With the number of people looking for alternatives to cable TV packages on the rise, the use of media center software like Kodi and Plex has become far more commonplace. However, while there is a wealth of tutorials for these packages, it can be difficult to find reliable information about less well-known software like Stremio.
This article will walk you through what Stremio is, how to install it, and how to configure it to find the type of content you want to watch. Unlike Kodi, Stremio tries to be as user-friendly as possible. As a result, many of its features are easy to understand. Despite this, there are a few that aren’t as easy to navigate. We’ll explain what they are and how you can use them to maximize Stremio’s potential.
While Stremio has plenty of addons offering properly licensed content, there are a large number that don’t. We encourage our readers to use only official sources and to research their country’s copyright laws before attempting to use Stremio or similar software.
Warning: Stremio should only be used for content to which you have the legal right to access. Neither the Stremio developers nor Comparitech advocate the use of Stremio for piracy.
Before downloading Stremio
Before you install Stremio you might want to consider using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Some people use VPNs to hide unlicensed streaming from their internet service provider (ISP). However, VPNs have many other uses. They can greatly benefit most people, including those that only stream officially licensed content.
VPNs encrypt your network traffic, making it unreadable to any outside observer. This prevents most kinds of Man-in-the-Middle attacks and also prevents your ISP from selling your browsing habits or using them to justify throttling your internet speeds.
Every VPN will slow your connection down to some degree, however, some have more impact than others. Additionally, some VPNs have been found to include malware and others had their users contribute to a botnet, making it integral that VPN users choose the right service.
We recommend IPVanish. It’s one of the most portable VPNs available and can be installed on your PC, smartphone, and Amazon Firestick easily. Also, IPVanish offers consistent, high-speed connections to servers in more than 50 countries.
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What is Stremio?
At its heart, Stremio is a media center application for desktop PC, smartphones, and tablets. You can’t install Stremio on most TVs directly, but you can cast it using a Chromecast, Apple TV, or the DLNA protocol.
Stremio has a few key differences that set it apart from programs like Kodi. First, it suggests content that you might be interested in, and tells you which platforms you can watch it on (and if you’ll have to pay or not).
Secondly, none of Stremio’s addons are installed on the user’s computer. This means that there’s no chance of a rogue developer running malicious code on your system. It also means that these addons are easy to create as they’re essentially just lists of sources. Should the website hosting these addons go down, the addon will stop working completely instead of providing partial functionality. Because of this, users will quickly be aware of any issues that occur and can consult official channels for advice.
Stremio users can’t install customized builds or skins as with Kodi so there’s no chance of accidentally breaking your installation. That said, as simple as it seems, Stremio can be used for more than just watching movies. It can be tailored to suggest content relevant to your interests, sync your watch history to Trakt, and even keep track of when the next episode of your favorite show is released.
How to install Stremio
Installing Stremio is very simple. Start by going to the Stremio homepage, choosing your operating system, and clicking the Download Now button. Once the installer has finished downloading, run it.
You’ll be asked to login. You can either create a dedicated Stremio account or choose to login with Facebook. Stremio notes that it won’t post anything on your wall so it really doesn’t matter which option you choose. You can also login as a guest by clicking Log in, then Guest Login but your settings won’t be saved if you log out.
Once you log in, you’ll be asked to select at least three categories of content. Stremio uses this information to suggest relevant videos and you can choose as many as you like. Now that Stremio is installed and you’re logged in, let’s take a closer look at its basic features.
Using Stremio: Basic functionality
Watching movies
On the main screen (called a “board”), you’ll see a selection of recommended videos based on the categories you selected earlier. It’s important to note that not all of these are available – they’re simply titles you might be interested in. If you click on one, you can see all available sources on the right-hand side of the screen. You can also search for a specific title using the bar at the top of the screen, if you’d prefer.
So how do you find content that you can actually watch? Click the Discover tab at the top of the screen. You should now be able to scroll through the list on the left and see movies and shows from your installed addons.
Installing new addons
In comparison to Kodi, Stremio has a very limited selection of addons. Also, the community addons section contains some that come with significant security risks. For this reason, we strongly recommend avoiding the RARBG and Juan Carlos 2 addons. These use peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, which while not inherently illegal, are known for hosting copyright-infringing material.
If you click the jigsaw piece icon in the top-right, you’ll be taken to the addons page. This shows all the addons available. All of the official addons can be installed with a single click, but confirmation is required for the P2P addons mentioned earlier. It should be noted that while YouTube videos can be watched directly in the Stremio application, all other sources redirect you to the relevant website. This ensures you don’t have to trust Stremio with your login details, further enhancing the security of its users.
Using Stremio: Advanced features
Stremio has a good range of advanced functionality that let you take your media consumption to the next level. Below, we’ll walk you through these features.
