M3U link not loading: how do I find the cause?
Updated October 27, 2026
TIVERA does not read your M3U link when you add it: it only checks the address and the connection, so a dead or expired link still shows “Source added”. The failure then appears on the source's card, as “Refresh failed”. Start by opening the link in a browser, then read the card's message and run the refresh again.
When you add it: the messages that block
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| “The URL must start with http:// or https:// and contain no spaces.” (the Add source button stays inactive) | The address is malformed: a space or a line break slipped into the copy, or the start is missing. Copy it again in one go. |
| “No network connection. Connect to the Internet to import an M3U playlist.” | The device is offline. |
| “This source is already added as …” | This address is already in your list of sources. |
| The Premium screen opens | The free version accepts a single source. Delete the old one, or go Premium. |
After “Source added”: read the source's card
Open Settings → Sources. The source's card shows what happened:
- “Refresh failed”, with “The last refresh didn't go through. Tivera will try again; you can also refresh it from its actions.”: the load failed. The app does not say why: a dead link, a server error, a web page instead of the playlist or an empty playlist all show the same message.
- “Refresh incomplete”: the load stopped before the end.
- “Disabled”, with “Hidden and not refreshed”: the source is switched off. For an M3U link, TIVERA switches it off by itself when the server answers 401 or 403 (access refused), rather than insist; the same label shows if you turned the source off yourself.
On the home screen, a “SYNC ERROR” badge only appears if the load failed and has never succeeded yet; the cross on the badge removes it.
What to check, in order
- Open the link in a browser, on your phone or computer. A valid playlist shows or downloads as text starting with
#EXTM3U, followed by#EXTINFlines. A web page (login, “subscription expired”), an error page or an empty file points to a problem on the subscription side: TIVERA cannot read it any better. Do not share this link, it may contain your credentials. - Check your subscription. It may have expired, been suspended, or the link may have been regenerated by your provider. If the link works but playback is refused, see error 403 and connection limit.
- Refresh the source. Open its card, then choose Refresh now.
- Turn it back on if it is disabled. Once the problem is fixed with your provider, activate the disabled source's row: it works as the switch.
- Add it again. To change a source's address, delete it with Delete this source, then add the up-to-date link. In the free version, delete the old one first: a single source is accepted.
Two special cases. An https:// link whose certificate is invalid or expired can fail: TIVERA only accepts certificates that Android trusts. And for an http:// link, TIVERA first tests the https:// version of the same address and keeps it if the server answers: a link that only accepts http:// can therefore fail, even if it opens in a browser.
Frequently asked questions
Why does TIVERA say “Source added” when my link does not work?
Because adding does not read the playlist: the catalog loads afterwards in the background, and that is where the failure appears, on the source's card.
Does TIVERA try again by itself?
For a temporary outage (network, server error), yes: the app tries several times, then again later. After a 401 or 403 refusal it disables the source; after a 404 error (address not found) it does not repeat the attempts of the same cycle; it will try again later, but only a corrected link fixes a 404.
Can I use an .m3u file saved on my device?
No, TIVERA reads a link. See play an M3U on Android TV.