The Complete Guide to Stremio

Account setup and installation

Before we start streaming, we need to get the app running and ensure your library syncs across all your devices.

Create a Stremio Account

To get started, you need to create a Stremio account. You can sign up using email, Facebook, or Apple. However, we strongly recommend using email to ensure you can easily log in on all devices (like Amazon FireStick or Android TV) without needing complex pairing steps.

Go to the Stremio sign up page to create your account using email, or visit the Stremio login page if you already have an account. Once created, keep your login details handy, as you will need them for the app.

Install the app

Stremio is supported on almost every device. For Windows, macOS, Linux, or Android, visit the Stremio downloads page and download the app for your specific platform. However, if you are using an Amazon Fire TV, the app is not available in the Amazon App Store, so you will need to follow our guide on how to install Stremio on Amazon Fire TV.

If you prefer not to install any software, you can use the web version. This allows you to run Stremio directly in your browser without downloading anything. Click to open the Stremio web player to use it.

After installing, open the app and log in with the account you created.

Configuration and customization

Now that you have Stremio installed, we need to set up the content sources and customize the interface. By default, Stremio is empty, and we will fix this by installing the best community addons.

Setting the content provider

The most essential addon for Stremio is called Torrentio. It acts as the engine that searches the entire web to find high-quality links for movies and TV shows. Without it, Stremio is essentially an empty player.

When setting up Torrentio, you have two distinct ways to stream. You can use it for free, which relies on standard P2P torrenting. However, because your IP address is visible to others when using standard torrents, we strongly recommend using a VPN with this method to keep your activity private.

Alternatively, you can pair Torrentio with a Debrid service like Real Debrid. It is the method we recommend for the best experience. A Debrid service handles the torrenting on its own private servers and sends the file to you as an encrypted, high-speed download. It not only ensures your privacy without needing a VPN, but it also eliminates buffering, even for massive 4K files, because the content is cached and ready to play instantly.

Follow our guide on how to install Torrentio on Stremio to choose your preferred method and configure your links, then return here to customize your interface.

Interface customization

By default, Stremio’s home screen is limited. To make it look like a premium streaming service with rows for Netflix, Disney+, or Amazon Prime, we use an addon called Streaming Catalogs.

• Go to the Streaming Catalogs configuration page
• Click on the Filter providers by country dropdown and select Any
• Select the streaming services you want to see on your Stremio homepage

• Provide your RPDB API key (optional but recommended): This setting adds ratings (IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, etc.) directly onto the movie posters

  • Standard Free Tier: Copy and paste t0-free-rpdb into the field. It provides standard ratings instantly without registration

  • Premium Personal Tier: If you wish to use clean textless posters or customize ratings (Tier 1), or add quality badges like 4K and HDR (Tier 2), you can obtain a paid personal key from the RatingPosterDB website

• Click Install addon, and then once the Stremio app opens with a prompt asking to install, click Install

Stremio Movie Search

To enhance your movie and TV show search experience on PC, we also recommend using the Stremio Movie Search browser extension. You can read how to set it up in our guide on how to install Stremio Movie Search.

Want more addons? The setup above provides the essentials, but you may want to expand your library. We recommend installing additional addons to get live sports, anime, improved subtitles, and backup sources for movies and TV shows in case the main one fails. Check out our list of the best Stremio addons to customize your setup even further.

Essential Settings

To ensure smooth playback, especially for 4K content, we recommend adjusting these key settings. Go to Settings > Playback:

• Hardware-accelerated decoding: ON. This allows your device’s processor to handle high-quality video smoothly
• Frame Rate Matching: ON. This eliminates “judder” (stuttering) by matching your TV’s refresh rate to the movie’s frame rate
• Tunneled Playback (Android TV only): OFF. On entry-level hardware (such as FireSticks and Chromecasts), this can cause audio-sync drift or black screens. Only enable this if you are using a high-performance device (like Nvidia Shield Pro) and notice stuttering during 4K playback
• Default Subtitles: Select your primary language here. Stremio will automatically load these subtitles for every video, so you don’t need to do it manually
• Cache Size:
  • For TV/Sticks: Set to No Caching. TV devices usually have limited storage, and filling the cache can crash the app
  • For PC: Set to 2GB or 10GB. It helps prevent buffering by preloading part of the video before playback
• Torrent Profile: Set to Ultra Fast. It ensures the app connects to peers as quickly as possible

Advanced Synchronization

For power users who want the most polished experience, these two steps ensure your setup is reliable, and your history is always backed up.

Syncing with Trakt

To keep your watch history and Continue Watching list synchronized across all your devices, we recommend connecting Stremio to Trakt.tv. Trakt is a free service that tracks the movies and episodes you’ve watched, acting as a universal backup for your media progress.

By linking Trakt, you bridge the gap between your devices: if you start a movie on your PC, it will be waiting for you in the Continue Watching row on your FireStick, so you can pick up exactly where you left off. It also provides personalized recommendations based on your habits, helping you discover new shows you’ll actually like, and ensures your years of watch history are never lost if you ever need to reinstall the app.

To set this up, go to the Settings menu and look for the Trakt section. Click Authenticate to link your account. Once connected, any movie you finish on your computer will automatically be marked as watched on your TV or smartphone.

Bypassing ISP Blocks (DNS)

In certain regions, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) employ DNS filtering to restrict access to the external servers Stremio relies on for metadata and addon API responses. This often manifests as missing movie posters, empty descriptions, or a failure to populate streaming links.

By default, your device uses your ISP’s DNS resolvers, which can intentionally return incorrect IP addresses for these services. To ensure uninterrupted access and improve query latency, we recommend switching to a high-performance public DNS provider such as Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8). This bypasses local ISP restrictions at the resolution level, ensuring the application can correctly identify and connect to all content sources.

Navigating Stremio

The main menu is your navigation hub. It contains the following options:

• Board (Home): Your personal dashboard. It shows Continue Watching and New Episodes for series in your library

• Discover: The place to find new content. You can browse by movies, series, or channels, and filter by genres

• Library: Your collection. When you see a movie you want to save for later, click Add to Library

• Calendar: A useful view that shows you exactly when the next episode of your saved TV shows will be released

• Addons: The manager for your content sources. Here you can install new community addons or uninstall ones you don’t use

• Settings: The control center for the app. We have already configured the essential settings for playback in the previous section, but this is also where you can manage your account, change your password, or set your primary subtitle language

Subtitles Configuration

Stremio gives you full control over subtitles during playback. While watching a video, click the Subtitles icon to access these settings:

• Delay: Fix sync issues if the text is ahead of or behind the audio

• Size & Color: Change the text to a larger size or add a background for easier reading

• Source: If the current subtitles are wrong or out of sync, click the source number (1, 2, 3, etc.) to select an alternative version provided by your addons

Ready to Stream

Your Stremio environment is now fully optimized. By integrating Torrentio with a Debrid service and synchronizing your progress via Trakt, you have created a professional-grade media center that is fast, private, and seamlessly synced across your entire device ecosystem.

You are now ready to enjoy a high-definition, buffer-free streaming experience.