Getting started

Cove is a local-first media library and native player for desktop, Android, and Android TV. It works without an account, and a new installation contains no third-party stream sources.

1. Install the right package

Use the download center or the official GitHub release:

• Linux: AUR, standalone Flatpak, or amd64 tarball
• Windows: installed or portable amd64 package
• macOS: Apple-silicon DMG
• Android phones, tablets, and televisions: one Android 9+ APK

Only assets attached to an official coveninja/cove release are Cove releases. Verify manual downloads before installing them.

2. Complete onboarding

The first-run flow takes about a minute and can be skipped. It offers:

1. Profile — choose the local viewer name.
2. Taste — select titles that help seed recommendations.
3. Sources — optionally add provider addons or scraper repositories.
4. Preferences — choose subtitle, next-episode, and intro behavior.
5. Sync — optionally register or sign in to a Cove account.
6. Finish — review what was configured and enter the application.

Skipping a step leaves its normal default in place. Everything can be changed later from Profile. Local profiles work offline; sign in only when you want cross-device sync.

3. Learn the main destinations

Destination	Purpose
Home	Recommendations, trending media, continue watching, and enabled catalog rows
Explore	Browse genres, collections, and addon catalogs
Search	Find films, series, and people
My List	Manage library states, ratings, progress, and the episode calendar
Profile	Switch profiles, view insights, and configure settings and integrations

Android TV presents the same product areas through a D-pad interface. See TV and remote controls.

4. Build your library

Open a title and add it to My List. You can set its state, rate it, choose episodes, and resume saved progress. Cove keeps this data separate for each profile.

The Watch action adapts to current progress. It starts fresh when nothing is resumable and shows a Continue target when Cove knows the episode and position. Read Library, discovery, and watch progress for the complete behavior.

5. Configure playback sources

Cove is a player and organizer, not a content host or subscription service. Legal watch options appear where available. Community addons, scrapers, and plugins are optional; review them and use them lawfully.

• Addons and sources covers Stremio-compatible addons and Nuvio scrapers.
• Desktop plugins covers signed desktop integrations.
• Playback and subtitles explains source selection and player controls.

6. Get help

Start with Troubleshooting. Record the Cove version under Profile → Advanced → About, the platform and installation method, the exact failing action, and relevant logs. Never publish passwords, access tokens, pairing tokens, or private provider URLs.