When you subscribe to an IPTV service, your login details usually come in one of two forms: an M3U playlist link or an Xtream Codes login. The Xtream Codes format, often shortened to “XC” or “Xtream API”, has become the most common option in IPTV player apps because it's quicker to type and gives the app more information.
The three details
- Server URL (sometimes called host or portal URL): the web address of the service, often with a port number at the end, for example
http://server.example.com:8080. - Username: your account name for the service.
- Password: your account password for the service.
Some apps also ask for a “playlist name” or “any name”. That's just a label for you, so type whatever you like, such as “Home TV”.
Xtream Codes vs M3U: what's the difference?
Both give you the same channels. The difference is in how the app gets them. An M3U link hands the app one long list of streams. An Xtream login lets the app ask the server for each part separately: live channels, the TV guide, films, series and account information such as your expiry date and number of connections.
- Easier to enter: three short details instead of a link that can run to over a hundred characters.
- Better organised: live TV, films and series appear in their own sections, with artwork and descriptions where available.
- Guide included: the app usually loads the TV guide (EPG) automatically, with no separate link.
- Account info: many apps show when your subscription ends and how many screens you have.
- Faster on small devices: because the app loads each section only when you open it, a large library of films doesn't slow down the live channel list.
Which apps accept an Xtream login?
| Player or device | Xtream login | M3U link |
|---|---|---|
| IPTV Smarters Pro and Smarters Player Lite | Yes | Yes |
| TiviMate | Yes | Yes |
| Kodi (PVR IPTV Simple Client) | No | Yes |
| VLC media player | No | Yes |
| Smart IPTV | No | Yes, through its website |
| MAG boxes | No | No: they use a portal |
Entering an Xtream login
Choose the Xtream option
In apps like IPTV Smarters Pro this is “Login with Xtream Codes API”; TiviMate calls it “Xtream codes” when you add a playlist.Type the server URL exactly
Include http:// or https:// at the start and the port number (such as :8080) if one was given. Don't add a slash at the end unless it was in your details.Enter your username and password
They're case-sensitive. Watch for characters that look alike, such as a capital I and a lower-case l, or the letter O and zero.Wait for the first load
The first sign-in can take a minute while the app downloads channels and the guide.
On a TV, typing with the remote is the slowest part. Use your phone as a keyboard where the device allows it: the Fire TV app, the Google TV app and the iPhone keyboard prompt for Apple TV all work for this.
A bit of history
The name comes from Xtream Codes, the panel software many IPTV services originally used to manage their accounts. The software itself is no longer the point: what survives is the login format, which many current IPTV platforms and player apps support. Seeing “Xtream Codes” in an app simply means it can sign in this way.
Where to go next
Choose an app that supports Xtream logins from our IPTV player guide, or follow the full IPTV set-up guide. If a login fails, see IPTV Smarters not working, which covers the most common login errors in any app.