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Find answers to the most commonly asked questions about Raffi.

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General Questions

Raffi is a modern, cross-platform streaming application inspired by Stremio. It provides a beautiful, Netflix-like interface for discovering and watching content using community-maintained Stremio addons.Raffi is built with modern web technologies and offers enhanced features like watch parties, Discord integration, local file playback, and cross-device synchronization.
Yes, Raffi is completely free and open-source software licensed under the MIT License. You can download, use, and modify it without any cost.Some third-party services that work with Raffi (like Real-Debrid or Premiumize) may require paid subscriptions, but Raffi itself is free.
Raffi is available on:
  • Windows: .exe and .msi installers
  • Linux: .deb, .rpm, and .AppImage packages
  • macOS: .dmg and .zip distributions
  • iOS & Android: Mobile companion apps
Download the latest version from raffi.al or the GitHub releases page.
While Raffi is inspired by Stremio and uses the same addon ecosystem, it offers:
  • Modern UI: Redesigned interface with smooth animations and Netflix-like experience
  • Watch Parties: Real-time synchronized playback with friends
  • Enhanced Performance: Built with Svelte and modern web technologies
  • Discord Integration: Rich presence showing what you’re watching
  • Local Library: Scan and play local media files
  • Cross-Device Sync: Seamless sync between desktop and mobile
  • Additional Customization: UI scaling, seek bar styles, search bar positioning
No, Raffi does not host any content. It’s a player that aggregates links from community-maintained addons, similar to how Stremio works. All content comes from third-party addon sources.

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Installation & Setup

Desktop (Windows/Mac/Linux):
  1. Visit raffi.al or the GitHub releases page
  2. Download the installer for your platform
  3. Run the installer and follow the prompts
  4. Launch Raffi
Mobile (iOS/Android):
  1. Download from the App Store or Google Play (when available)
  2. Or build from source using Expo
See the Installation guide for detailed instructions.
No, you can use Raffi without an account in Local Mode (desktop only). However, creating an Ave ID account is recommended to unlock:
  • Cross-device watch history sync
  • Watch parties with friends
  • Trakt integration
  • Cloud backup of settings and favorites
  • Mobile app access (requires authentication)
Desktop:
  • Node.js 18+ or Bun 1.0+ (for development)
  • 4GB RAM minimum, 8GB recommended
  • Modern GPU with hardware acceleration support
  • Windows 10+, macOS 10.14+, or Linux (64-bit)
Mobile:
  • iOS 13+ or Android 8.0+
  • 2GB RAM minimum
  • Active internet connection
  1. Click the addons icon (puzzle piece) in the app
  2. Browse the “Community Addons” section
  3. Click “Install” next to an addon
  4. Or manually enter an addon URL in the “Install Addon” field
  5. Addons providing streams will now appear when you select content
Popular addons include Torrentio, Orion, and Cinemeta.

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Features & Functionality

Stremio addons are community-created plugins that provide content sources to Raffi. They can offer:
  • Streams: Video sources (torrents, direct links, debrid services)
  • Catalogs: Collections of movies and TV shows
  • Metadata: Information like posters, descriptions, and ratings
  • Subtitles: Subtitle tracks in various languages
Raffi is fully compatible with the Stremio addon protocol, so any Stremio addon works in Raffi.
Watch parties let you watch content synchronously with friends:
  1. Sign in with Ave (required for watch parties)
  2. Start playing any content
  3. Click the watch party icon
  4. Share the party code with friends
  5. Friends join using the code
  6. Host controls play/pause/seek, and everyone’s playback syncs
Watch parties use real-time synchronization via Supabase.
Yes, on desktop! The Local Library feature lets you:
  1. Add folders containing your media files
  2. Raffi scans for recognizable patterns (S01E01, movie titles)
  3. Local files appear as “Local” streams when browsing
Name files using standard patterns for best results:
  • TV: Show.Name.S01E01.mkv
  • Movies: Movie.Name.2024.mkv
Discord Rich Presence displays your current activity on your Discord profile, showing:
  • What you’re watching (title)
  • Current episode (for TV shows)
  • Playback status
Enable it in Settings > Preferences. Discord desktop app must be running for this feature to work.
Trakt is a service that tracks your watching habits. When connected:
  • Raffi sends start/stop/pause events to Trakt
  • Your watch history syncs to Trakt.tv
  • You can use Trakt’s recommendations and statistics
  • Trakt can sync with other apps and services
Connect Trakt in Settings > Integrations (requires Ave sign-in).
Yes, the desktop version supports casting to:
  • Chromecast devices
  • Smart TVs with Google Cast
  • Other cast-compatible devices
Click the cast icon during playback and select your device. Note that some stream types may not be compatible with casting.

