Setup guide

How to load an M3U playlist in Sidstuga

2 minutes · Android phone, tablet or Android TV · v1.1.x+

What you need

An M3U or M3U8 playlist — as a URL (recommended, auto-refreshes) or a local file.
Android device running Android 7.0 (API 24) or later.

Don't have an M3U? You may have Xtream Codes credentials instead — see our Xtream Codes setup guide.

Step 1 — Install Sidstuga from Google Play

Open the Play Store, search Sidstuga, tap Install. €0.99/month or €7.99/year — no ads, cancel anytime.

Step 2 — Choose M3U as the source

On the source picker after the language wizard, select M3U / M3U8. Sidstuga then asks whether the list is a URL or a local file.

Step 3a — From URL (recommended)

Paste the full M3U URL (e.g. http://provider.com/list.m3u) and tap Continue. Sidstuga downloads and parses the list.

Why URL is recommended: when your provider updates the channel list, the URL serves the new version automatically. With a local file you'd have to re-import manually.

Step 3b — From a local file

Tap Pick file. Sidstuga opens your device's document picker. Browse to your .m3u or .m3u8 file. On Android TV, install a third-party file manager first if your TV box doesn't ship Android's built-in DocumentsUI (most TCL and Mi Box models don't).

Sidstuga uses a fallback intent (ACTION_GET_CONTENT) when the standard picker isn't available, so it works on more TV boxes than apps that only use ACTION_OPEN_DOCUMENT.

Step 4 — Watch

Sidstuga parses the playlist (large 5000-channel lists take ~2 seconds), shows category groups in the sidebar, and downloads EPG for the first 40 channels in the background. Tap any channel to watch.

Troubleshooting

"Stream is malformed — provider sent invalid data" — playlist file isn't valid M3U. Check that your provider gave you the right URL/file.
"File not found" on TV — your TV box's file manager doesn't support persistable URI grants. Re-pick the file via Sidstuga's CTA toast.
No EPG appearing — M3U lists don't include EPG by default; some providers attach a separate tvg-url attribute that Sidstuga reads automatically.

What Sidstuga does NOT do

Sidstuga is a media player. It is not a content provider, host, distributor or aggregator. The app does not include, recommend, index or distribute any M3U playlists, IPTV streams or channel lists. You supply your own playlist of a service you are independently authorised to use, and you alone are responsible for ensuring such use complies with applicable law and the terms of your provider.