The Xfinity Stream app allows you to watch Xfinity channels, On Demand, and more on different devices. It’s an excellent app for larger households (five or less). Or for people who want to take Comcast on the go. Read this Xfinity Stream review to learn more.
As a networking enthusiast, I want to know everything internet service providers offer. I’m sure as a Xfinity subscriber, you want to get the most out of your service. I wrote this review to save you the time of testing Comcast Xfinity’s lesser-known app.
To determine whether you should download Xfinity Stream, I’m going to dive into the following areas:
- Pros and Cons
- Who it’s best for
- What it is
- Whether it’s truly free
- Features
- User experience
- What devices it’s compatible with
Let’s see what makes this app special.
Xfinity Stream App Pros and Cons
Xfinity Stream Pros
Advantages you’ll have when downloading Comcast’s app include:
- Offline viewing
- Can stream most Xfinity On Demand titles on-the-go
- Data-usage and parental controls
- Three simultaneous streams on-the-go
- Five simultaneous streams at home
Xfinity Stream Cons
Some disadvantages that you should keep in mind before downloading include:
- Doesn’t support AirPlay
- Restricted functionality on certain devices
- Can’t cast unless you use a Google Chromecast
- Automatically deletes downloads if you sign out
Who Is Xfinity Stream Best For?
Xfinity Stream is only good for existing Comcast Xfinity subscribers who use TV or internet services. This app works great for households with multiple devices (but not many TVs). Because anyone can watch different Xfinity channels on their own devices.
That’s if you have a decent internet connection. For example, if you have three users who will simultaneously use Stream, you’ll want at least 15 Mbps (download) worth of bandwidth available.
Keep in mind that you can only watch five simultaneous streams at home. So homes that’ll have more devices using this app at the same time won’t find much value.
What Is the Xfinity Stream App?
The Xfinity Stream app enables Comcast subscribers to watch On Demand and live TV on any compatible device. Anyone who uses the X1 TV box can record and store Cloud DVR recordings.
That makes it so you can watch DVR recordings anywhere (and offline).
Xfinity Stream isn’t the same as their Prepaid Instant TV service. The latter gives 48 channels to Xfinity Prepaid Internet subscribers for a fee ($22-$57 per month).
Xfinity Stream Requirements
To use the Xfinity Stream app, you must have a subscription to Comcast Xfinity Internet and Xfinity TV plans. And if you’re a frequent international traveler, I wouldn’t recommend Xfinity Stream. Because you can ONLY use it within the US.
You’ll need devices running iOS 13.0 or Android 5.0 or later operating systems to download Xfinity Stream from the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, or Amazon App Stores.
I’ll cover specific devices you can (and can’t) use in a bit.
Does the Xfinity Stream App Cost Money?
If you’re on Comcast’s TV and internet plans, you can get the Xfinity Stream app and everything it offers for free. As I mentioned previously, you can still get it for ‘free’ with an internet-only plan.
But with limitations.
Free channels you can get with Xfinity Stream include:
| Dust | HSN2 | Shout Factory TV |
| QVC | SkyNews | Tastemade |
| Stingray Music Channels |
When going the ‘free’ route, you’ll also get:
- Over 300 movies: mostly LQBTQ+ and Spanish-language titles
- Xfinity on-demand: specific episodes of kids programming and TV series
- The first episode of every series: from STARZ, CINEMAX, EPIX, SHOWTIME, and HBO
In short, to get the most out of the Xfinity Stream app, you must have an Xfinity Comcast TV plan.
Xfinity Stream Features
With the Xfinity Stream app, you can simultaneously stream on up to five devices (at home). And three devices while away from home. You’ll also get a bunch of features like:
- Numerous channels (depending on your Comcast Xfinity TV subscription)
- Offline viewing
- Parental controls
- Content filtering: find content easier
- Watch stuff while you’re away from home
Throughout these following several sections, I’ll dive into each feature and why they’re beneficial.
Xfinity Stream Channels
When streaming in your home on an Xfinity network, you can live stream every network in your TV plan. When out of the house, you have limitations.
