Limited Time: Get 12 Months for the price of 8! Claim Deal

How to Use Catch-Up (Timeshift) to Watch Shows You Missed

Share
Setup Guides Tips & Tricks

Catch-up (also called timeshift) lets you go back and watch content that aired in the past few hours or days. If you missed a show, a game, or a movie that was on earlier, catch-up lets you rewind and watch it. Not all channels support catch-up, but many popular ones do.

How Catch-Up Works

Channels that support catch-up store recent broadcasts on the server. Depending on the channel, you can go back anywhere from a few hours to several days. When you access catch-up content, it plays like a regular video — you can pause, fast-forward, and rewind.

Requirements

  • Your IPTV app must support catch-up (TiviMate, OTT Navigator, and most modern apps do)
  • You must be logged in via Xtream Codes API (catch-up does not work with M3U playlists in most apps)
  • The specific channel must have catch-up enabled on the server side

How to Use Catch-Up in TiviMate

  1. Navigate to a channel that supports catch-up
  2. Open the EPG (Program Guide) by pressing the center/select button
  3. Scroll left to see past programs
  4. Select the program you want to watch
  5. Choose Catch-up from the menu
  6. The past program will begin playing

In TiviMate, channels with catch-up available typically show a small clock icon in the EPG.

How to Use Catch-Up in IPTV Smarters

  1. Go to the Live TV section
  2. Find and select the channel
  3. If catch-up is available, you will see a TV Archive or Catch-up option
  4. Select it to browse available past content
  5. Pick the date and time to start playback

Not All Channels Support Catch-Up

Catch-up availability depends on the channel and server configuration. Major entertainment, news, and sports channels are more likely to have catch-up enabled. If a specific channel does not show catch-up options, it means that channel does not support it on our server.

Tips

  • Catch-up content is usually available for 24 to 72 hours after airing
  • If catch-up is not working, make sure you are using Xtream Codes API login (not M3U URL)
  • Some apps require you to manually enable catch-up in Settings
  • Recording is a separate feature from catch-up — recording saves to your device, catch-up is server-side
On this page