EPG Not Showing on IPTV.
If the EPG (TV guide) is not showing on your IPTV app, force an EPG refresh in the app's settings and set your device's time zone correctly. A missing or shifted guide is almost always caused by the EPG not finishing its download or a wrong time zone offsetting the program times. Reloading the playlist usually pulls the EPG along with it.
Symptoms
- Channels play but the guide is blank
- Program times are shifted by a few hours
- Only some channels show guide data
- The EPG showed before and is now empty
Common causes
- The EPG didn't finish downloading on first load
- The device time zone is wrong, shifting program times
- The EPG source isn't set or refreshed in the app
- A weak connection interrupted the guide download
Quick fixes
Try these first — they resolve most cases in under a minute.
- Force an EPG refresh in the app's settings.
- Set the device's time zone to your local zone, not UTC.
- Reload the playlist to pull the EPG again.
- Restart the app after changing settings.
Step-by-step troubleshooting
Refresh the EPG
Open the app's EPG or guide settings and choose Refresh or Update. The first download sometimes fails on a slow connection, leaving the guide blank.
Fix the time zone
Set your device's time zone to your local region, not UTC. A wrong time zone is the usual reason program times look shifted by a few hours, then restart the app.
Check the EPG source
In apps like TiviMate, confirm an EPG source is selected. By default OTTV's guide loads with the playlist, but a custom XMLTV URL can be added under EPG settings.
Reload the playlist
Reload the playlist so the app re-downloads channels and guide together on a stable, ideally wired, connection.
When to contact support
Contact OTTV support if the EPG stays blank after a refresh, a correct time zone, and a playlist reload, or if specific channels never show guide data. Tell us the app, the channels affected, and your time zone.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is my IPTV TV guide blank?
- The EPG usually didn't finish downloading. Force an EPG refresh in the app's settings and reload the playlist on a stable connection.
- Why are my EPG times wrong?
- Your device's time zone is set incorrectly. Change it to your local zone (not UTC) and restart the app so the guide realigns.
- How do I add a custom EPG in TiviMate?
- Open Settings, EPG, and add your XMLTV source URL, then refresh. OTTV's default guide loads with the playlist, so a custom source is optional.
- Does a missing EPG affect channel playback?
- No. The EPG is only the program guide. Channels still play normally even when the guide is empty.
Try it before you commit.
Still testing your IPTV setup? Start with a free IPTV trial from OTTV and check if your device, app, and playlist work before choosing a plan.