Designed for the couch

TV navigation without a mouse-shaped interface.

Remote-first focus

Move predictably through profiles, rails, the live guide, details and playback controls with a standard D-pad remote.

Native MPV playback

Video renders through the Android native player layer, avoiding common WebView limitations with MPEG-TS and IPTV audio formats.

Compatibility fallback

If the primary native path cannot start a stream, ChannelSurf can recover through its Android compatibility player.

Full TV guide

Browse time, channels and categories together, jump to what is live, search, favorite and open available catch-up.

Multiple providers, one profile

Browse several IPTV services together with subtle provider colors. Each TV signs into those services locally, keeping provider credentials off Cloud Sync.

Phone-assisted setup

When typing a long provider login with a remote is awkward, scan the setup QR and use your phone’s keyboard.

Plan on TV, get reminded on your phone

Set a future-program reminder from the TV guide. After it syncs, a notification-enabled ChannelSurf phone schedules an alert five minutes before airtime.

Room Sync & Remote Relay

Follow a desktop host at home while ChannelSurf corrects drift, or let the host re-encode to a selected lower-bandwidth quality before an encrypted relay forwards it. Hourly data estimates make the tiers easier to compare.

Quick start

Install ChannelSurf on Android TV

On a phone or computer signed into the Google account used by your TV, join the ChannelSurf Android Beta tester group.
Open the official Google Play testing link and opt into the test with that same account.
On the Android TV device, open Google Play, find ChannelSurf, and install it. Google may need a few minutes to make the test available after opt-in.
Open the app, create a local profile, and select the provider connection format you were given.

Open the current Android enrollment links and detailed installation steps.

Connect your provider

ChannelSurf accepts three common provider formats. Choose Xtream Codes for a server, username and password; M3U URL for a playlist address and optional XMLTV guide; or Stalker / MAG for an authorized portal URL and MAC address.

After the first service is connected, choose Add provider from the profile editor or Settings. Select a color, enter the additional login on this TV, and ChannelSurf combines the catalogs. The color appears only when multiple providers need to be distinguished.

The TV setup screen can display a QR code so you can type those details on a phone. The transfer is designed for setup—not for public sharing—so still treat the QR, provider URL, password and pairing details as private.

Use the same Google account for both beta steps. Joining the tester group with one account and opening Google Play with another is the most common reason the install stays unavailable.

Supported Android TV hardware

The current test targets Android TV and Google TV devices, including NVIDIA Shield and Chromecast with Google TV. Hardware decoding support varies by chipset, Android version and source codec. ChannelSurf probes the device’s capabilities and can ask a paired desktop host for a compatible transcode when a known video codec is unsupported.

That does not make every stream universal: provider availability, DRM, damaged streams, network stability, device audio output and television capabilities can still affect playback.

Common questions

Is ChannelSurf available on Google Play?

Yes, through the current closed-testing track with open self-service enrollment. Join the tester group, opt in with the same Google account, and then install from Google Play.

Does it work on NVIDIA Shield?

NVIDIA Shield is one of the Android TV devices included in current testing. Exact codec and audio behavior still depends on the model, Android version, connected television or receiver, and source stream.

Can I use an M3U playlist?

Yes. Add a profile, choose M3U URL, paste the provider’s HTTP or HTTPS playlist address, and optionally add an XMLTV guide URL.

Can I add more than one provider?

Yes. One profile can combine multiple Xtream, M3U and Stalker services. Every Android TV device logs into each service separately; only safe provider metadata such as its display name and color can sync.

Why does ChannelSurf use a native player?

IPTV commonly uses MPEG-TS and audio codecs that an Android WebView may not handle reliably. ChannelSurf keeps the shared interface in the WebView while native Android controllers render the actual video underneath it.

September beta offer

Test ChannelSurf through October 31.

Join during September on Android TV, Google TV, Android phones or tablets. Your account returns to the free plan on November 1.

Join the Android beta Get installation help

Your IPTV, comfortable on the big screen.