On Apple devices, you can’t stream these networks when you’re away from your home because of unspecified software limitations:
- ABC local live streams
- FXX
- FXM
- NatGeo
- FX
- NatGeoWild
If your current Comcast Xfinity television subscription allows it, you can watch these channels when you’re away from home:
| A&E | ABC | ACC Network | Adult Swim |
| The Africa Channel | AFRO | AMC | AMC+ |
| American Heroes | Animal Planet | Aspire | AXS TV |
| BabyFirstTV Español | BBC America | BBC World News | BET Gospel |
| BET HER | BET Hip-hop | BET Jams | BET Soul |
| BET | Big Ten Network | Black News Channel | Bloomberg Television |
| Bravo | Caracol | Cartoon Network | CBS |
| CBS Sports Network | Centroamérica TV | Cheddar News | Cinelatino |
| Cinema Dinamita | Cinema | Cinemáx | 5 Star Max |
| Action Max | More Max | Movie max | Outer Max |
| Thriller Max | CLEO TV | CMT | CMT Music |
| CNBC | CNN | Comedy Central | Comedy TV |
| Cooking Channel | Crime & Investigation | C-SPAN 1 | C-SPAN 2 |
| C-SPAN 3 | Destination America | Discovery Channel | Discovery en Español |
| Discovery Familia | Discovery Family | Discovery Life | Disney Channel |
| Disney | Disney XD | E! | EPIX |
| EPIX 2 | EPIX Drive-In | EPIX Hits | ESPN |
| ESPN 2 | ESPN 3 | ESPN Deportes | ESPNEWS |
| ESPNU | The Filipino Channel | FM | Food Network |
| FOX | FOX Business Channel | FOX Deportes | FOX News Channel |
| FOX Sports 1 | FOX Sports 2 | Freeform | Fuse |
| FX | FXM | FXX | FYI |
| G4 | Galavisión | Game Show Network (GSN) | Globo |
| GMA Pinoy | Golf Channel | Hallmark Channel | Hallmark Drama |
| Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | HBO | HBO 2 | HBO Comedy |
| HBO Family | HBO Latino | HBO Signature | HBO Zone |
| HGTV | History Channel | History en Español | HITN TV |
| HLN | HSN | HSN2 | IFC |
| INSP | Investigation Discovery (ID) | Jewelry Television | Jewish Broadcast Service |
| JusticeCentral.TV | Kids Street (formerly Kids Central) | Latin American Sports Network | Lifetime |
| Lifetime Movies | Logo TV | Magnolia Network (Formerly DIY) | Mexicanal |
| Military History | MotorTrend | Movieplex | MSNBC |
| MTV | MTV2 | MTV Classic | MTV Live |
| MTV Tr3s | Multimedios | Music Choice (50 channels) | Nat Geo |
| Nat Geo WILD | National Geographic Channel | Naturescapes (formerly Stingray Ambiance) | NBC |
| NewsNation | Nuestra Tele Internacional | Nick Jr. | Nick Music |
| Nickelodeon | NickToons | Olympic Channel | Outdoor Channel |
| Ovation | OWN | Oxygen | Pac-12 Networks (seven total) |
| Paramount Network | Pasiones | PBS WHYY (Philadelphia, PA area only) | Pop |
| Primo TV | QVC | RCN Novelas | Recipe. TV |
| REELZ | REVOLT TV | Science Channel | ScreenPix |
| ScreenPix Action | ScreenPix Voices | ScreenPix Westerns | SEC Network |
| SHOWTIME | SHOWTIME 2 | SHO x BET | SHOWTIME Extreme |
| SHOWTIME Family | SHOWTIME Showcase | SHOWTIME Next | SHOWTIME Women |
| Sky News | Smithsonian Channel | Sony Cine | STARZ |
| STARZEncore | STARZEncore Action | STARZEncore Black | STARZEncore Westerns |
| Stingray Classic Rock | Stingray Flashback ‘70s | Stingray Greatest Hits | Stingray Hit List |
| Stingray Hot Country | Stingray Pop Adult | Stingray Remember the ‘80s | Stingray Rock Alternative |
| Stingray Latin Pop | Stingray Urban Beats | SundanceTV | SyFy |
| Tastemade | TBS | TeenNick | Telemundo |
| Televisión Española | Tennis Channel | TLC | TNT |
| Travel Channel | truTV | TUDN | Turner Classic Movies (TCM) |
| TV5Monde | TV Dominicana | TV Land | TV One |
| TVV | Universal Kids | Universo | Univision |
| UniMás | UP | USA | VH1 |
| VICE | ViendoMovies | Vme Kids | WE TV |
| The Weather Channel | Willow | Zee TV | Zona Fútbol |
This table shows all of the channels you will get with the Xfinity Stream app. Channel availability depends on what Xfinity Comcast TV plan you use.
Watch Content Offline
X1 subscribers can download DVR recordings to their devices. With this, you can watch buffer-free On Demand content whenever.
When would you watch content offline?
Here are some examples of when I’d use it:
- During peak internet usage hours
- To reduce bandwidth congestion
- Something to do if the power goes out
- I want to watch something when I have no cellular signal or Wi-Fi
If you’re away from home, don’t sign out of the Xfinity Stream app. Because the app will delete all of your offline downloads.
