How to set up Xtream Codes on Apple TV

Updated June 2026 · ~3 minutes, no technical skill needed

What "Xtream Codes" actually is

Xtream Codes is the API most IPTV providers use to deliver their service to apps. When you subscribe, your provider sends three things — usually in the signup email:

• Server URL — looks like http://example-server.tv:8080 (the number after the colon is the port; it's part of the address)
• Username
• Password

Those three credentials aren't tied to any app. Any player that speaks the Xtream API — on any device — can use them. That's why switching players (or adding your Apple TV alongside a Fire TV) needs no changes to your subscription.

Step by step on Apple TV

• 1. On your Apple TV, install a player that supports Xtream Codes from the App Store — for example Velko (free to install; this guide uses it, but the steps are similar in any player).
• 2. Open the app and choose “Sign in with Xtream Codes.”
• 3. Enter the server URL exactly as your provider gave it — including http:// or https:// and the port. Tip: when an Apple TV text field is selected, your iPhone shows a notification that lets you type (and paste) with the phone keyboard — far easier than the remote.
• 4. Enter the username and password, sign in, and wait a few seconds while the channel list and TV guide load.
• 5. That's it: live channels appear in the guide, and if your provider offers movies/series, those tabs appear automatically.

If the login fails

• Check the URL first. Missing port (:8080), a stray space, or https where the provider uses http are the top three failures.
• Check the subscription. Expired accounts fail with unhelpful errors; confirm with your provider.
• Connection limit. Many providers allow one or two simultaneous streams. If a Fire TV at home is playing, the Apple TV may be refused.
• ISP DNS blocking. Some ISPs block IPTV provider domains at the DNS level. A quick test: if the same credentials work over a phone hotspot but not your home Wi-Fi, it's your ISP's DNS — switching the Apple TV's DNS (Settings → Network) to a public resolver often fixes it.
• Test the credentials elsewhere. The format is universal: if they work in any Xtream player, they'll work in all of them. If they work nowhere, the issue is the account, not the app.

Xtream Codes vs M3U — which to use?

They're two doors into the same service. Prefer Xtream when you have it: the app gets your channel list, full EPG guide data, and VOD/series in a structured form. An M3U link is a flat playlist — fine for live channels, but guide data and VOD are hit-or-miss. Use M3U when it's all your provider offers (Velko supports both, and you can save each as a profile).

No provider yet? Try the free route

You don't need a subscription to see how IPTV works on Apple TV: Velko's Community TV source loads free, publicly available channels from the open-source iptv-org project — one tap, no account, no time limits. It's a zero-cost way to test your setup before paying anyone.

Get Velko on the App Store

Related: Velko vs UHF vs IPTVX · TiViMate for Apple TV — what to use instead · FAQ