When channels refuse to load, the symptom tells you a lot about the cause. A login error points to your details, an empty list to the app, a black screen to the stream or the decoder. The checklist below works for Pillar IPTV and for most other services: find the heading that matches what you see and work through it.
If channels do load but stutter, our IPTV freezing fixes are a better fit.
Before anything else: three quick checks
- Is the internet working on that device? Open any website or video app.
- Is your plan still active? Plans do not renew on their own, so an expired plan simply stops working. Check the end date in your order message.
- Is someone else already watching on all your screens? Each plan allows a set number of simultaneous connections.
Symptom: “invalid login”, “authorisation failed” or “account not found”
This is almost always a typing problem. Check for a space before or after the username or password, a missing http:// or :port on the server address, and capital letters added by autocorrect. Copy and paste the details from your login message rather than typing them. Our login details explainer shows what each part should look like.
If you recently renewed, make sure you are using the same username as before: renewals add time to the existing account rather than creating a new one.
Symptom: the app connects but the channel list is empty
- Wait two minutes on the first launch: large lists take time to download.
- Use the app’s refresh or reload playlist option.
- If you entered a playlist link, check you did not paste it into the Xtream Codes box (or the other way round).
- Clear the app’s cache or data, then sign in again.
- Try the same details in a second app or in VLC. If they work there, the first app is the problem.
Symptom: a black screen, or a spinning wheel that never ends
Check whether it is one channel or all of them.
- One channel: its source may be temporarily down. Try the channel’s other quality versions, or come back later.
- Every channel: switch the player’s decoder between hardware and software in its settings. Some devices only play certain streams with one of the two.
- Still black: change the stream format option (often labelled TS or HLS / m3u8) if your player offers it.
- On Wi-Fi with a weak signal, a stream can fail to start at all. Test with a cable or nearer the router.
Symptom: picture but no sound (or sound out of step)
- Check the device volume and that the TV is not muted or sending audio to a disconnected soundbar.
- In the player, change the audio track; some channels carry several.
- Switch audio decoding between hardware and software, or turn off audio passthrough if your TV or soundbar does not support the channel’s audio format.
- If sound drifts out of step during long viewing, restart the channel. Persistent drift on one device usually means it is struggling to decode; try a lower quality.
Symptom: channels play but the TV guide is empty
- Give the guide time: the first download can take several minutes.
- Use the app’s update EPG (or reload guide) option.
- Check the device’s date, time and time zone are correct; a wrong clock hides listings.
- With a playlist link, add the separate guide link; with an Xtream Codes login, the guide loads by itself.
Still stuck? Send the help desk these four things
A clear message gets a fast answer. Send a screenshot of the error, the name of your device and player app, the channel or section that fails, and the time it happened. The help desk answers on WhatsApp and by email at any hour, and the contact page has both. If the service still does not work as described and cannot be fixed, the refund policy explains your options within 30 days of purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my IPTV channels say invalid login?
Usually a typing mistake in the username, password or server address, or an expired plan. Copy and paste the details from your login message and check your plan end date.
Why is my channel list empty?
The list may still be downloading, the playlist may need a refresh, or the login was entered in the wrong format for the app. Reload the playlist or try another player.
Why do I get a black screen on every channel?
Most often a decoder setting. Switch between hardware and software decoding in the player, and try the other stream format if the app offers one.
How do I fix a missing TV guide?
Reload the guide in the app, check the device clock and time zone, and add the guide link separately if you signed in with a playlist link.
