Updated: 10 January 2023
You need to sign in on most TVs to use BBC iPlayer or BBC Sounds. This is to give you a personalised experience, and to make sure we’re making something for everyone. Find out more about why we're asking you to sign in.
To sign in, all you need is:
- A TV with the BBC iPlayer or BBC Sounds app installed
- Your phone, tablet or computer.
- A BBC account. You can find out more about BBC accounts here.
Follow these steps to sign in on your TV
- Open the BBC app on your TV.
- Select “Sign in”. You can find this in Settings or by selecting the “Sign in” icon in the menu.
- You’ll see a page with some instructions and a code. The code will be 6 numbers long.
- Now, on your phone, tablet or computer, visit www.bbc.com/account/tv
- If you’re not already signed in on your phone, tablet or computer, you’ll be asked to sign in to your BBC account. Don’t have a BBC account yet? Hit “Register” instead of “Sign in”.
- Once you’re signed in on your phone, tablet or computer, you’ll be asked to enter the code that’s showing on your TV.
- Enter the code shown on your TV, then hit “Confirm” and wait a few moments for your TV to refresh. This will only take about 10 seconds.
- Your TV will tell you when it’s all done. You can then set your phone, tablet or computer aside and get watching your TV.
What if the code doesn’t work?
Here are a few things to check:
- Make sure only one person is trying to sign in with the code. If two or more people try to use the same code, it won’t work.
- Each code is unique and expires after 60 minutes. If it's been on your TV screen for more than 60 minutes, you’ll need to press “Back” and hit “Sign in” again on your TV to get a new code.
- The code should be 6 numbers long. Make sure it's no longer or shorter.
- If you see a message saying "Sorry, something isn't working right now. Please try again later." that means we’re having technical issues. So you’ll need to try again later.
I'm having trouble with my account
Check out these pages for help with how to register, how to sign in, and how to update your account details.