A blank or stale programme guide is the single most common TiviMate complaint, and it is almost never the app itself. The EPG is a separate XMLTV file your provider publishes; TiviMate only downloads and renders it. Work through these in order.
1. Force a guide refresh
Open Settings → Playlists → (your playlist) → EPG and choose Update EPG. If the timestamp does not move, the app is not reaching the file at all — skip to step 3.
2. Clear the EPG cache
Under Settings → Advanced, clear the guide cache and reopen the app. A corrupted partial download will keep failing silently until it is cleared, which is why a plain restart often changes nothing.
3. Check the EPG URL separately
Paste the XMLTV URL into a browser on your phone. You should get a file download or a wall of XML. A login page, a 404 or a timeout means the problem is upstream and no setting in TiviMate will fix it.
4. Fix the time zone
If programmes appear but sit at the wrong hour, the guide is fine and your clock is not. Set the device to automatic network time, then set the EPG offset back to 0 — people often stack a manual offset on top of an already-correct clock and double the error.
5. Give it time after a source change
A large XMLTV file can take several minutes to parse on a low-powered stick. If you just switched providers, let the first update finish before judging it.
When the guide is the provider, not the app
If the EPG only breaks at peak hours, the file is being served from an overloaded host. That is a service quality problem, and no amount of local troubleshooting fixes it. Our TiviMate Premium subscription is built around consistent guide data and uptime rather than headline channel counts. See also buffering and EPG basics and the full setup walkthrough.
Useful resources
- XMLTV format — what the guide file actually is.
- TiviMate official site — release notes and known guide issues.
- Android TV date & time — setting the clock automatically.