Short answer: "TV Mate" means at least four different things, and Google can't tell which one you want. If you were looking for the Android TV app that shows your IPTV playlist as a cable-style guide, the name is TiviMate (one word, "Tivi"), made by Armobsoft. Otherwise you probably mean Huawei's Mate TV sets, the OTTOCAST Car TV Mate adapters for car screens, or TV-Mate, a Canadian retailer of streaming boxes. The catch with the app: it's a player only, it runs on Android-based TV devices and nothing else, and it vanished from Google Play search for many users in July 2026.
At a glance
Which "TV Mate" is which
| The IPTV app | TiviMate (Armobsoft), Android TV/Google TV/Fire OS |
| The TVs | Huawei Mate TV and Mate TV Pro, China only |
| The car gadget | OTTOCAST Car TV Mate: HDMI and streaming to a car screen |
| The shop | TV-Mate, Canadian box and accessory retailer |
| Quick test | Want a TV guide for a playlist you have? You mean TiviMate |
Which "TV Mate" do you mean?
Search results for "tv mate" are a mix of Chinese TV launches, car gadgets, a TV series listing and a Canadian shop, with nothing about the app most people seem to be looking for. Here's the whole set on one table.
| Name | What it is | Who it's for | Sold in the US? |
|---|---|---|---|
| TiviMate | IPTV player app for Android-based TV devices | People with a playlist or IPTV login who want a cable-style guide | Yes, as an app (Android devices only) |
| Huawei Mate TV / Mate TV Pro | Large smart TVs (65-98 inch) on HarmonyOS 5.1 | Chinese market buyers | No |
| OTTOCAST Car TV Mate (Pro, Max) | Adapter that sends HDMI or streaming video to a car's CarPlay screen | Passengers on long trips | Yes |
| TV-Mate (tv-mate.com) | Canadian retailer of streaming boxes and accessories | Canadian shoppers | Ships mainly in Canada |
| Mate (TV series) | A 2024-2025 TV series listed on IMDb | Viewers looking for the show | Check streaming listings |
If you typed "TV mate" after hearing someone recommend "the best IPTV app for Firestick", you almost certainly want TiviMate. The name is pronounced roughly "TV-mate", which is why the misspelling is so common.
TiviMate: the app most people mean
TiviMate is an IPTV player. You give it a playlist link, an Xtream-style login or a portal address from a service you already pay for, and it turns that into something that looks and behaves like a cable box: a grid programme guide, favourites, channel groups and, with Premium, recording and catch-up.
It doesn't come with any channels. That's the single most misunderstood thing about it. TiviMate is to a TV service what a web browser is to a website: the app is only as good, and only as legal, as what you load into it. We cover the mechanics in how TiviMate works.
| Free | Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (2026) | $0 | About $9.99 a year or about $34 lifetime |
| Playlists | One | Several, with a merged guide |
| Recording and catch-up | No | Yes (catch-up only if your provider supports it) |
| Multi-view | No | Yes, hardware permitting |
| Devices per licence | n/a | Up to 5 on one account |
Prices are those reported in 2026 and can change; buy only through the app or the developer's own site. Our TiviMate free vs Premium guide has the full feature split.
Where TiviMate runs, and where it doesn't
This matters more than anything else on this page, because a large share of people searching "TV mate" own a device it can't run on.
| Device | TiviMate? |
|---|---|
| Google TV Streamer, Chromecast with Google TV, Nvidia Shield | Yes |
| Google TV and Android TV televisions (Sony, TCL, Hisense, Philips) | Yes |
| Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Fire TV Cube and older Fire OS sticks | Yes, but not from the Amazon Appstore |
| Fire TV Stick 4K Select, new Fire TV Stick 4K (Vega OS) | No |
| Roku, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad | No |
| Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) TVs | No |
| Windows and Mac | No official version |
Two 2026 changes are worth knowing. Amazon discontinued the Fire TV Stick 4K Select and 4K Plus on 30 September 2026 and replaced them with a third-generation Fire TV Stick 4K on Vega OS at $59.99, which runs Appstore apps only, so TiviMate can't be installed on it. And TiviMate dropped out of Google Play search for many users in late July 2026; copies already installed keep working. Our TiviMate Play Store status page tracks it device by device.
