How to Watch IPTV on Kodi
Use the built-in PVR IPTV Simple Client to add live TV to Kodi. Works on Windows, Mac, Android, Fire Stick, Raspberry Pi, and more. Kodi 19 (Matrix) or newer is recommended.
Quick Info
- Kodi 19 (Matrix) or newer
- EPG support built-in
- Works on any platform
- Free and open-source
No credit card required · Instant activation
What You Need
Before you start, make sure you have the following ready.
Step-by-Step Setup
Follow these steps carefully — Kodi requires a restart after enabling the PVR add-on.
Step 1 — Enable PVR IPTV Simple Client
From the Kodi home screen, go to Add-ons → My add-ons → PVR clients. Find PVR IPTV Simple Client and click Enable.
Step 2 — Open Add-on Settings
After enabling, click Configure (or open it from Add-ons → My add-ons → PVR clients → PVR IPTV Simple Client → Configure).
Step 3 — Enter Your M3U Playlist URL
In the settings window, make sure M3U Play List is set to Remote Path (Internet address). Paste your M3U URL into the M3U Play List URL field and click OK.
Step 4 — Restart Kodi
Kodi will prompt you to restart to load the PVR back-end. Click Yes to restart. Wait for Kodi to reopen fully before proceeding.
Step 5 — Browse Live TV
From the Kodi home screen, go to TV (or add it via Settings → Interface → Skin → Configure skin → Main menu items → Enable TV). Click Channels to browse all your IPTV channels.
Recommended Kodi Skins for IPTV
The default Estuary skin works best for Live TV navigation and EPG browsing.
Troubleshooting
Common Kodi IPTV issues and how to fix them.
Go to Settings → Interface → Skin → Configure skin → Main menu items and toggle TV on. This adds the TV section to your Kodi home screen.
Confirm the PVR IPTV Simple Client is enabled, your M3U URL is correct, and you restarted Kodi after saving settings. If the error persists, disable then re-enable the add-on and restart again.
Go to Settings → Player → Videos and enable the "Adjust display refresh rate" option. Also try enabling hardware acceleration in the player settings for smoother 4K playback.
In the PVR IPTV Simple Client settings, go to the EPG Settings tab and enter your XMLTV URL. Then go to TV → Guide to view the schedule. EPG data can take several minutes to download on first load.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about using IPTV with Kodi.
Kodi 19 (Matrix) or newer is recommended. The PVR IPTV Simple Client comes built-in from version 19 onwards, making setup much simpler. Download the latest version free from kodi.tv.
Yes. Install Kodi on Fire Stick via the Downloader app, then follow the same steps above. Performance is good on Fire Stick 4K and newer models. Note that TiviMate is often a simpler and better-performing option for Fire Stick users.
Yes, but you need a PVR back-end like Tvheadend or NextPVR. Basic IPTV via PVR IPTV Simple Client does not include recording unless your provider offers catch-up. Contact WatchIPTV support for catch-up availability.
Kodi itself is 100% legal and open-source software. Legality depends on the content you stream — using it with a licensed IPTV subscription like WatchIPTV is perfectly legal in most countries.