What Is Stremio?
Stremio is a lesser-known alternative to Kodi that allows you to stream movies and TV shows for free. Unlike many shady apps out there, Stremio is reliable and safe. However, since it’s not the most popular streaming tool, you might have a hard time finding a reliable source of information for Stremio.
You can also watch web channels, sports and TV channels or listen to podcasts on Stremio. None of the content is owned by Stremio; it’s just a media center application where you can watch content from different streaming platforms. It can also stream content through torrent files and magnet links, eliminating the need to download the content to your computer.
Is Stremio Free?
Yes, Stremio is a completely free, open source tool. It’s free to download and there are no in-app purchases. You can stream content for free and install add-ons at no cost. Stremio sustains its operations by running non-intrusive ads. The founding team owns an ad company called AdEx (a separate legal entity) that focuses on ads that are transparent and preserve privacy.
Is Stremio Legal?
Yes, Stremio is legal. It’s simply a platform that facilitates streaming from other streaming platforms and sources through a P2P network.
Stremio is a legitimate app available on the Apple app store and the Google Play Store. While the use of P2P networks isn’t illegal, streaming copyrighted content without permission is, and that’s why you should use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) when streaming via Stremio.
Should I Use a VPN With Stremio?
Yes, you should use a VPN with Stremio to ensure your security and privacy. If you’ll also be streaming pirated content, you should use a VPN to ensure your identity remains anonymous.
VPNs encrypt your internet traffic so no one can intercept it and look at your online activity. In some cases where the ISP has been throttling your connection speed, using a VPN will also improve the connection speed, so you can enjoy buffer-free streaming.
You’ll also need a VPN if you’re in a country with heavy censorship. For instance, if you’re in China, you won’t be able to access Stremio (or any other non-Chinese streaming apps) without a VPN.
We recommend ExpressVPN as the best Stremio VPN because it offers top-notch security and doesn’t keep activity logs. It’s also the fastest VPN out there and comes with everything you’d want from a premium VPN.
How to Use Stremio
If you’ve never used the Stremio app before, you might need some help navigating the interface. While finding content is fairly straightforward, you’ll need to install relevant add-ons to watch movies, TV shows or any available content for free. You can also build your own Stremio add-ons if you know how to code Node.js.
Watch a Movie or TV Show With Stremio
When you launch the app, you’ll see the Stremio Board with movies and TV shows listed categorically. Switch to “discover” and look for the content you want to watch.
Stremio has a large collection of movies, TV shows and other types of content.
Click on an item and select a source from the right. If you haven’t installed any Stremio add-ons, there’s a good chance you’ll only see options like Netflix and Amazon Pay. If you don’t have a subscription to either of those streaming platforms, you’ll need to download Stremio add-ons.
Install Stremio Add-Ons
Stremio doesn’t offer as wide a selection of add-ons as Kodi. Some add-ons have also been flagged as insecure in the past. However, you can still install most of the popular Stremio add-ons without any security concerns.
Installing add-ons is fairly easy. Click on the icon that looks like a jigsaw puzzle piece in the top-right corner. Select a category from the left and click “install” for all add-ons you want to install.
Stremio offers many add-ons for streaming and other websites.
Once you’ve installed an add-on, Stremio will also look up that particular website for the movie you’re trying to watch. Suppose you’re trying to watch Spider-Man: No Way Home. It will scan the streaming platforms for which you’ve installed add-ons (along with defaults like Netflix and iTunes). If it finds the movie, you’ll see it listed in the sidebar on the right.
You can select a streaming source from the sidebar on the Stremio app.
How to Watch Stremio Remotely
Stremio comes with a few advanced features too. For instance, if you’re away from a device you’ve installed Stremio on, or want to stream on a device for which Stremio is unavailable such as a smart TV or Fire TV stick, you can watch Stremio remotely.
You’ll need to enable remote HTTPS connections from one of the supported devices ahead of time to set up remote streaming. On Stremio desktop apps, you’ll need to click on the ellipsis in the top-right corner and select “settings.” Switch to the “streaming” tab from the left sidebar in the “settings” menu.
In the right pane, you’ll find an option to “enable remote HTTPS connections.” Expand the dropdown menu to the right and select one of the IP addresses. When you do this, a new option will appear at the bottom called “streaming HTTPS endpoint.” The URL next to it is where you’ll be able to stream the content you want.
You can use Stremio remotely by enabling remote HTTPS connections.
Note that you’ll need to keep the app running to be able to stream remotely on a different device.
Keep Track of Your Watch History With Trakt
Trakt is a free service that allows you to keep tabs on content you’ve watched. It’s also available as an add-on for Kodi and works exactly the same way for Stremio.
If you want to use Trakt on Stremio, you’ll first need a Trakt account. Start by creating an account on the Trakt website. Launch Stremio and click on the ellipsis at the top right. Select “settings” and then click on the “authenticate” button under “Trakt scrobbling.”
You can use Stremio remotely by enabling remote HTTPS connections.
Click on the button to go to the Trakt website. Log in to your Trakt account to allow Stremio to access the account. Once everything is set up, anything you watch on Stremio should appear in your Trakt watch history too.
The Stremio Calendar
Stremio takes things up a notch with the built-in calendar. While Trakt can track the content you’re watching, the calendar takes a forward-looking approach and tells you the release date of the next episode for the TV shows you’re interested in.
You can sync upcoming TV shows and view episode release dates from the calendar.
You can have Stremio populate the calendar with the TV shows of your choice in several ways:
- Select “TV shows” from the “discover” section on Stremio
- Import a list of shows from your Trakt watch history
- Import a list of shows based on shows you’ve liked on Facebook
Adding shows to the calendar keeps you posted about new episodes.
Once you’ve added shows to the Stremio calendar, you can import the calendar into your default calendar app as well. To do this, click on the ellipsis icon and click “subscribe to calendar.” Missing new episodes? Not anymore.