To watch IPTV on Kodi, install the official PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on, paste your M3U playlist URL and EPG (XMLTV) URL, and enable it. Your live channels then appear under TV with a full guide. It works on Windows, Mac, Android, Firestick and Nvidia Shield.
Before you start
You need Kodi installed (free, from the official Kodi website or your device’s app store) and an IPTV subscription with an M3U link. IPTVMaple sends you the M3U link and EPG link with your login.
Set up PVR IPTV Simple Client
- In Kodi go to Add-ons → Install from repository → Kodi Add-on repository → PVR clients.
- Select PVR IPTV Simple Client and install it.
- Open Configure. Under General, set Location to Remote path and paste your M3U playlist URL.
- Under EPG, paste the XMLTV URL.
- Enable the add-on and restart Kodi. Open TV from the home menu.
Only use official add-ons
Stick to add-ons from the official Kodi repository. Unofficial “free TV” add-ons are often unreliable and can contain malware. The official Simple Client is maintained by the Kodi team — see the Kodi wiki.
Kodi vs a dedicated IPTV player
Kodi is powerful but slower to set up. If you mainly want live TV and movies with a remote, TiviMate or IPTV Smarters Pro is easier. Kodi is great if you already use it for your local media library.
Installing Kodi
- Windows and Mac: download from kodi.tv.
- Android and Android TV: Google Play.
- Fire TV: use the official Kodi APK from kodi.tv with Downloader (see the Downloader steps).
Common Kodi IPTV problems
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| “No channels” after enabling the add-on | Re-enter the M3U URL, choose Remote path, restart Kodi |
| Channels but no guide | Add the XMLTV URL on the EPG tab and wait for the first update |
| Guide is off by hours | Set the EPG time shift in the add-on settings |
| Playback stutters | Enable hardware decoding in Kodi’s player settings; see the buffering fixes |
Want the same idea on a server? Jellyfin has a built-in M3U tuner. For a simpler TV experience use TiviMate.
Kodi IP TV and live TV on Kodi
“Kodi iptv”, “kodi ip tv”, “kodi live tv” and “kodi iptv m3u” mean setting up the PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on. In Kodi: Add-ons, My add-ons, PVR clients, PVR IPTV Simple Client, Configure, then paste your M3U link and the XMLTV guide address. Restart Kodi and Live TV appears in the main menu. For other computer options see IPTV on PC and Mac and VLC.
