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Stremio Setup Guide - Complete Tutorial & Documentation

Library, Watchlist & History

Stremio provides powerful tools to organize and track your viewing habits. This guide covers how to use your Library, Watchlist, and History effectively.

Understanding the Three Systems

Library

What it is:

  • Your personal collection of content
  • Content you’ve explicitly added
  • Syncs across all your devices
  • Shows progress for partially watched content

When to use:

  • Content you’re actively watching
  • Shows you want to track
  • Movies you plan to watch soon
  • Content you want to keep organized

Watchlist

What it is:

  • Content you want to watch later
  • Separate from your active library
  • Good for “save for later” functionality
  • Doesn’t clutter your main library

When to use:

  • Interesting content you find while browsing
  • Recommendations you want to remember
  • Content for specific moods or occasions
  • Building a queue for future viewing

History

What it is:

  • Record of everything you’ve watched
  • Automatically tracked by Stremio
  • Includes watch dates and progress
  • Private to your account

When to use:

  • Finding content you watched before
  • Tracking your viewing habits
  • Resuming interrupted viewing sessions
  • Discovering patterns in your preferences

Library and Watchlist sync across devices when logged in. History is also synced for continuity.

Managing Your Library

Adding Content to Library

Steps

  1. From Browse/Discover

    • Find content you want to add
    • Hover over the poster
    • Click the bookmark icon (+) or “Add to Library”

  2. From Search Results

    • Search for specific content
    • Click on the result
    • Click “Add to Library” button

  3. From Content Details

    • Open any movie/show page
    • Click “Add to Library” in the top section
    • Content appears in your Library tab

  4. Bulk Adding

    • Some add-ons allow adding entire collections
    • Use Trakt integration for bulk imports

Organizing Your Library

Sort Options:

  • Recently Added: Newest additions first
  • Recently Watched: Based on last viewing
  • Alphabetical: A-Z by title
  • Year: By release year
  • Rating: By IMDb/TMDb rating

Filter Options:

  • Type: Movies, TV Shows, or both
  • Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, etc.
  • Status: Watching, Completed, On Hold

Library Maintenance

Steps

  1. Remove Completed Content

    • Right-click (or long-press) on finished items
    • Select “Remove from Library”
    • Content moves to History but stays out of Library

  2. Update Progress

    • Stremio automatically tracks progress
    • Manual updates possible in some cases
    • Resume playback from where you left off

  3. Clean Up Duplicates

    • Check for multiple entries of same content
    • Remove incorrect versions
    • Keep the entry with best metadata

Using the Watchlist

Adding to Watchlist

Steps

  1. Quick Add

    • Hover over content poster
    • Click the watchlist icon (clock) or “Add to Watchlist”

  2. From Content Page

    • Open content details
    • Click “Add to Watchlist” button
    • Appears in separate Watchlist tab

  3. Bulk Operations

    • Select multiple items
    • Add entire categories or recommendations

Managing Watchlist

Steps

  1. View Watchlist

    • Click “Watchlist” tab in main navigation
    • See all saved content
    • Sort by date added or alphabetically

  2. Move to Library

    • When ready to watch
    • Click “Add to Library” from Watchlist
    • Or start watching (auto-adds to Library)

  3. Remove from Watchlist

    • Right-click or long-press
    • Select “Remove from Watchlist”
    • Content disappears from Watchlist

Watchlist Strategies

Organization Tips:

  • Thematic Lists: Create lists for different moods (Action, Comedy, etc.)
  • Seasonal: Holiday movies, summer blockbusters
  • Priority: High-priority vs. “maybe later”
  • Shared: Content to watch with others

Viewing History

Accessing History

Steps

  1. Open History Tab

    • Click “History” in main navigation
    • Shows chronological viewing history
    • Includes dates and times

  2. Search History

    • Use search bar within History
    • Find specific content quickly
    • Filter by date range

  3. Resume Watching

    • Click on any item to resume
    • Continues from last position
    • Works across devices

History Features

What History Tracks:

  • Content Watched: Movies, episodes, clips
  • Watch Dates: When you watched each item
  • Progress: How much you watched
  • Device Info: Which device you used
  • Time Spent: Duration of viewing sessions

Managing History

Steps

  1. Clear Specific Items

    • Right-click on history item
    • Select “Remove from History”
    • Item disappears from history

  2. Clear All History

    • Settings → Privacy
    • “Clear History” option
    • Permanently removes all history

  3. Export History

    • Some integrations (Trakt, Letterboxd)
    • Export for backup or analysis
    • Third-party tools available
Warning

Clearing history is permanent and cannot be undone. Consider exporting first if you want to keep records.

