troubleshooting
How to Get a Working TV Guide (EPG) for IPTV
A blank or broken TV guide is one of the most common IPTV complaints. Here's what EPG is, why it sometimes fails, and how to fix it in under five minutes.
Loading your channels is the first win. Having the TV guide actually work is the second — and it's the thing that turns a serviceable setup into something you'd happily use every day. Here's how to get it right.
Guide still not working?
Contact our support — it's a quick fix once we know which player you're using. Or request a trial first to test whether the EPG loads on your specific setup.
Request a free trial →What EPG is and where it comes from
EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) is schedule data — channel by channel, hour by hour. Your IPTV provider supplies this data from a server, and your player app fetches and displays it. When the guide is blank or wrong, the connection between those three things has broken somewhere.
The fastest fix: force a refresh
Before changing anything, try forcing a manual EPG refresh in your player:
- TiviMate: Settings → EPG → Update EPG
- IPTV Smarters: Settings → Clear EPG Cache, then restart the app
- GSE Smart IPTV: Settings → EPG → Force update
This solves the blank guide in most cases — the guide data simply hadn't finished downloading.
If the guide is still blank: set the EPG source manually
If your login method is Xtream Codes, the EPG should come automatically. If you used an M3U link, you may need to add the EPG URL separately:
- Ask your provider for the EPG URL (also called XMLTV URL). It's usually provided alongside your credentials.
- In your player, go to Settings → EPG and paste in the URL.
- Save and trigger an update. Allow a few minutes for the guide to populate.
Why the guide sometimes shows wrong times
EPG data is often supplied in UTC. If your player isn't set to the right time zone, programme times will be off by a few hours. Set the correct time offset in Settings → EPG → Time Offset and the guide times will align.
