Updated 2026-10-21

How Will Stream Work on Android TV? (Coming Soon)

Coming soon: The Stream Android TV app is not yet available on Google Play. This guide describes how it works so you can prepare your NAS and phone.

The upcoming Android TV app browses and plays videos from a source you connect. For SMB, WebDAV, and Emby, TV setup can show a QR code so you finish the connection on a phone. You can also enter the details with the remote.

Before You Begin

• The Stream Android TV app is coming soon and is not yet on Google Play.
• For QR setup, install Stream on a phone that can join the same Wi-Fi network as the TV.
• Have the server address and, when the source requires it, a username and password.
• Share the folder from the NAS or computer before you add it. See How Do I Connect a Synology, QNAP or Windows Share?.

Connect SMB, WebDAV, or Emby

On a new TV library, setup asks where your videos are.

1. Choose Folders, then SMB or WebDAV. For Emby, choose Media servers, then Emby.
2. Stream shows a QR code and three steps: use the same Wi-Fi, scan with the phone camera, and finish the connection details on the phone.
3. Scan the code. When Stream is installed, the phone opens a form titled for that source. Enter a name and the server address. Add a username and password when the source requires them. SMB also has an optional Domain field.
4. Choose Send to TV. The phone encrypts the credentials and sends them to the TV on the local network. The QR code itself does not contain the password.
5. The TV checks the server, then saves the source.

The QR code expires after 5 minutes. When it expires, the TV says the code expired. Choose Generate new QR and scan the new code.

Choose Use remote to type the address on the TV instead. The SMB address is a host or IP plus the share name, such as 192.168.1.20/media. WebDAV uses a full URL, such as https://example.com/dav/. Emby uses the server URL, such as http://192.168.1.20:8096, plus an Emby username and password. The field-by-field SMB guide is Play NAS Videos on Android With SMB.

After the TV already has a source, Add File Source opens that same form on the TV. Use it to add another share without a QR code.

Sign In to OneDrive or Plex

OneDrive and Plex use their own sign-in. They are separate from the SMB, WebDAV, and Emby QR handoff.

OneDrive. The TV shows a device code and the address where you enter it. It can also show a QR code for that address. On a phone, open the address, enter the code, and finish Microsoft sign-in. The TV waits until authorization succeeds. See How Do I Play Videos From OneDrive?.

Plex. The TV shows a Plex authorization QR code. Scan it with a phone, sign in to Plex, then return to the TV and choose a Plex Media Server. See How to Connect Plex to Stream.

Emby can use the QR handoff above. See How to Connect Emby to Stream.

Browse and Play With the D-pad

Use the remote's directional pad to move through the home rows, including Continue Watching, Recently Added, and Movie. Press the center button to open a title. On the detail page, move to Play and press the center button again.

The source has to stay reachable while you browse or play. A TV on guest Wi-Fi often cannot see a NAS on the main network. If a video stutters after it starts, see Why Does My Video Buffer or Stutter?.

Edit Metadata on the TV

On a movie or series detail page, move to the more-options button (⋮) and choose Edit Metadata. Adjust the search title if you need to, then pick the matching movie or series. The search uses TMDB. See How Do I Fix a Wrong Movie or TV Match?.

This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Common Problems

• The QR code expired: Choose Generate new QR. Each code lasts 5 minutes. On the phone, an old link says it is invalid or has expired and asks the TV to generate a new code.
• The phone cannot reach the TV: Put the phone and the TV on the same Wi-Fi network. Guest Wi-Fi and client isolation block phone-to-TV traffic even when both devices look online. Turn off a VPN that sends local traffic away from the LAN, generate a new code, and try again. Stream reports: "Could not connect. Check the local network and details, then try again."
• The phone opens a web page instead of the form: The code points at Stream's setup link. When Stream is not installed on the phone, that link opens the /pair/ page. Install Stream there, then scan the TV code again.
• Stream cannot draw a QR code: Choose Generate new QR, or choose Use remote and enter the source on the TV.
• SMB still fails after the form is sent: Check the share path and account in Why Can't Stream Connect to My SMB Share?.

Supported Scope

The QR handoff on the upcoming Android TV app covers SMB, WebDAV, and Emby. OneDrive uses a Microsoft device code. Plex uses Plex sign-in. Stream Pro is offered in the phone app. The upcoming Android TV app does not currently include in-app purchases.

Privacy

Credentials are encrypted on the phone and sent to the TV over the local network. Passwords and authorization tokens are not included in Google Drive sync. Google Drive sync backs up source and library configuration; it is not a way to play videos from Google Drive.