Continue Watching

How It Works

Continue Watching shows:

  • Content you’ve started but not finished
  • Appears prominently in Library
  • Sorted by most recent activity
  • Helps you pick up where you left off

Managing Continue Watching

Steps

  1. Resume Playback

    • Click on any item in Continue Watching
    • Automatically starts from last position
    • Works across all devices

  2. Remove Items

    • Right-click or long-press
    • Select “Remove from Continue Watching”
    • Content stays in Library but not in Continue section

  3. Mark as Finished

    • Complete the content
    • Automatically removes from Continue Watching
    • Moves to completed status

Sync Across Devices

How Sync Works

Steps

  1. Account Required

    • Must be logged into Stremio account
    • Free account syncs basic data
    • Premium features may require subscription

  2. What Syncs

    • Library and Watchlist
    • Viewing progress and history
    • Add-on installations
    • Some settings and preferences

  3. Sync Timing

    • Changes sync within minutes
    • Works over Wi-Fi and mobile data
    • Offline changes sync when connected

Troubleshooting Sync

Common Issues:

  • Not syncing: Check internet connection, restart app
  • Missing content: Wait a few minutes, check other devices
  • Progress lost: Ensure you’re logged in, check account status

Advanced Organization

Using Trakt Integration

Steps

  1. Install Trakt Add-on

    • Search for “Trakt” in add-on catalog
    • Install and configure with your Trakt account

  2. Enhanced Features

    • Multiple custom lists
    • Ratings and reviews
    • Watch statistics
    • Social features

  3. List Management

    • Create custom lists (Watching, Completed, etc.)
    • Import from other services
    • Share lists with others

Third-Party Tools

Integration Options:

  • Letterboxd: Movie tracking and reviews
  • MyAnimeList: Anime and manga tracking
  • TVTime: TV show tracking
  • Simkl: Alternative to Trakt

Custom Categories

Organization Methods:

  • Prefix System: Use prefixes like “[Action]” in titles
  • Separate Accounts: Different accounts for different content types
  • External Tools: Use spreadsheet or database for complex organization

Privacy Considerations

Data Privacy

What Stremio Stores:

  • Your viewing history (private to you)
  • Library and Watchlist contents
  • Progress information
  • Anonymous usage analytics

What Stremio Doesn’t Share:

  • Specific content you watch (only aggregated analytics)
  • Your personal information with third parties
  • Viewing habits for advertising

Privacy Settings

Steps

  1. Access Privacy Settings

    • Settings → Privacy
    • Review available options

  2. Analytics Control

    • Enable/disable usage analytics
    • Help improve Stremio (optional)

  3. Data Management

    • Clear history if desired
    • Export data for backup
    • Delete account to remove all data

Best Practices

✅ Do:

  • Regularly clean your Library
  • Use Watchlist for “save for later”
  • Keep History for reference
  • Sync across devices
  • Use Trakt for advanced organization
  • Respect privacy settings

❌ Don’t:

  • Add everything to Library
  • Ignore Continue Watching section
  • Clear history without backup
  • Share account credentials
  • Use Library as permanent storage

Troubleshooting

Library Issues

Content Not Appearing:

  • Check if logged in
  • Wait for sync
  • Restart Stremio
  • Check add-on status

Progress Not Saving:

  • Ensure account is active
  • Check internet connection
  • Restart app
  • Clear cache

Watchlist Problems

Items Disappearing:

  • Check if accidentally removed
  • Verify account sync
  • Look in History section

Not Syncing:

  • Check login status
  • Restart devices
  • Clear app cache

History Issues

Missing Entries:

  • Check if history was cleared
  • Verify account settings
  • Check device sync

Wrong Dates:

  • Time zone differences
  • Device time settings
  • Sync delays

Sources: