How does TiviMate work? TiviMate is a player app, not a TV service. It has no channels of its own. You give it a channel list from your provider, as an M3U playlist URL or an Xtream Codes login, plus a TV guide feed (EPG). TiviMate downloads both, matches each channel to its guide data, and shows everything in a cable-style grid you control with a TV remote. It runs on Android TV, Google TV and Fire OS devices.
People also search for it as “tv mate” or “tivi mate”, and its store name is TiviMate IPTV Player. They are all the same app, published by Armobsoft FZE. This explainer covers the idea behind it. For click-by-click steps, use our TiviMate setup guide.
TiviMate is a player, not a provider
A useful comparison is a music player. The app plays songs, but it does not sell them. TiviMate plays live TV, but the channels come from somewhere else.
The developer is clear about this. TiviMate’s Google Play listing says it is a media player only and does not provide any content, and that users must add their own playlists. That is why a fresh install opens to an empty screen asking you to add a playlist.
| Piece | What it is | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| TiviMate IPTV Player | The app that shows and plays channels | Google Play, or the official site for Fire OS |
| Playlist or login | The list of channels and their stream addresses | Your IPTV provider |
| EPG (XMLTV) | The program schedule for each channel | Usually your provider, sometimes a separate link |
| Streaming device | The hardware TiviMate runs on | Android TV, Google TV or Fire OS device |
What feeds TiviMate: playlists and logins
TiviMate accepts three types of input:
- M3U playlist. A text file, usually at a web address, that lists each channel’s name, logo, group and stream URL. TiviMate reads it line by line. Our M3U IPTV explainer shows what is inside one.
- Xtream Codes login. A server address, username and password. Instead of reading a file, TiviMate asks the provider’s server for live channels, movies, series, guide data and catch-up information.
- Stalker portal. A portal address tied to a device MAC address, used by some providers built around set-top boxes.
Xtream Codes is usually the smoother option because the server also sends the guide and catch-up details, and refreshing the list does not mean retyping a long URL.
How the TV guide gets built
The guide is what makes TiviMate feel like cable. Here is what happens behind the scenes:
- Download the schedule. TiviMate fetches the EPG, an XMLTV file listing programs with start and end times for each channel ID.
- Match channels. Each channel in your playlist carries an ID (in M3U, the tvg-id tag). TiviMate pairs that ID with the matching entry in the EPG.
- Draw the grid. Matched channels get program titles and descriptions laid out across a timeline. Unmatched channels show up with no program data.
- Refresh on a schedule. TiviMate updates the EPG periodically so the next days’ listings stay filled in.
This is why a guide can be partly empty: the channel exists, but its ID does not match anything in the EPG. That is a data issue on the provider’s side, and you can often fix single channels by assigning the right guide entry manually.
What happens when you press play
When you select a channel, TiviMate takes that channel’s stream address and opens it with its built-in video player. The stream comes straight from the provider’s servers to your device. TiviMate does not relay or store it, so picture quality, buffering and channel availability depend on the provider and your internet connection.
Catch-up works the same way. If a provider stores past programs, TiviMate asks the server for an older segment of that channel when you pick a past show in the guide. If the provider does not offer catch-up for a channel, the app cannot create it.
Where the TiviMate IPTV player runs
TiviMate is built for TV screens and remote controls. The Google Play listing says it is designed for Android TV and is not optimized for phones or tablets.
- Android TV and Google TV: installed from Google Play. This includes boxes like the Nvidia Shield and the Google TV Streamer, and many smart TVs running Google TV.
- Amazon Fire TV with Fire OS: TiviMate is not in the Amazon Appstore, so it is installed from the link on the official tivimate.com site.
- Not supported: Roku, Apple TV, Samsung Tizen and LG webOS TVs, and newer Fire TV models running Vega OS, which cannot run Android apps.
If your TV is not on that list, a cheap Google TV or Fire OS stick plugged into HDMI is the usual workaround.
Free version, Premium and the Companion app
The free version covers the basics: add a playlist, browse the guide, watch live TV. Premium unlocks features such as recording and multi-view. You buy it through the official TiviMate Companion app on an Android phone, then sign in on your TV device. The listing notes that paid upgrades unlock app features only, not channels. Our TiviMate user guide explains each feature once you are set up.
Putting it together
In one line: your provider supplies the channels and the guide, TiviMate organizes and plays them, and your streaming device puts them on the TV. Get those three parts right and TiviMate behaves very much like a cable box.
If you need the provider part, our plan, IPTV Journal, is a single 12-month option for $89 with an Xtream Codes login, M3U link and EPG that load straight into TiviMate. You can see the plan details here. IPTV technology is legal, but only use services that hold the rights to their channels.
FAQ
Does TiviMate come with channels?
No. TiviMate is a player only and ships with no channels. You add a playlist or Xtream Codes login from a provider, and TiviMate displays and plays those channels.
Is TV Mate the same as TiviMate?
Yes. “TV Mate” and “Tivi Mate” are common misspellings of TiviMate. The real app is called TiviMate IPTV Player on Google Play and is published by Armobsoft FZE, so check the developer name before installing.
What is the TiviMate IPTV player used for?
It is used to watch live TV from an IPTV service on Android TV, Google TV and Fire OS devices. It turns a provider’s playlist and guide data into a cable-style channel grid you control with a remote.
Why does TiviMate need an EPG?
The EPG is the program schedule. Without it, TiviMate can still play channels, but the guide grid shows no program titles or times. Xtream Codes logins usually include it automatically.
Can TiviMate work on Roku or Apple TV?
No. TiviMate is an Android app, so it runs on Android TV, Google TV and Fire OS devices only. Roku and Apple TV users need a different player or a separate streaming stick.
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