that each allow 2 connections can drive four screens together.
Why does a screen say my provider is at its connection limit?
IPTV providers limit how many streams you can play at the same time (your connection allowance). If you try to add more Multi-View screens from one provider than its allowance permits, that screen shows a clear message instead of playing. Use a channel from a different provider for that slot, or close another screen from the same provider.
Does typing on the TV support special characters now?
Yes. The on-screen keyboard includes a full symbols layer — press the ?# key to switch to it. Handy for passwords and server addresses when adding providers or library sources. Shortcut hints also appear on screen as you navigate.
Settings & Customization
Color Schemes
Go to Settings → Appearance. Use Left/Right to browse 11 color schemes. Press OK to apply. The entire app re-themes instantly.
Hiding Categories & Channels
Go to Settings → Content. You'll see two tabs: Visible and Hidden.
Press Left on a category to focus the eye icon, then OK to hide/show it
Press OK on a category name to drill in and manage individual channels
Inside a category, use the eye icon on each channel to hide/show it
Press Back to return to the category list
EPG Settings
Settings → EPG lets you configure the XMLTV source URL and automatic sync interval (1, 3, 6, 12, or 24 hours). You can also set it to manual-only and use the refresh button on the TV Guide page.
Troubleshooting
Channels aren't loading or showing "No channels"
Check that your provider URL or credentials are correct in Settings → Providers
Make sure your IPTV subscription is active with your provider
Try updating the playlist (Settings → Providers → Update)
Check your internet connection
Streams are buffering or skipping
This is usually a network or provider issue, not the app
Try a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi
Check if the issue occurs on specific channels (provider-side) or all channels (network-side)
In Settings → Playback, try adjusting the buffer size
EPG (TV Guide) shows no program data
Go to Settings → EPG and verify your XMLTV source URL is correct
Trigger a manual sync using the refresh button on the TV Guide page
EPG data can take a few minutes to download and process, depending on source size
Not all providers include EPG data — check with your provider
App shows splash screen every time I open it
Android TV devices have limited RAM and may kill background apps. When this happens, the app restarts fully. This is normal Android behavior. Using a release build (not profile/debug) helps reduce memory usage and keeps the app alive longer.
How do I update the app?
Download the latest APK from tivratv.com/downloads/tivra-latest.apk using the Downloader app and install it over the existing version. Your settings and favorites are preserved.
General FAQ
Does TIVRA include any TV channels or content?
No. TIVRA is a pure media player. It contains no content. You must supply your own M3U playlist URL or Xtream Codes credentials from a separately obtained IPTV subscription.
Is TIVRA an IPTV service?
No. We are a software application, not a service or content provider. TIVRA is comparable to TiviMate, IPTV Smarters Pro, or GSE Smart IPTV.
What am I paying for?
You are purchasing a license for the TIVRA media player software. No TV channels, live streams, or on-demand content are included.
Can I use TIVRA on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The same APK runs on Android TV, phones, and tablets — the right UI loads automatically. You can also manage your providers, favorites, and channels from any device using the web dashboard, which works properly on phones and tablets too.
How many devices can I use?
The Personal plan supports 1 device. The Family plan supports up to 5 simultaneous devices.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Go to Settings → Account in the app to manage your subscription through the Stripe billing portal. You can cancel anytime — your access continues until the end of the current billing period.
Is using TIVRA legal?
TIVRA itself is legal software. The legality of the content you stream depends entirely on your IPTV provider and your local laws. We require users to only use TIVRA with content they are legally licensed to access.