The best IPTV apps for Apple TV, and how to set them up on iPhone and iPad

The best IPTV app for Apple TV is one that takes your Xtream login, shows a proper TV guide and is comfortable with the Siri Remote. Most of those players also run on iPhone and iPad, so one choice can cover every Apple screen in the house. TiviMate does not exist for Apple devices, but several App Store players fill the gap, and this guide compares them and shows where your login goes in each.

The App Store players that handle IPTV

Every app below is only a player: it ships with no channels and shows nothing until you add a login. Some are free with adverts, some charge a one-off or subscription fee to their developer, and that fee is separate from your plan with us. The App Store also holds many look-alikes with similar names, so check the developer name on the listing before you install.

• Smarters Player Lite is the Apple edition of the Smarters player, published by WHMCS Smarters. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, signs in with the Xtream login and keeps live TV, films and series in separate sections. It is free with adverts, with an optional paid upgrade inside the app.
• IPTVX runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, and also installs on Macs with Apple silicon. It takes the Xtream login or an M3U link, has a full guide grid with catch-up, and syncs your setup between Apple devices through iCloud. The download is free; the full features come with an in-app subscription or a one-off purchase.
• iPlayTV is made for Apple TV only. It takes the Xtream login or an M3U link, shows a full TV guide, supports catch-up through Xtream and can match the TV’s frame rate. It is a paid app, bought once from the App Store.
• GSE Smart IPTV takes M3U links and Xtream logins and offers catch-up. The version currently listed runs on iPhone and iPad; it is free with adverts, with in-app upgrades. Several apps carry the GSE name, so read the listing carefully.

Which to choose? For an Apple TV that is the main TV, IPTVX or iPlayTV give the fullest guide. If you also use Smarters on a Firestick, Smarters Player Lite will feel familiar. Our page on Smarters subscriptions explains what the login opens in the Smarters apps.

Set up IPTV on Apple TV

1. Install the player

   Open the App Store on the Apple TV, select Search and type the player’s name. Check the developer on its page, then select Get or the price button.

2. Choose the Xtream login

   Open the player and choose the option for an Xtream login. In Smarters Player Lite it is Login with Xtream Codes API; in IPTVX and iPlayTV it sits under adding a playlist or provider. Menu names vary between versions.

3. Type the details with your iPhone

   When the on-screen keyboard appears, an iPhone on the same Apple Account shows a keyboard notification: tap it and type on the phone instead of with the Siri Remote. Enter the server address with http:// and the port number, then the username and password exactly as sent.

4. Let the channels and guide load

   The first load can take a few minutes on a list of 25,000+ channels. Leave the app open until the guide shows programme names, then add your favourite channels so you do not have to scroll every time.

5. Set Match Content

   Go to Settings › Video and Audio › Match Content and turn on Match Dynamic Range and Match Frame Rate, explained below.

Set up IPTV on iPhone and iPad

1. Install the player

   Open the App Store, search for the player and check the developer before you tap Get. Smarters Player Lite, IPTVX and GSE Smart IPTV all run on iPhone and iPad.

2. Copy the login from WhatsApp

   On the phone you can copy rather than type: press and hold our message in WhatsApp, copy it, and paste each part into the player’s fields. That avoids the usual mix-ups between O and 0 or l and 1.

3. Sign in and wait for the first load

   Choose the Xtream option, paste the server address, username and password, and save. The channels, films and guide download in a minute or two.

4. Prefer Wi-Fi

   Live TV uses a lot of mobile data, and HD channels need a steady connection of around 10 Mbps. Watch on Wi-Fi where you can, and check the player’s settings for a lower-quality option if you do use mobile data.

One login on several Apple devices

Install the player on the Apple TV, the iPhone and the iPad, and sign in on each with the same login. Devices only count as screens while they are playing, so an iPad sitting in a drawer with the app installed uses nothing. With IPTVX, iCloud can carry the setup across, so you only type the login once.

If the family regularly watches on two Apple devices at once, choose a plan with two screens or more. The plans page lists every length for one, two, three or five screens.

AirPlay from iPhone to the TV

If your TV has an Apple TV attached, or AirPlay built in, as many recent smart TVs do, you can send a channel from the iPhone. Tap the AirPlay icon inside the player where it offers one, which sends the stream itself, or use Control Centre › Screen Mirroring, which copies the whole phone screen and drains the battery faster.

Not every player supports AirPlay from inside the app, and mirroring can lag a little behind the sound on some TVs. For everyday viewing, installing the player on the Apple TV itself gives a steadier picture and frees your phone.

Apple TV settings worth changing

Match Frame Rate lets the Apple TV switch the TV to the frame rate of the channel. UK channels are broadcast at 25 or 50 frames a second, and without matching, motion on sport and fast pans can judder slightly. Players have to support it, and iPlayTV, for one, lists it as a feature.

Match Dynamic Range switches to HDR only when a programme really is HDR, which is rare on live channels. With both switches on, the TV may show a second of black screen as it changes format; that is normal.

A 4K picture needs an Apple TV 4K; the older Apple TV HD stops at 1080p. Some Apple TV 4K models have an Ethernet port and some are Wi-Fi only, so check yours before planning a cable. Our 4K page covers what the TV and broadband need for 4K channels.

When playback is not smooth

Start with the network: test the speed in the evening, near the Apple TV, and compare a channel on Wi-Fi with the same channel on a cable if you can. Then look at the player’s own buffer or playback settings. The buffering guide goes through the checks in order.

Test any of these players with your own channels on the free 24-hour trial before paying for an app upgrade or a plan. For other screens in the house, the setup guides cover Firestick, Android TV, smart TVs and computers.