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Streaming & Content

This can happen because:
  • You don’t have any stream-providing addons installed
  • Your addons don’t have sources for that specific content
  • The content is very new or obscure
  • Addon servers are temporarily down
Solutions:
  • Install popular stream addons like Torrentio
  • Check that addons are configured correctly
  • Try different content to verify addons are working
Debrid services (Real-Debrid, AllDebrid, Premiumize) are premium services that:
  • Cache popular torrents for instant playback
  • Provide high-speed direct downloads
  • Convert torrents to streamable HTTP links
  • Offer better reliability than peer-to-peer streaming
Many addons integrate with debrid services. You need a paid subscription to these services (separate from Raffi).
Quality depends on the stream you select:
  1. When selecting a stream, look for quality indicators (1080p, 720p, 4K)
  2. Choose the desired quality stream
  3. Enable “HD Only” in settings to filter out low-quality streams
Raffi doesn’t transcode quality on the fly - quality is determined by the source stream.
Buffering can occur due to:
  • Slow internet: Test your connection speed
  • Torrent streams: Need time to gather peers and download chunks
  • Overloaded sources: Try a different stream
  • High quality: Select a lower quality stream
Tips for better performance:
  • Use debrid services for instant playback
  • Choose streams with high seeders (for torrents)
  • Close other bandwidth-heavy applications
No, Raffi is a streaming-only application. It doesn’t support downloading content for offline playback.For offline viewing, you would need to use separate download tools and then play the files through Raffi’s Local Library feature.
Embedded subtitles:
  • Click the subtitle button during playback
  • Select from available subtitle tracks
External subtitles:
  • Install subtitle addons (like OpenSubtitles)
  • Or upload your own .srt file using “Upload .srt” in the subtitle menu
Subtitle timing:
  • Use the delay controls to sync subtitles with audio

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Technical Questions

raffi-server is a Go-based HLS transcoding server bundled with the desktop app. It:
  • Transcodes video streams to HLS format
  • Handles torrent/magnet link streaming
  • Provides streaming endpoints for the player
  • Can be used as a remote server for mobile devices
It starts automatically when you launch Raffi desktop and runs in the background.
Raffi uses Supabase (PostgreSQL) for cloud synchronization:
  • Authentication: Ave ID provides the user identity
  • Watch history: Synced automatically when signed in
  • Progress: Saves per-episode/movie progress
  • Settings: Some preferences sync across devices
Sign in with the same Ave account on all devices to enable sync.
Yes, Raffi is designed with privacy in mind:
  • No content titles or URLs are sent to analytics (if enabled)
  • Watch history is stored in your account, not shared publicly
  • Addons communicate directly with their servers, not through Raffi
  • You can disable analytics in Settings > Privacy
  • You can use Local Mode without creating an account
See the Privacy documentation for details.
Yes, Raffi works fine with VPNs. However:
  • VPNs may affect streaming speeds
  • Some addon sources might be geo-restricted
  • Cast discovery may not work (cast devices need to be on the same network)
  • Watch parties require working internet connectivity
If you experience issues, try disabling the VPN temporarily to diagnose.
Desktop:
git clone https://github.com/kaleidal/raffi.git
cd raffi/raffi-desktop
bun install
bun run electron:dev
Mobile:
cd raffi-mobile
npm install
npm start
See the Development guide for full instructions.
Desktop:
  • Windows: %APPDATA%/Raffi
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Raffi
  • Linux: ~/.config/Raffi
Stores: local database, cache, logs, and settings.Mobile:
  • Uses React Native AsyncStorage
  • Stored in app-specific directories

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Troubleshooting

Try these steps:
  1. Restart your computer
  2. Check that you meet system requirements
  3. Update your graphics drivers
  4. Disable antivirus temporarily to test
  5. Delete the app data directory and reinstall
  6. Check for conflicting applications
If the issue persists, report it on GitHub Issues.
Ave ID handles authentication. To reset your password:
  1. Visit aveid.net
  2. Click “Forgot password” or contact Ave support
  3. Follow their password reset process
Raffi doesn’t manage Ave accounts directly.
This usually indicates:
  • Incompatible video format/codec
  • Network connectivity issues
  • Corrupted stream source
Solutions:
  • Try a different stream
  • Clear cache and restart
  • Check firewall/antivirus settings
  • Update Raffi to the latest version
See the Troubleshooting guide for more details.
Verify:
  • You’re signed in with Ave on all devices
  • “Save watch history” is enabled in Settings > Privacy
  • You have an active internet connection
  • You’re not in Local Mode (desktop)
Fix:
  • Sign out and sign back in
  • Force close and reopen the app
  • Check Supabase service status

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Contributing & Support

Raffi is open-source and welcomes contributions:
  • Code: Submit pull requests on GitHub
  • Bug reports: Create issues with detailed reproduction steps
  • Feature requests: Suggest new features in GitHub Discussions
  • Documentation: Help improve guides and docs
  • Translations: Contribute language translations
  • Testing: Test beta builds and report issues
See the CONTRIBUTING guide in the repository for details.
  • Documentation: Start with these guides
  • GitHub Issues: Search for similar issues or create a new one
  • Community: Join discussions on GitHub or Discord (if available)
  • Troubleshooting: See the Troubleshooting guide
When asking for help, include:
  • Platform and app version
  • Steps to reproduce the issue
  • Error messages or screenshots
Yes! Raffi has mobile apps for iOS and Android built with React Native and Expo.Features on mobile:
  • Browse and search content
  • Continue watching
  • Stream playback with native video player
  • Settings sync with desktop
Limitations:
  • Torrent streams require connection to desktop/remote streaming server
  • Some desktop features (Local Library, Discord) unavailable on mobile
Raffi is a passion project by Kaleidal. If you’d like to support:
  • Star the repository on GitHub
  • Share Raffi with friends
  • Contribute code or documentation
  • Report bugs and help improve quality
Check the GitHub repository for sponsor links if available.
Can’t find your question? Check the Troubleshooting guide or search GitHub Issues.

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