How do I add an M3U playlist to FoxDL?

Short answer

Open Sources, choose to add a playlist, and paste the M3U or M3U8 URL your provider gave you — or pick an .m3u file from Files or Finder. FoxDL parses it once, stores the channels locally, and the list is ready to browse and search.

Reviewed 30 July 2026

FoxDL is an IPTV player, not an IPTV service: you bring the playlist of a service you legally subscribe to, and the app gives you a client for it. No channel list ships with the app.

Step by step

  1. Open Sources and choose to add a live TV source.
  2. Paste the M3U/M3U8 URL, or pick an .m3u file from the Files app (iPhone, iPad) or Finder (Mac).
  3. Give it a name so several providers stay apart, and let the import run.
  4. When it finishes, channels, groups and any movie or series entries in the list are browsable and searchable.

Large lists are handled without stalling the app: the parser streams the playlist to disk instead of holding it in memory, and every screen pages through the local database rather than loading the whole catalogue.

The playlist URL is stored in the Keychain rather than the database, because most providers embed the username and password in it.

The long version M3U, Xtream Codes, EPG: what the words mean and which one you have M3U or Xtream, what an EPG needs to work, what causes buffering, and who can fix it.

Platform by platform

On iPhone

Paste a URL, or pick an .m3u file through the Files app.

On iPad

Same, with a wider layout for browsing groups next to channels.

On Mac

Paste a URL, or pick the file in Finder; the player opens in its own window.

Try it yourself

FoxDL is free to download. No account, no sign-up.

Download on the App Store