Recording Manager: Record IPTV on iPhone, iPad & Apple TV
Record live IPTV channels and movies to MP4 on iPhone and iPad, or live channels on Apple TV, with Stream Master Pro. How it works and its limits.
Stream Master can record the stream you are watching. On iPhone and iPad, it records live channels and movies to an MP4 file. On Apple TV, it records live channels. Recording is a Stream Master Pro feature, and one Pro purchase unlocks it on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.
What you record comes from the IPTV provider you already subscribe to, added with an M3U link or an Xtream Codes login. Stream Master does not supply channels or content.
What you can do with it
On iPhone and iPad
- Record live TV as it plays. Tap the red REC button on a live channel to record from that moment. Tap it again to stop.
- Record movies. A movie records from your current position in it.
- See that it is working. While recording, the REC button blinks and shows an mm:ss timer. When you stop, a “Recording Complete” message appears.
- Keep a copy in Photos. Each recording is saved as an MP4 inside the app. Stream Master also asks for permission to save a copy to your Photos library.
- Manage everything in one list. The My Recordings screen shows each recording’s name, date and duration.
- Play recordings back. Tap a recording to play it, with play/pause, 10-second skips and a share option.
- Rename, share or delete. Each row’s menu offers Rename, Share and Delete. You can also swipe a row to delete it, or remove everything with Delete All Recordings in Settings.
On Apple TV
- Record the live channel you are watching from the player’s options panel. The recording runs until you choose Stop Recording or close the player.
- Play and delete recordings in Settings > Recordings.
How to use it
On iPhone and iPad
- Add your playlist. Open the Playlists tab, tap +, and choose Link m3u or Xtream Login. Enter the details from your provider.
- Start playback. Open a live channel or a movie in the full-screen player.
- Tap the red REC button in the player’s top bar. It starts blinking and the mm:ss timer counts up.
- Tap REC again to stop. You will see “Recording Complete”.
- Allow Photos access if you want a copy in your Photos library. If you decline, the MP4 is still saved inside Stream Master.
- Open your recordings. Go to Settings > Recording Settings, which opens the My Recordings screen, or use the Recordings section on the Home tab.
- Play or organise them. Tap a row to play it. Open a row’s menu to Rename, Share or Delete it, or swipe the row to delete it.
- Free up space when needed. Delete All Recordings in Settings removes every recording at once. To see how much space the app uses overall, check Settings > Storage Usage; the My Recordings screen does not show a storage figure. More in Settings: optimize performance and manage storage.
On Apple TV
- Add your playlist from the Playlists tab with Link m3u or Xtream Login, the same as on iPhone.
- Play a live channel.
- Click while the controls are showing to open the options panel, then choose Record.
- Choose Stop Recording when you are done. Closing the player also ends the recording.
- Watch or delete recordings in Settings > Recordings.
Limits and requirements
- Pro only. On iPhone and iPad, free users see the REC button, but tapping it opens the “Upgrade to Premium” screen. Pro comes as a monthly, yearly or lifetime plan, with prices that vary by country. It also removes ads on iPhone and iPad and unlocks unlimited playlists and favorites, AirPlay, Chromecast, offline downloads, Multi-View, video settings, iCloud Sync and Watch Stats.
- Devices. iPhone and iPad need iOS 16 or later; Apple TV needs tvOS 18.5 or later.
- Either playlist type. Recording works on what the player is playing, from an M3U or Xtream Codes playlist.
- One recording at a time on iPhone and iPad.
- You start it yourself. Recording begins when you press REC or Record on something that is playing; Apple TV has no scheduled recording. To catch the start of a program, set a reminder in the TV guide: the bell on a future program sends a notification at its start time, so you can open the channel and start recording. The guide works with Xtream playlists and with M3U playlists that have an XMLTV guide. See Smart EPG: TV guide, reminders and catch-up.
- Movies record from where you are. For a complete movie or series episode to watch offline on iPhone or iPad, Offline Downloads saves the whole title instead. It is also a Pro feature.
- Apple TV storage. Recordings are kept in the Apple TV cache, which tvOS may clear when storage runs low, so treat them as short-term. A recording will not start with less than 1.5 GB free.
When it is not available
- On the free version. The REC button leads to the upgrade screen.
- While another recording is running on iPhone or iPad. Stop the current one first.
- For movies on Apple TV. The movie player and recording playback on Apple TV have no Record button.
- On Apple TV with under 1.5 GB free. Recording will not start.
If you only want to rewatch a program that already aired, you may not need to record at all. With an Xtream playlist, catch-up replays past programs on channels your provider archives, on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, and it is included in the free version. Our guide to catch-up TV with Xtream Codes on iPhone and iPad shows how.
Get Stream Master
If recording your own provider’s channels is what you need, download Stream Master on the App Store and upgrade to Pro to start recording.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is recording free in Stream Master?
No, recording is part of Stream Master Pro. Free users on iPhone and iPad see the REC button, but tapping it opens the Upgrade to Premium screen.
Can I record on Apple TV?
Yes, with Pro. Choose Record in the player's options panel while a live channel plays; recordings are kept in the Apple TV cache, which tvOS may clear when storage runs low, and movies cannot be recorded there.
Can I schedule a recording for later?
No. Recording starts when you press REC or Record on something that is playing. You can set a reminder in the TV guide so you get a notification at the program's start time and can start recording then.
Where are my recordings saved on iPhone and iPad?
Each recording is saved as an MP4 inside Stream Master and listed under Settings > Recording Settings (My Recordings) and on the Home tab. The app also asks for permission to save a copy to your Photos library.