How to use the TiVo® App for iPhone

Now you can do just about everything you can do with your TiVo® remote control — find and explore shows, schedule recordings, control live TV and recorded shows, and more — from your iPhone! Just download the TiVo App to your iPhone, and you're ready to get started.

You can use the TiVo App for iPhone even if you don't have a TiVo DVR!
If you do have a TiVo DVR, the app works with the following models:

  • All TiVo Premiere DVRs
  • All TiVo Series3™ DVRs (including Series3, TiVo HD, and TiVo HD XL)

Find out which TiVo App features are available with your TiVo DVR.

Download the app

Requirements:
Compatible with iPhone.
Requires iOS 4.0 or later

Before you begin

Before you can use the TiVo App, you'll need to do the following:

Hide the steps
  1. Download the TiVo App from the iTunes App Store. It's free!
  2. If you have a compatible TiVo DVR, make sure it's connected to your home network.
  3. Make sure your iPhone has Wi-Fi turned on, and that it is connected to the same network as your TiVo DVR. (On your iPhone, tap Settings, then Wi-Fi. Turn "Wi-Fi" to "On" to join a network.)
  4. On your TiVo DVR, allow the iPhone to access your TiVo DVR by turning on the "Network Remote Control" setting. From TiVo Central, select Messages & Settings > Settings > Remote, CableCARD, & Devices > Network Remote Control. See it

If you don't have a compatible TiVo DVR, no problem! You can sign in to the TiVo App as a "Guest." See Activating your TiVo App for instructions.

Activating your TiVo App

There are three ways to activate your TiVo app:

  • When you're at home and using a TiVo Premiere series DVR, you'll sign in using a special number that identifies your TiVo DVR, called a Media Access Key (MAK). When you sign in with your MAK, you'll be able to use all the features of the TiVo App: you can control live TV, watch recordings from your My Shows list, record shows in real-time, get details about the shows currently airing on live TV, manage your To Do List and Season Pass® requests, and more. You'll only need to enter your MAK once, and then the TiVo app will remember it whenever you launch the app.

    Note: This method is an option only if you are using a TiVo Premiere series DVR.
  • If you are using a Series3 DVR, or if you're away from home but want remote access to your TiVo DVR, you'll sign in with your tivo.com username and password. When you connect with this method, you are in "Away" mode. In "Away" mode, you can search for shows by title or actor/director name, browse the guide or browse by category, and set up recordings.
  • If you don't have a compatible TiVo DVR, you can take take the TiVo App for iPhone for a test drive anyway! Just sign in as a "Guest." In "Guest" mode, you can search for shows by title or actor/director name, browse the guide, or browse by category.

Signing in with your Media Access Key

When you first launch the TiVo app, the app will search your network for compatible TiVo DVRs. Once it finds your TiVo DVR, sign in as follows:

Show the steps
  1. Select the TiVo DVR you want to connect to from the list. You can always choose a different DVR later from inside the app. See it
  2. On your TiVo DVR, find your MAK: go to Messages & Settings > Account & System Information > Media Access Key. See it
  3. On your iPhone, tap the Media Access Key window to bring up the keyboard, and enter your MAK. Then tap "OK." See it

Note: If you would like to log in without your MAK, see Signing in with your user name and password. To log in as a guest, see Signing in as a guest.

Signing in with your user name and password

You can sign in with your tivo.com user name and password when you're away from home, or if you are unable to sign in with your MAK. Here's how:

Show the steps
  1. Tap "Sign in to tivo.com" See it
  2. Tap the "Email" window to bring up the keyboard, and enter your tivo.com user name. Then, tap the "Password" window and to enter your password. Then tap "Sign in." See it

Signing in as a guest

You can use the TiVo app even if you don't own a compatible TiVo DVR. To sign in as a guest:

Show the steps
  1. Tap "Continue as a Guest." See it
  2. Tap the Zip Code window to bring up the keyboard, and enter your zip code. Then tap "Next." See it
  3. Tap on the name of your cable provider.
  4. Tap the "Email" window to enter your email address. Choose whether or not receive TiVo news and offers, then tap "Continue."

Viewing the Info screen

If you are signed in with your MAK, the Info screen is the first screen you'll see when you enter the app. This screen displays information about the show that's currently airing on your TiVo DVR. As you change channels, the Info screen will update to reflect the show you're watching. See it

You can do lots of things from this screen, including:

  • Tap "Watch Now" to watch the show on your TV (if it's currently airing).
  • Tap "Explore" the show to learn more about its cast and crew, or to see a list of shows you might also like.
  • Tap "Record" to set up a single recording or a Season Pass recording.
  • Tap "Upcoming" to view a list of upcoming episodes.
  • Tap "More" to watch the show instantly on your TV if it's available from other sources (like Hulu Plus or Netflix).
  • Tap "More" to share your comments about the show with friends on Facebook or Twitter.

You can reach the Info screen at any time by pressing the Info button.

