IPTV Catch-up
If your provider keeps the programme of a channel for a few days, Neverlag lets you watch a programme that already aired from the beginning – with seeking, pause and “Continue watching”, like a movie.
from version 1.0.2 – App Store update coming shortly
Apple TV · iPhone · iPad · Mac · Fire TV · Android soon
Now on the App Store for Apple TV, iPhone and iPad. The Mac app follows shortly under the same link. One purchase for all Apple devices (Universal Purchase).
Catch-up – some call it archive, replay or timeshift TV – means your provider stores the programme of certain channels for a few days and hands it out on request. Neverlag reads from your list which channels have an archive and how far back it reaches, marks them “Archive”, and starts a past programme straight from the guide, from search or from its own Archive area. Nothing to configure.
Neverlag is a player. The archive, like the channels, comes from your provider; Neverlag delivers no content and names no providers.
Channels with an archive carry a small “Archive” mark in the channel list and in the left column of the guide. The detail sheet of a programme also says how far back the archive reaches (“Archive · 2 days”). Whether a channel has an archive comes from your provider’s list (Xtream: tv_archive; M3U: catchup, catchup-days) – you set nothing.
The archive has its own area next to Live, Movies and Series – on Mac and iPad in the sidebar, on iPhone as the “Archive” chip above the guide, on Apple TV as the “Archive” pill in the header. It follows the group you chose for the live list: “All”, “Favourites” or a group.
“By programme” works like a library: one tile per programme, not per broadcast – with the picture from the guide, the number of episodes and when the latest one aired. Open a tile and you get the episode list, with season and episode if the guide names them. “By channel” shows the archive channels on the left; on the right you pick the day (today, yesterday, the weekdays) and tap a programme.
Programmes you started are listed under “Continue watching” at the top; a thin bar shows how far you got.
Open the guide, page back with “−3 h”, tap a past programme on an archive channel and choose “Play programme”. The programme starts from the beginning in the movie player: progress bar, seeking, pause. Stop halfway and Neverlag remembers the spot – per profile – and asks next time whether to continue or start over. Search starts a found past programme the same way.
Some providers announce an archive but quietly serve the live programme when asked for a past one. Before starting, Neverlag sends a short request to check whether a real archive stream comes back for the chosen time. If not, nothing starts and you see “Archive not available” with the reason – instead of a wrong programme.
Measured in October 2026 with two providers: both announced an archive and redirected every archive request to the live stream – there Neverlag shows “Archive not available”. Whether your provider really delivers shows at the first start.
Neverlag tags every programme in the guide by itself – football, ice hockey, tennis, news, kids and more. In the Archive area the tag chips filter both views: tap “Football” and you see all matches of the archive days at a glance.
Neverlag plays only what the provider actually keeps; the archive window (days) comes from the provider. Seeking needs a provider that allows jumps in the archive stream – usual with Xtream panels. If the guide has no data for a day, that day is empty. An archive playback counts as one connection at your provider, like a movie.
Three ways to watch something later – they differ in where the picture comes from.
| Catch-up (archive) | Recording | Rewind live TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it comes from | your provider’s archive | a file on your Mac, in the Files app or on your NAS | Neverlag’s reserve on the device |
| How far back | the days your provider keeps | as long as you keep the file | minutes, as long as the channel is running |
| Needs planning | no | yes – schedule or start the recording | no |
| Works on Apple TV | yes | yes, to a NAS | yes |
Neverlag is an IPTV player for Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Mac and Fire TV for Xtream Codes and M3U providers. It separates fetching the stream from playing it, so that connection drops do not lead to reloads. Measured: 60 seconds without a connection, zero reloads.
Measured: Neverlag, in the Playback Lab, on our own devices. Other players: not yet measured. We name no providers and recommend none — you bring your own list or credentials.
Catch-up means your IPTV provider stores the programme of a channel for a few days so you can watch a programme after it aired. Neverlag calls it Archive, marks channels that have one and plays past programmes with seeking and resume – on Apple TV, Mac, iPhone and iPad.
Neverlag does, from version 1.0.2: the Archive area, past programmes from the guide and from search, and a check before every start that the provider really delivers the archive. It works with Xtream Codes and with M3U playlists that carry catch-up information.
Because your provider did not deliver an archive stream for that time – often it sent the live programme instead. Neverlag checks this before starting so you do not get the wrong programme. The reason is in the message and in the journal under Settings → Diagnostics.
Yes, if the playlist marks it: the entries catchup, catchup-source and catchup-days tell Neverlag which channels have an archive and how far back it reaches. Without these entries, Neverlag cannot know about an archive.
No. For that the archive would have to be available within the reserve time of 45 seconds, and no provider we measured offers that. A dropout is bridged by the reserve on the device; the archive is for watching later.
Your list. Your provider. Try Neverlag free for 7 days – then decide. Family Sharing included.
Neverlag is a player. You need your own M3U playlist or credentials from an IPTV provider. Neverlag does not contain, deliver or broker any content.
