The Amazon Fire TV Stick is the device we set up most often for Canadian customers. It is cheap, it is everywhere, and it takes about ten minutes to get running. Here is the whole process.
Before you start
You need three things: your Fire Stick plugged in and connected to the internet, the subscription details we emailed you (your Xtream Codes username, password and server URL), and about ten minutes.
Step 1 — Allow apps from unknown sources
From the Fire TV home screen, go to Settings → My Fire TV → Developer options. Turn on Apps from Unknown Sources. On newer sticks you may first need to go to Settings → My Fire TV → About and click the device name seven times to make Developer options appear. This is normal and it is how Amazon hides the menu.
Step 2 — Install the Downloader app
Go back to the home screen, open the search (magnifying glass), and type Downloader. Install the orange Downloader app. It is a free, official app in the Amazon store.
Step 3 — Install your player
Open Downloader and type the download address for the player you want. We recommend one of:
- IPTV Smarters Pro — easiest for beginners, clean layout, works straight away.
- TiviMate — the best TV guide of any player, and what most of our long-term customers end up using. The free version is fine; the paid one adds recording.
Let it download, then choose Install. When it finishes, choose Done and then Delete to remove the installer file and save space.
Step 4 — Enter your details
Open the player and choose to add a new playlist or user. Pick Xtream Codes API (not M3U — the API version gives you a proper TV guide). Then enter:
- Any name you like, for example "IPTVTODAY"
- Username — from your activation email
- Password — from your activation email
- Server URL — from your activation email, exactly as written including the port number
Press add. The channel list will load in a few seconds and the guide will fill in over the next minute or two.
Step 5 — The settings people always miss
These three make the difference between "it works" and "it works properly":
- Set the buffer higher. In TiviMate, Settings → Playback → increase the buffer size. This smooths over small network hiccups.
- Turn on hardware decoding. It takes the load off the Fire Stick's small processor.
- Build a favourites list. Add just the channels you watch. Scrolling past thousands of channels every evening gets old very fast.
If the picture stutters
Nine times out of ten it is Wi-Fi, not the stream. Move the stick to 5 GHz Wi-Fi, or better, use an Ethernet adapter. Read our buffering guide for the full list of fixes, and check the speed requirements.
Stuck at any step? Message us on live support — we walk people through this every single day and it is genuinely no trouble. There are guides for other devices in our installation guide.