Note: The Info button is not available in "Away" or "Guest" modes.

Finding and exploring shows

You can find and explore shows with a few taps of the screen. Give it a try:

Show the steps
  1. Tap the Search icon at the top of the screen, and enter the title of the show or name of the actor you're interested in. See it
    • Tap the best match to get more information about it, to watch it on your TV (if it's currently airing), to set up a recording, and more.
    • When a show is available on Netflix or HuluPlus, you can choose to watch it immediately on your TV screen. Just tap "Get From" and select either Netflix or HuluPlus.
    • If a show is not currently available to record, you'll have the option to tap "WishList" to set up a TiVo WishList® search. The WishList search will automatically record the show the next time it appears on TV.
  2. To browse the program guide, tap the Guide button at the bottom of the screen. Scroll the guide up or down to view more listings. (You can also use the numbers on the right side of the screen to skip quickly to a range of channels.) See it
    • When you find a show you like, tap it to display information about. From there, you can choose to watch it on your TV (if it's currently airing), record it (if it's airing now or at a later date), explore it further, view upcoming episodes, or share your comments on Facebook or Twitter.See it
    • To jump to a particular time, tap the date to bring up the date selector. See it
    • Tap to find a particular channel (you can search by channel name or number).
  3. Tap the Browse button at the bottom of the screen to browse collections of related content (like comedy or acting), or to browse by category (like TV, movies, or sports). See it

Using the My Shows list

You can see your TiVo DVR's My Shows list on the TiVo App. Just click the "My Shows" button at the bottom of the screen. See it

Tap a show to view information about it. You can watch the show on your TV by tapping the image in the top part of the screen (or tapping "Watch now"), explore the show, get or modify a Season Pass recording, delete the show from the My Shows list, set a show to "Keep Until I Delete," view upcoming episodes, or share your comments about the show on Facebook or Twitter.

Note: You can sort the date by date or by show title. Just tap "Date" to sort by date, or tap "A-Z" to sort by title.

Note: If you're using a Series3 DVR, you can view your My Shows list but you cannot make changes to it. You cannot access your My Shows list in "Guest" mode.

Using the remote control

You can use the TiVo App for iPhone's remote control to control live TV and recorded shows, or to navigate around your TiVo DVR's menus. Here's how:

Show the steps
  1. Tap the remote control icon on the top right of the screen. See it
  2. Tap the Gestures icon to show the gesture pad areas. In these areas, you can use touch-screen gestures, similar to the gestures used on other smartphones and mobile devices, to control your video. Tap the to display the gestures. See it
  3. Tap the remote control icon to show the remote control buttons for navigating around TiVo menus and controlling playback. You can fast-forward, rewind, pause, slow motion, advance, instant replay, record, or give Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down ratings. Just scroll to different parts of the remote on the screen. At any time, tap the keyboard icon at the top of the screen to bring up a keyboard See it

Note: The remote control is not available in "Away" or "Guest" modes.

Managing your shows

You can use the TiVo app to manage your TiVo DVR's To Do List and your Season Pass requests.

Show the steps
  1. Tap "More" at the bottom of the screen, then tap "To Do List." Tap a show title to get information about it. From there, you can cancel the recording, get or modify a Season Pass request, view upcoming episodes, explore the show, change recording options, and more. See it

    Note: If you are using a Series3 DVR, you can view your To Do List, but you cannot make changes to it.
  2. Tap "More" to return to the menu, then tap "Season Pass Manager." To change the priority of Season Pass requests, tap "Edit," then drag and drop your shows into the order you'd like. To get more information about a show, tap its title. See it

Note: You cannot manage your shows in "Guest" mode.

Sharing on Facebook & Twitter

As you explore shows in the TiVo App, you can easily publish your comments about them on Facebook and Twitter.

Show the steps
  1. Choose a show from your My Shows list, the guide, or any browsing screen.
  2. At the bottom of the screen, tap "More," then tap either "Share on Facebook" or "Share on Twitter." See it
  3. If prompted, log in to your Facebook or Twitter account.
  4. Enter your post or tweet, and tap "Share." See it

Changing your selected DVR

To connect to a different compatible TiVo DVR in your network, tap the "More" button at the bottom of the screen, then tap "Selected DVR." Use the scroll wheel to select another DVR. See it

Changing settings & signing out

To change settings or manage your Facebook or Twitter accounts, tap the "More" button at the bottom of the screen, then tap Settings. You'll see the following options: See it

  • TiVo account: Displays how you are signed in to the TiVo App. Tap "Sign Out" to sign out.
  • Facebook/Twitter: Tap "Login" to sign in.
  • Sound Effects: Turn TiVo App sound effects on or off.
  • Guide Channels: Choose which channels to display.
  • Version: Displays the TiVo App version number.
  • About this app: Displays TiVo app information.
  • Technical support: Links to tivo.com's support site.
  • Reset application: Removes all account information and settings. After resetting, you will need to sign in to the app again.

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