How to Watch IPTV on an Android Phone or Tablet in Canada

What you need before you start

• An Android phone or tablet with the Google Play Store, such as a Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel or Motorola
• Your IPTV Nord email with the username, password and server URL. No login yet? Ask for the free 24-hour trial.
• Wi-Fi for the first setup, because the channel list and TV guide download all at once
• A little free storage space for the app and its channel data

How to set up IPTV on an Android phone

These steps use Smarters Pro - Mobile, the app we suggest for most phones. The login works the same way in any other IPTV player. If you get stuck, our Live Chat team can guide you while you hold the phone.

1. Connect to Wi-Fi

   Swipe down from the top of the screen and make sure Wi-Fi is on and connected. The first login downloads thousands of channels and the TV guide in one go, which is quicker and cheaper on your home internet than on mobile data.

2. Install Smarters Pro - Mobile from Google Play

   Open the Play Store, search for Smarters Pro and choose Smarters Pro - Mobile. Before you tap Install, check that the developer under the name is Tech Smarters. Several look-alike apps use similar names and icons.

3. Open the app and choose Xtream Codes

   Tap Open. The app asks how you want to sign in. Choose the Xtream Codes option. Depending on the version it may be called Login with Xtream Codes API.

4. Copy your login from the email

   Open your IPTV Nord email in Gmail or your mail app. Press and hold the username, tap Copy, switch back to the IPTV app and paste it. Do the same for the password and the server URL. Copying avoids the typos that cause most failed logins on a small keyboard. Give the profile any name, such as IPTV Nord.

5. Check the server URL, then sign in

   The server URL must start with http:// and end with the port number shown in the email, if there is one, such as :8080. Remove any space that sneaked in at the end, then tap the button to add the user. If you prefer the M3U link, use the playlist option and paste the whole link instead.

6. Wait for the channels to load

   Keep the app open for one to three minutes while it downloads live channels, the TV guide, and the movie and series library. Later logins are much faster.

7. Play a channel in full screen

   Tap Live TV, pick a category, then a channel. Turn the phone sideways or tap the full-screen icon for a bigger picture. If the screen does not rotate, turn on Auto-rotate in the quick settings panel.

8. Save a few favourites

   Open the options for a channel you watch often (usually by tapping and holding it) and add it to favourites. Your favourites get their own category, so you skip scrolling through 25,000+ channels every time.

Which IPTV app is best for an Android phone?

For most people, Smarters Pro - Mobile is the easiest IPTV app on an Android phone, because it is built for touch screens and reads our Xtream Codes login in one step.

Looking for the old IPTV Smarters Pro? It is no longer on Google Play, where Smarters Pro - Mobile is the official Smarters app today; our IPTV Smarters Pro guide explains which Smarters apps are genuine. TiviMate's own Google Play page says it is not optimized for phones or tablets. If you still want it on a tablet, read how to install TiviMate on an Android phone or tablet. You can check the official listing for Smarters Pro - Mobile on Google Play.

How much mobile data does IPTV use?

IPTV on a phone uses a few gigabytes of data per hour in HD and much more in 4K, so a three-hour hockey game on mobile data can eat a large part of a monthly plan.

The exact amount depends on the channel's quality, but streaming live TV works the same as any other HD video: it never stops downloading while you watch. Many Canadian phone plans slow your speed once you pass your monthly data allowance, and a slowed connection often cannot keep up with live TV. These habits keep your bill and your stream in check:

• Watch on Wi-Fi at home and save mobile data for the bus or the cottage.
• Pick the HD version of a channel on mobile data rather than the 4K one. On a phone screen the difference is hard to see.
• Set a data warning in Android settings, under network or connections, then data usage. The exact menu name varies by brand.
• Close the app when you stop watching. Some players can keep a stream running in the background.

Can you send IPTV from your phone to the TV?

Yes, you can mirror your phone's screen to a TV, but installing the IPTV app on the TV itself gives a smoother picture and leaves your phone free.

Most Android phones have a screen mirroring button in the quick settings panel, called Cast, Screen cast or, on Samsung phones, Smart View. Mirroring sends everything on the phone to the TV, including notifications, and it drains the battery. It is fine for a quick show, but for regular watching put the app on the TV: see the Fire TV Stick guide or the Android TV and Google TV guide. The same login works on the phone and the TV; your plan sets how many can play at once.

Fix common Android IPTV problems

Most phone problems come from battery or data settings, a full cache or a weak signal, and the fixes below take less than a minute each.