How to log in with Xtream Codes on iPhone
Xtream Codes is not a service you sign up for. It is an API that many providers run, and it is usually the better way to connect: instead of downloading one enormous playlist file, the app asks the server only for what you are looking at. Categories load first, channels load when you open a category, and the programme guide comes down the same connection.
Find your three details
You need a server address, a username and a password. Providers usually send all three together, sometimes labelled "Xtream API", "portal" or "player API". The server looks like http://example.com:8080 — a host and a port, with no path after it.
Strip the address back to the host
This is where most logins fail. If you were given a long URL containing get.php, username= and password=, that is a playlist link, not a server address. Delete everything from /get.php onward and keep only the http://host:port part. The username and password from that same link are the ones to type in the fields.
Enter it and connect
Open Tivsy, tap Add Source, choose Xtream Codes, and fill in the three fields. Leave out any trailing slash. The app calls the server once to confirm the account is active and reports back what it found — live channels, films, series, or only some of them.
Browse rather than wait
Because nothing is downloaded up front, the library appears immediately. Opening a category fetches that category. Opening a series fetches its episodes at that moment, which is why a show's episode list can take a second to appear the first time.
Common questions
What does "user or password incorrect" mean if I am sure they are right?
Most often the server address still has a path on the end. The API expects http://host:port and nothing more. It can also mean the subscription lapsed, or that the provider limits you to one connection and another device is holding it.
Is Xtream Codes a provider I can subscribe to?
No. It is server software, so "Xtream Codes" describes how you connect, not who you connect to. Any provider running that software gives you the same three details.
Xtream or M3U — which should I use?
Xtream, when the provider offers it. It loads faster, updates itself when the provider changes the line-up, and carries the programme guide and series structure that a flat playlist flattens away.
Are my credentials stored safely?
They are kept in the iOS Keychain on your device and are sent only to the server you entered. Tivsy has no account system and no server of its own, so there is nowhere else for them to go.
Connected but the guide is empty? Providers vary in how they expose programme data, and some need a separate XMLTV link. That is covered in the programme guide walkthrough.