Frequently asked questions

A media player for playlists. You add the playlist you already have, and BetterStream turns it into a library of live channels, films and series with artwork, categories, search, favorites and Continue watching.

No. BetterStream doesn't provide, host, sell, recommend or link to any content, channels or playlists, and it isn't affiliated with any provider. A new install is empty until you add your own playlist.

From a service you already use: the provider you subscribe to gives you an M3U link or a server address with a username and password. It can also be a playlist from your own media server at home. We don't recommend or sell playlists. You're responsible for having the right to watch what your playlist contains (see the Terms of Use).

Yes: add our demo playlist. It has four open movies from the Blender Foundation and four public test streams.

• M3U and M3U8 playlist links (#EXTM3U with names, groups and logos). On a computer you can also open a playlist file.
• Provider logins: a server address with a username and password, as used by Xtream-compatible services. Live channels, films and series come in their own sections.

After the 7-day free trial, one playlist stays free for films and series. Pro adds live TV and as many playlists as you like.

HLS (.m3u8), MPEG-TS, MP4 and MKV, with the audio and subtitle tracks inside the stream. H.264 video with AAC audio plays everywhere; H.265/HEVC plays on devices that support it, and less common formats depend on the device.

Subtitle tracks in the stream work on every device, free. With Pro you can search and download subtitles in your language for films and episodes.

Streams come straight from your provider, so a channel that doesn't play in BetterStream usually doesn't play anywhere: check it with your provider. To pick up changed links, resync the playlist (Settings → Playlist → Resync playlist now). If a stream plays in another player but not in BetterStream, tell us and we'll look into it.

• iPhone and iPad with iOS/iPadOS 16 or later
• Android 8.0 or later: phones, foldables, tablets and Chromebooks
• Android TV and Google TV, with full remote control
• Mac (Apple silicon and Intel, macOS 11 or later), Windows 10 and 11, and 64-bit Linux

See Download.

Yes. Every screen works with touch, a TV remote (D-pad), a keyboard and a mouse. The player has keyboard shortcuts on the computer, such as Space to pause and F for fullscreen.

Not yet: you add a playlist on each device. Your Pro purchase does follow you when you sign in with the same account.

Your playlists and logins are stored only on your device, encrypted with a key from your device's secure keystore, and they're only ever sent to the provider you entered. We never receive them. See the Privacy Policy.

No. An account is optional and only used so one Pro purchase unlocks on all your devices (and to buy Pro on a computer). You can sign in with an email code, Apple or Google, and delete the account at any time.

No ads, no tracking and no usage analytics. Crash reports help us fix bugs, never include your playlists, logins or what you watch, and can be turned off in Settings → Privacy.