If your guide still shows last week's programmes, the player is almost certainly reading a stale copy of the guide file, or it has stopped refreshing in the background. The cause is usually one of four things: the app's update interval, an out-of-date source file, a cached copy, or the device sleeping before the update can run.
Quick answer: Open the XMLTV file and check the dates inside it. If they are old, the source needs fixing. If they are current, set the app's EPG update interval to once or twice a day, force a manual refresh, and make sure the device stays awake long enough to finish.
Is the guide file itself out of date?
Check this first, because no app setting can fix it. An XMLTV file is plain text (or a compressed .xml.gz), and each programme has a start value that begins with the date, such as 20261024180000. Open the file in a text editor on a computer and look at the first and last programme entries. If the newest date is already in the past, the file is not being regenerated and you need to talk to whoever maintains it. Our EPG and XMLTV guide explains the format and how to read those timestamps.
If the dates run several days ahead, the file is fine and the problem is on your device.
Is the update interval set too long (or to manual)?
Most players have an EPG or guide update setting. Names vary by app and version, but you are looking for an option such as "update EPG", "refresh interval" or "guide update". Choose once or twice a day. Refreshing every few minutes does not help, because guide files change slowly and a very frequent refresh can get your device blocked by the host.
After changing the interval, trigger a manual update and wait. Large guides can take a while to download and process, particularly on older sticks, and the app may look idle while it works.
Is the app showing a cached copy?
Some players keep a local copy of the guide and only replace it when the update finishes successfully. If an update failed halfway (a dropped connection, a truncated file), you can end up with the old data indefinitely. Try these in order:
- Run a manual refresh from the playlist or EPG settings.
- Remove the EPG source from the app and add it again.
- Clear the app's cache (usually under Settings, then Apps, then the app on Android-based devices). Clearing data as well will usually wipe your settings, so only do that if you have a backup.
- Restart the device and try once more.
Is the device sleeping before the update runs?
Background updates need the device to be awake and online. Streaming sticks and boxes often go into a low-power state after a period of inactivity, and in that state the app may not get to run its scheduled update. If your guide only updates when you open the app and wait, that is the clue.
Check your device's sleep or screensaver timeout and any battery or power-saving options that apply to the app. If the guide is stale each morning, try opening the app once in the evening and letting it refresh before you switch the TV off. Menu wording varies by device.
Do the channels still match the guide?
A refreshed guide can still look empty if the channel IDs in your playlist do not match those in the file, which is a different problem from staleness. If some channels update and others stay blank, see the matching section in the guide linked above.
If that didn't work
Before asking for help, note down:
- The player app and version, and the device model.
- The date of the newest programme inside the guide file.
- What the app's EPG settings show for the last update time.
- Whether a manual refresh finishes, fails or never ends.
Remove any real addresses, logins or tokens before posting, and use example.com in anything you paste.
Tell us which app and device you're using and what the last-updated time says, and we'll help narrow it down.