If your device isn't on the "yes" list, the useful question is which player does a similar job there. On Apple devices and Samsung or LG TVs there are other licensed player apps, and on any device the simplest route to live TV is a licensed service's own app.
Huawei Mate TV and Mate TV Pro
In September 2025 Huawei launched its first TVs under the Mate brand, better known for its flagship phones. Reports at launch described sizes from 65 to 98 inches, HarmonyOS 5.1, and peak brightness above 4,000 nits on the top models, with sales starting in China on 26 September 2025.
For a US reader the short version is: you can't buy one here through normal retail, they wouldn't run Google TV or US streaming apps the way an American set does, and Huawei's US restrictions make official support unlikely. If you came across them in a news article, they're interesting as a sign of how bright TVs are getting. They're not an option for your living room.
OTTOCAST Car TV Mate: video on a car screen
The OTTOCAST Car TV Mate family (Pro and Max versions) plugs into a car's USB port and adds wireless CarPlay plus a way to show video on the dashboard screen, including from an HDMI source such as a streaming stick. The Pro model listing describes HDMI input up to 2K; prices have been around $64 and up depending on model.
Two practical points before you buy:
- Safety and the law. Video on a screen the driver can see while moving is illegal in most US states. These adapters are for parked cars and for passengers on screens out of the driver's view. Check your state's rules.
- Streaming in the car uses mobile data, often several gigabytes per hour of video. Licensed live TV apps also apply location rules based on where you are.
We cover the wider subject, including rear-seat options, in IPTV on a car screen: what's allowed and what works.
TV-Mate, the Canadian retailer
tv-mate.com is a Canadian store selling streaming boxes and accessories. It's a shop, not an app or a TV service, and we haven't reviewed what it sells. If you're buying a streaming box from any retailer, the useful checks are the same: which operating system it runs (Google TV certification matters for app support), whether it gets security updates, and whether it's being sold with channels "included". Boxes sold pre-loaded with free premium channels are the classic sign of unlicensed IPTV, in Canada as much as in the US.
If you wanted TiviMate: three things to know first
- Get it from the right place. Use Google Play where it's visible, or the developer's own site. Lookalike domains with "tivimate" in the name have been ranking for years, and some push modified APKs. Check that the developer shown is Armobsoft FZE.
- Bring your own source. TiviMate needs a playlist or login from a provider. If you don't have one, it's an empty guide. A licensed provider will tell you plainly which channels it has rights to.
- Don't buy "TiviMate subscriptions". Sellers sometimes bundle the app's name with a channel package. TiviMate itself only sells Premium for the app; it has never sold channels.
For the step-by-step install and first setup, see our TiviMate setup guide.
Quick answers
Is it TV Mate or TiviMate? The IPTV player app is spelled TiviMate, one word. "TV Mate" is a common misspelling, and it's also the name of unrelated products, including Huawei's Mate TV sets and the OTTOCAST Car TV Mate adapter.
What does TiviMate do? It plays an IPTV playlist or login you already have and shows it with a cable-style programme guide. Premium adds recording, catch-up, multi-view and several playlists. It includes no channels.
Is TiviMate free? There is a free version with one playlist and basic live TV. Premium cost about $9.99 a year or about $34 for a lifetime licence in 2026.
Can I get TiviMate on a Firestick? On Fire OS models such as the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Cube, yes, from outside the Amazon Appstore. On Vega OS models, including the new Fire TV Stick 4K launched in September 2026, no.
Does TiviMate work on Roku, Apple TV or Samsung TVs? No. TiviMate only runs on Android-based TV devices. Those platforms need a different player app or a licensed service's own app.
Can I buy a Huawei Mate TV in the US? Not through normal US retail. The Mate TV and Mate TV Pro launched in China in September 2025 and run HarmonyOS rather than Google TV.
Is the OTTOCAST Car TV Mate legal to use while driving? Watching video on a screen visible to the driver while the car is moving is illegal in most US states. Use it when parked or for passengers only.
App availability, prices and device support change often, particularly for TiviMate after its 2026 Play Store problems. Product details for the Huawei and OTTOCAST items come from launch reports and retailer listings. Checked October 2026.