Frequently asked questions

Does Cove provide movies or television streams?

No. Cove is a player and organizer. A new installation contains no third-party stream sources. You choose any community addons yourself and remain responsible for using them lawfully.

Do I need an account?

No. Profiles, libraries, playback, and settings work locally. An account is only needed for optional Cove cloud sync and website account management.

What is the difference between a Cove account and Trakt or Simkl?

A Cove account synchronizes compatible profile data between Cove devices. Trakt and Simkl are separate external services for scrobbling and optional library/history reconciliation. You can use any combination of them, or none.

Which platforms are supported?

Cove publishes packages for amd64 Linux, amd64 Windows, Apple-silicon macOS, and Android 9+ phones, tablets, and televisions. Intel macOS is not supported. Android uses one APK for touch devices and TV.

Is Android TV a separate download?

No. The same APK declares phone/tablet and Leanback launchers, then selects the touch or D-pad interface at runtime. See TV and remote controls.

Why is macOS warning about the app?

The DMG is ad-hoc signed but not notarized with an Apple Developer ID. Follow the macOS installation guide and only approve a DMG from the official Cove release.

How do updates work?

Windows and Android support verified in-app updates. AUR packages update through the package manager. Flatpak bundles, Linux tarballs, and macOS DMGs are replaced manually. See Update Cove.

Can the website tell whether my device just synced?

No. It shows a read-only snapshot of cloud rows and their newest stored timestamp. Cove does not upload device heartbeat or last-error telemetry.

Can I watch in a browser?

No. Playback remains in the native Cove applications, where mpv, native decoders, torrent handling, and isolated scraper runtimes are available.

Why do I see no playback sources after installing?

Cove ships without third-party providers. Add only compatible services you understand and may lawfully use. Check the provider, catalog, and active-profile settings in Addons and sources.

What is the difference between addons, scrapers, and plugins?

Stremio-compatible addons are remote services with declared capabilities. Nuvio scrapers run community JavaScript in a platform-specific isolated process. Signed desktop plugins are desktop-only integration packages with individually approved permissions.

Can profiles use different addons?

Yes. Provider configuration is profile-scoped unless the primary profile enables addon sharing. In that mode secondary profiles inherit the primary provider addons and catalog switches as read-only settings.

How does Cove choose a source?

You can choose manually or enable automatic selection using Balanced, Quality first, or Most seeded ordering. Cove does not silently switch to another source after playback starts. See Playback and subtitles.

Can I load my own subtitle file?

Desktop playback can load a local subtitle through the track menu or accept a subtitle file dropped over the video. Availability on Android and TV follows their platform file and input boundaries.

Why was an intro or credit not skipped?

Skipping requires a recognized embedded chapter or compatible timestamp for that segment type, plus the corresponding automatic setting. When automatic skipping is off, Cove can show a manual action while inside a known segment.

Are downloads synchronized?

No. Torrent pieces, caches, update staging, and other stored media stay on the device. Library state and watch progress can sync without copying the underlying media.

Can another device control Cove over the network?

Cove has an optional token-authenticated compatibility listener for trusted local networks. It is not an internet-facing service and does not provide TLS. Keep it disabled unless you use a compatible local client and protect the pairing token.

Where are keyboard shortcuts listed?

Press ? during desktop playback. The playback guide also lists the common controls.

Where should I report a problem?

Use the GitHub bug report form after checking Troubleshooting.