User guide

Everything you need, from installation to troubleshooting.

1. Connecting your subscription 2. Using the remote 3. The programme guide 4. Favourites and recent channels 5. Watching and switching 6. Settings 7. Trial and lifetime activation 8. Troubleshooting

1. Connecting your subscription

On first launch, the connection screen opens automatically. Three methods are available depending on the details supplied by your service.

With credentials (recommended)

If your service gave you a host, a username and a password, enter them in the first tab. It is the most reliable method and provides richer channel information.

M3U address

If you have a full address (starting with http:// or https://), paste it into the M3U URL tab.

Portal / MAG

If your provider supplied a portal address and asks you to register a MAC address, use the Portal tab. SofIPTV shows the MAC address to register with the provider.

Only one connection is kept. SofIPTV stores only the last IPTV source that actually loaded a channel list. A failed attempt therefore never replaces your last working connection. Change it from ⚙ Settings, or use Preferences → Erase everything to permanently remove all locally stored IPTV access details.

The main screen reads left to right: groups, channels, then the preview of the highlighted channel.

Key	Action
`▲` `▼`	Move through the active column
`◀` `▶`	Switch between groups and channels
`OK`	Open a group, or watch a channel
`Back`	Go back, or leave the app
`Green`	Add or remove from favourites

Channel order is set at the top of the screen: Playlist (your provider's order), A→Z or Z→A.

3. The programme guide

The current programme is shown directly below each channel name in the main list. The bottom bar adds the progress bar and what is up next.

SofIPTV looks for a guide in this order: the one declared in your playlist, then your provider's, and finally public fallback guides. Nothing to configure.

The guide loads a few seconds after your channels. If a channel shows no programme, its name does not match any guide entry — common for regional or foreign channels.

4. Favourites and recent channels

On a channel, press the green button: a star appears and the channel joins the Favourites group at the top of the groups column. The same button removes it.

The Green: add/remove favourite hint is shown in both the main list and the transparent menu. The last ten channels watched are kept: red button during playback, or the Recent tab of the switching menu.

5. Watching and switching

Translucent switching menu — The switching menu: the picture keeps playing while you search.

Key	Action during playback
`OK`	Open the switching menu (groups, channels, favourites, recent)
`▲` `▼`	Previous / next channel
`INFO`	Show the current programme again
`Green`	Add the channel to favourites
`Red`	Recent channels
`Back`	Return to the list; playback continues in the preview when available

At the next start, SofIPTV reloads the last working IPTV source and automatically returns to the last channel you watched.

6. Settings

⚙ Settings button, Preferences tab:

Setting	What it does
Language	French, English, Spanish, Arabic — or automatic, following your television
Theme	Dark (default) or light
Preview	Show or hide the highlighted channel to the right of the list
Buffer	Low, normal or high: the higher it is, the smoother playback becomes, at the cost of a few seconds' delay behind live
Erase everything	Permanently removes all local IPTV sources and credentials, last channel, favourites and preferences. The SofIPTV licence and the TV hardware identifier are kept.

Picture freezing regularly? Set the buffer to High: the app preloads more and absorbs network hiccups.

7. Trial and lifetime activation

You get a full 7-day trial, with no credit card and no feature held back. The app warns you as the end approaches.

Activation screen with QR code — The activation screen: QR code, device identifier and MAC address.

Scan the code shown

With your phone's camera, from the activation screen on the TV.

Finish on your phone

Follow the steps on our website, from your phone.

The TV activates itself

Within seconds, with nothing to type on the remote. Leave the app open.

8. Troubleshooting

“Unable to load” at start-up

The app could not fetch your channels. Check, in order: the address or credentials entered, the television's internet connection, and finally whether your subscription is still valid. The Try again button takes you straight back to the connection screen.

A channel refuses to start

The app shows the precise reason. The three common cases:

Message	What it means
Subscription in use	Your subscription is already streaming on another device. Stop it there and wait thirty seconds.
Access refused / channel unavailable	The channel is offline or restricted to another country. It would fail in any application.
No picture received	The stream responds but shows nothing: unsupported format, or a failing source.

The picture freezes for a few seconds

Raise the buffer in the settings. If it happens on every channel, the cause is usually your internet speed or your provider's server.

The remote does nothing

Close the app completely (hold Back, or press Home) and reopen it.

Still stuck? Write to support@sofiptv.com with your television model, the message displayed and the identifier shown under ⚙ Settings. Those three details usually allow us to answer in one go.