Parental Controls
You can set varying limits for different devices. Whether you want to monitor what your kids watch or prevent a certain someone from watching a specific channel, you can restrict content based on:
- Channels
- Titles
- Ratings
There’s nothing else to parental controls. They help enforce TV watching rules in your home. That’s it.
Filter Content
Most streaming apps should have the ability to filter content. Fortunately, Xfinity Stream does too. You can use these filters to find content easier:
- Secondary Audio (SAP)
- High Definition (HD)
- Available for offline download
- Closed Captioning (CC)
These filters make navigating the app a bit easier.
Watch Content On-the-Go
You can only watch these local channels on-the-go:
- FOX
- NBC
- ABC
- Univision
- Unimás
- Telemundo
You also can’t watch pay-per-view, X1 subscription, and adult channels on the go.
Depending on what Comcast Xfinity package you’re using, you may only be able to watch less than 60 channels while away from home. You can’t watch some Xfinity On Demand titles while on the move.
Otherwise:
You can watch everything else Xfinity Stream offers while away from home.
Xfinity Stream User Experience
Stream has a user interface like any other streaming service.
A couple of ‘features’ or lack thereof, bugged me. You can’t use the app to record any content when using the app on the Flex TV streaming box. You also don’t get any cloud storage.
Whereas, if you use Stream on the X1, you’ll get 500 gigabytes (GB) of storage. That’s around 60 hours. Or 150 hours of local DVR recording.
With that in mind, you can’t access everything you record with the X1 box through the cloud.
What Devices Is Xfinity Stream Compatible With?
Devices that you can use with this app include:
- Desktop and laptop browsers connected to your Xfinity network
- *Certain Apple devices: iPad, iPod Touch, iPad Air, iPhone
- Amazon devices: Fire Phone, Fire TV Stick, Fire Smart TV, and Kindle Fire
- Android devices not specified in the next point
- Roku
- Samsung devices
- LG Smart TVs
* Xfinity Stream doesn’t support AirPlay.
Here’s a breakdown of Roku devices you can use the Xfinity Stream app with:
| Roku Device | Model |
| Streambar | 9102X |
| Soundbar | 9100X |
| Streaming Sticks | 3600X, 3800X, 3810X, 3820X, and 3921X |
| Roku 2 | 4210X |
| Roku 3 | 4200X and 4230X |
| Roku 4 | 4400X |
| Roku Premiere | 3920X and 4620X |
| Roku Premiere+ | 3921X and 4630X |
| Roku Express | 3700X, 3900X, and 3930X |
| Roku Express+ | 3710X, 3910X, and 3931X |
| Roku Express 4K | 3940X |
| Roku Express 4K+ | 3941X |
| Roku UltraL 4340X | 4640X, 4660X, 4670X, and 4800X |
| Roku Ultra LT | 4662X |
This table shows the Roku devices you can use with the Xfinity Stream app.
You CAN’T use the Xfinity Stream app on these devices:
- Windows phones and tablets
- Apple TV and watch
- Nooks
- Android TV
- Xfinity X1 or Xfinity Flex
There’s a catch, though.
You can only use the app’s beta version in specific “Partner Devices.” That means you won’t have all of Stream’s functionality and features [1].
I don’t own every device, so I couldn’t test to see what devices had restricted functionality.
According to their website’s copy, I believe Partner Devices include Samsung and Roku devices and LG Smart TVs.
Worst case scenario, you can try to get around the restricted functionality by connecting a computer to your TV with an HDMI cable. That way, you can use your browser to play Xfinity Stream content.
Activating the Xfinity Stream App on a Roku
To activate Xfinity Stream on Roku, you’ll need to open the Xfinity Channel app. From there, sign in to your Xfinity account.
Upon logging in, you’ll see an Activation Code on your screen. Follow this link to Xfinity’s activation page from a SEPARATE device. Enter the code you see on your TV, then go through the prompts that follow.
You’ll only get the Beta version of the app. That means you won’t have full functionality.
Wrapping Up
I recommend downloading the Xfinity Stream app if you’re a household with under five people with varying preferences. You’ll also find this app helpful if you want to take your Comcast channels traveling (within the US).
You’ll need an existing Xfinity Comcast internet, TV, or bundle plan to use this app.
Did I convince you to try Xfinity Stream? If so, try the app today. Here are the links to each app store’s listing:
- Amazon App Store: ensure you have an Amazon account linked to a Fire TV device
- Install it on the Google Play Store
- Get it from the Apple App Store
Watch Xfinity Stream in your browser