Watching Stremio remotely
It’s actually possible to view any content you have access to on Stremio, regardless of where you are (provided the app is running). First, click on the three dot icon in the top-right and open the settings menu.
Next, select one of the available IP addresses under Enable remote HTTPS connections. A new box will appear, labeled Streaming HTTPS endpoint. Simply visit this URL on your secondary device and you should be able to watch whatever you like.
Syncing your watch history with Trakt
Trakt is a web-based service that allows you to automatically keep track of the titles you’ve watched. As with the Kodi addon for Trakt, this is primarily used to sync your local library instead of the content you’ve streamed.
First you’ll need a Trakt account, so create one here. Next, click the gear icon in Stremio and click Authorize under the Trakt Scrobbling heading. You’ll be redirected to the Trakt website where you can confirm that Stremio is allowed to access your account. Now try playing something from your media library. If everything works as intended, you should see the movie or TV show appear in your Trakt watch history. This feature is fairly unreliable, however, and may not work with certain sources.
Using the Stremio calendar
Stremio has a built-in calendar that can be used to keep track of ongoing TV shows. Before you can use it, though, you’ll have to tell it what shows you’re interested in. There are a few ways to do this. You can import your existing Trakt library, import locally stored shows, select titles from the Discover tab, or allow Stremio to find TV shows that you’ve liked on Facebook.
For simplicity’s sake, we’ll be selecting content from the Discover tab. If we add The Simpsons to our library then check the calendar, we can see all of the dates when it aired or will be airing. Of course, for unreleased titles, the final dates are subject to change and Stremio can only provide an estimated release date.
If you’d like to integrate this calendar into your daily routine, you can click the gear icon and select Subscribe to calendar. This will allow you to sync upcoming TV and movie release dates with your default email or calendar application.
everything I go on movies and series say that their are no available streams
do I need to add and add ons ? what do I do?
Hi Jennifer, Stremio shows quite a lot of content that it doesn’t actually offer for some reason. Having said that, you should be able to browse what’s really available by installing some of the addons. Thanks, Ian
Hello, why do i need a virtual private network to run Stremio, exactly?
(Sorry for my bad english)
There are a couple of reasons. Firstly, since your ISP can’t see what you’re doing when connected to a VPN, it’s less likely your connection will be throttled. You can also use a VPN to change which version of Netflix you can access via Stremio. Finally, VPNs allow you to torrent without revealing your real IP address. This is particularly helpful if you’d like to use the RARBG addon (although we don’t recommend this). Hope this helps, Ian
This may be a dumb question but is there a place to set up parental controls?
Not a dumb question at all! Stremio doesn’t appear to have any parental control settings, which is a shame. Ian
When i want to watch movie and i click on it,it shows me avalible add ons l,if under the addon deant write,,free” Can i watch it with no paying?Sry bcs of my english ihope u understand me
Hi, if it says free, you can watch without paying. BUT, there’s no guarantee it will be from a legitimate source so use your best judgement. Ian
Hi, Free option on the left menu doesn’t show any movie. Has this to do something with adds on?
Hi Zakir, I’ve just checked and I also don’t see anything in that menu. I don’t think it’s addon related – rather, it seems as thought the selection of free movies updates now and then. I’d keep checking back and hopefully you’ll find some new entries in there soon. Thanks, Ian
Trying to watch the Ozarks with Jason Bateman and it says no stream available. How do I watch it.
Hi, unfortunately if there’s no stream available, the content can’t be watched. I know that Ozark is available on Netflix, though, if that helps? Ian
Witch VPN can I use for hide my stremio streaming? Because my ISP already blocked my internet connection last week and I do not want to happen again.
Thanks,
Hi there – we’ve actually written a guide on this exact topic! Hope this helps: https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/best-stremio-vpn/
Thanks, Ian
Can it stream sports? If so what add ons should I use?
Hi Jermain, there’s currently no official addon for streaming sports. Thanks, Ian
I have just installed on my huawei phone can I download films onto my phone to watch on an airplane?
Hi Caroline, unfortunately Stremio doesn’t have the option to download films, only stream them. Thanks, Ian
I have it installed on my Firestick- but your last statement said it can’t be .. so ?♀️
Hi Michelle, at the time of writing, the only way to get Stremio on a Firestick was to sideload the version for Android phones. There are reports from this time of strange user interface issues and assorted other bugs, so we didn’t consider it to be a valid option. I’m pleased to hear that the situation has improved since then, though! Ian
I have Stremio installed on my PC (in UK), my brother has it on his in Dubai….His Stremio movie/ tv show content is different to mine……Is it geographically restricted?
Yes, that’s correct. While Twitch and YouTube’s content should be almost identical, services like Netflix change their libraries based on the user’s country. This problem can be bypassed by connecting to a VPN, however.