Tivimate User Agents Explained: How to Fix Playlist & EPG Loading Issues

Tivimate is one of the most popular IPTV players available for Firestick, Android TV, and other devices. But if you’ve ever had a playlist fail to load, channels that won’t play, or EPG data that won’t populate — the culprit might be your user agent.

In this post, we’ll break down what a user agent is, why it matters for IPTV streaming, and how to set or change it in Tivimate for better compatibility, faster loading, and fewer errors.

What Is a User Agent?

A user agent is a string of text your app sends to a streaming server to identify itself. It tells the server what kind of device or player you’re using — for example, VLC, Kodi, Chrome, or Tivimate.

Some IPTV servers only allow access from certain known user agents. If your playlist or EPG provider doesn’t recognize Tivimate, it might block or throttle the connection — which is why some users experience issues until they change the user agent to something more widely accepted.

Common Problems a User Agent Can Fix

• Playlist won’t load (error 404, timeout, or blank screen)
• EPG not showing or partially loading
• Channels won’t play or buffer endlessly
• Missing logos or metadata
• Playback fails after provider changes URL or security settings

If any of these apply to you, updating the user agent might be the fix.

Best User Agents to Use in Tivimate

Some IPTV providers will give you a specific user agent to use. If not, here are some common ones that work well:

• VLC (most widely accepted)
• Mozilla/5.0 (generic browser agent)
• ExoPlayer (the default player engine Tivimate uses)
• Lavf (used by ffmpeg-based apps)
• IPTV Smarters Pro (if mimicking a different app helps)

Try VLC first — it’s compatible with nearly every IPTV server.

How to Add or Change the User Agent in Tivimate

Follow these steps:

1. Open the Tivimate app.
2. Go to Settings > Playlist.
3. Select the playlist you want to edit.
4. Scroll down and choose “User Agent”.
5. Enter your new user agent string (e.g., VLC).
6. Save and reload the playlist.

You should notice immediate improvements if the previous user agent was causing issues.

💡 Tip: You can set different user agents for different playlists in Tivimate.

Troubleshooting User Agent Problems

My new user agent isn’t working. What now?

• Double-check for typos in the string.
• Try a different one from the list above.
• Clear the app cache and restart Tivimate.
• Make sure your IPTV service isn’t down or blocking requests.

Can I remove the user agent completely? Yes. To reset it, just go back into the playlist settings and clear the user agent field.

What if my IPTV provider gave me a user agent string? Use it exactly as they provide — some providers require specific formatting or strings.