IPTV Apps on Samsung and LG Smart TVs: What You Can Install

Installing an IPTV player on a Samsung or LG smart TV is possible, but it works differently from a Fire TV or Android TV box. You can only use what is in the TV's own app store, and there is no easy way around that.

This guide explains what Samsung's Tizen and LG's webOS allow, why developer mode is not a sideloading shortcut, and when plugging in a streaming device is the simpler answer.

Quick answer: On Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) TVs you install player apps from the built-in store, and you cannot install Android APK files. Which apps exist depends on your TV model, year and country. If the store lacks a player you like, an external streaming stick or box is usually the better route.

Can I install IPTV apps on a Samsung or LG TV?

Yes, if a suitable player app is in your TV's store. Search the store for terms such as "IPTV" or "M3U player" and look at the developer name, recent update date, ratings and any purchase price. Because the store changes and varies by region, I cannot give you a reliable, current list of players for each platform. A lot of the "best IPTV apps for Samsung" lists online are published by sites with something to sell, so be cautious.

What I can say with confidence is how the platforms work:

• Samsung Tizen apps are web-based apps built with Samsung's Tizen Studio and submitted to the store through Samsung's seller process. Android APK files cannot be installed on Tizen.
• LG webOS also runs web-style apps that LG distributes through its Content Store.

That means popular Android-only player apps such as TiviMate or OTT Navigator are built for Android TV, Google TV and Fire TV, not for Samsung or LG. For those you need a different device, as covered in IPTV player apps compared.

Which useful apps are on Samsung and LG TVs?

You may find more genuinely useful apps than you expect, even without third-party IPTV players:

• Licensed free live TV: services such as Samsung TV Plus on Samsung sets, and the broadcaster apps (BBC iPlayer, ITVX and others) on both brands. See free legal live TV in the UK.
• Your own media server: Jellyfin lists official clients for both LG webOS and Samsung Tizen on its downloads page. On LG the app is in the Content Store. On Samsung, Jellyfin has appeared in the Samsung store, though reports say only some models are eligible so far. Our guide to Plex, Jellyfin and live TV from an antenna shows what that set-up can do.
• A generic M3U player: some exist in each store, but quality, guide support and updates vary, and I could not verify a current list. Read the reviews and be wary of any app that pushes you towards a particular provider.

If you load your own playlist, learn the basics first with M3U playlists explained. Use only sources you are entitled to use.

What does developer mode do on Samsung and LG TVs?

Both brands have a developer mode, and both are aimed at people building and testing their own apps, not at installing general apps.

Samsung developer mode

Samsung's developer documentation says to open Smart Hub, go to the Apps panel and then App Settings, and enter 12345 to get the developer mode pop-up. You then enable developer mode, enter the IP address of your computer and reboot. Samsung forum posts say access changed on 2024 models, with a similar route through Apps and Settings, so the exact steps vary by TV year.

From there you connect a computer running Tizen Studio. It is a developer workflow, not a one-click installer. One source I read says that apps installed this way stop working after a short period, but I have not confirmed that with Samsung's documentation, so check before relying on it.

LG developer mode

LG provides a Developer Mode app that needs an LG developer account, a computer on the same network and the webOS command line tools. The mode is enabled only for a limited time, shown as a remaining session counter, and can be extended while the TV is online. When developer mode is disabled, apps installed through it are removed.

In both cases, you need to build or obtain an app packaged for that platform. You cannot install an Android player on them. Be cautious of videos or sites that promise a magic developer-mode trick for installing apps from unknown sources.

When is an external stick or box the better choice?

An external device is usually the better choice when:

• the player you want is not available for your TV's platform,
• your TV is a few years old and the store has stopped getting updates,
• the TV's interface is slow, or the app has weak programme guide support, or
• you want one device you can take to another TV.

Sensible options include a Fire TV Stick (check the operating system, since sideloading only works on Fire OS models), a certified box from the Android TV box buying guide, or an Apple TV, as covered in Apple TV IPTV player setup. Most connect to your TV's HDMI port, so the TV remains the screen. Ask which suits your TV in the smart TVs forum.

What about Hisense VIDAA and Roku?

Hisense VIDAA is a separate smart TV platform with its own app store. I could not verify a current list of IPTV player apps for it, so check the store on your own TV and treat any third-party claims with caution.

Roku is more restrictive. Roku installs apps from its own Channel Store, and developer mode is for testing your own channel. Several sources I read say Roku removed non-certified private channels in February 2022, which is why old install codes stopped working. Roku has no built-in M3U playback, and the few store apps that accept playlists come and go. Those sources are mostly vendor blogs, so treat the details with caution. If live TV from your own sources is your goal, Roku is a weak platform for it.