TiviMate has a working PIN lock. It is straightforward to set up, but it is worth understanding what it actually protects.
Set a PIN
Open Settings → Parental controls and set a PIN. Do not reuse the device unlock code — children usually know it already.
Lock channels or whole groups
Highlight a channel in the list, open the context menu and choose to lock it. Locking an entire group is faster than doing channels one by one, and it covers new channels added to that group later.
Hide categories from the guide
Locking still shows the channel name. To remove it from view entirely, hide the group instead — the entries disappear from both the channel list and the EPG.
What the PIN does not cover
- It does not stop someone reinstalling the app and adding the playlist again.
- It does not apply to other apps on the device.
- It is per-device — setting it on the TV does nothing for a tablet.
For younger children, combine the app PIN with the device-level restrictions in Android TV or Fire TV settings. That closes the reinstall gap.
If you forget the PIN
Clear the app data or reinstall. This resets your playlists and layout too, so note your playlist URL somewhere first — see the playlist guide for re-adding it correctly.
Choosing a service you can control
Filtering is much easier when categories are organised sensibly in the first place. Our TiviMate Premium subscription is structured so groups are clean and predictable to lock. See also device choices for households with several screens.
Useful resources
- Android TV parental controls — device-level restrictions.
- Fire TV parental controls — the equivalent on Amazon devices.