While Kodi usually functions smoothly, as with anything else sometimes there are issues. One method of troubleshooting these issues is to examine the resulting error logs, especially using the Ares Wizard check log feature. These can usually give clues pointing to the problem that’s occurring and therefore lead to solutions.

See also: How to fix common Kodi problems

The latest stable version of Kodi is Kodi v17.6 “Krypton”.

Important: Always Use A VPN With Kodi

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) can be used for purposes such as the hiding of unlicensed streaming from an Internet Service Provider (ISP). However, there are other uses mainly related to privacy protection.

VPNs inherently provide an increased level of security since they mask your online activity and encrypt your connection. This means that they can help prevent malicious attacks such as many Man-in-the-Middle-attacks.

ISPs have also been known to deliberately slow down the connections of users who regularly stream content online. In addition, U.S.- based ISPs have permission to sell your information to advertisers. Using a VPN will mask your IP address and protect you against such activity.

When streaming media, you will need a sturdy connection. For this reason, we recommend IPVanish, a well known option in the Kodi community. It will provide the necessary connection speeds for streaming and has servers located worldwide, allowing access of geographically-locked content while also protecting your privacy. IPVanish is also compatible with all of the Kodi addons we’ve tested.

EXCLUSIVE READER DEAL: Save up to 60% on IPVanish plans here

How Kodi and Ares Wizard error logs can help you to troubleshoot a problem

A developer or experienced Kodi user can interpret the contents of a log file and use the information to solve Kodi issues that arise. For most users, having access to that log information is valuable when seeking help from experienced developers, Kodi developers and help forums.

You have to know how to access these logs first before being able to use them, however. Stay tuned to find out how.

How to access your Kodi log file

Using Ares Wizard

A straightforward option for accessing your Kodi logs is to make use of the Ares Wizard. To install Ares, follow these steps:

Installing Ares wizard

  • First head to Kodi’s Settings by clicking on the gear shaped icon located on Kodi’s main screen in the top left corner.

  • Next, select File Manager, followed by Add source. Under Enter the paths or browse for the media locations enter “http://ares-repo.eu/”, and in the field labelled Enter a name for this media source, give the source a name such as .ares.

  • Now, head back to the main screen and hit Add-ons. Select the icon in the top left of the screen which resembles an open box.

  • Now select Install from zip file, followed by .ares or whatever you named the source in step 2.

  • Select script.areswizard-x.x.xx.zip and wait for the “Add-on installed” notification before proceeding.

  • Now you can access Ares from the main screen by navigating to Add-ons > Program add-ons.

Accessing logs with Ares wizard

In order to access your log file select More in Ares, followed by Upload Kodi Log.

You will have a choice of which logs you want to upload. The choices are :

  • Current log
  • Old log
  • Fresh start log
  • Build install log

You will most likely only need to worry about uploading current logs. After making your log selection hit Upload.

You will then be shown a screen which shows how to access your log.

Head to the given URL to see your log. You can then download your log which means you will be able to share it easily. You also have the option to just share the URL.

Other methods to access your Kodi log file

Access file directly

Your Kodi log files are stored physically on your device’s storage as well and can be accessed that way. The location of the log file varies depending on the device. Here are some of the log file locations for some of the platforms Kodi is available for:

  • Android: sdcard/Android/data/org.xbmc.kodi/files/.kodi/temp/kodi.log
  • iOS: /private/var/mobile/Library/Preferences/Kodi/kodi.log
  • Windows standalone app: C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Kodi
  • Windows store app: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\XBMCFoundation.Kodi_4n2hpmxwrvr6p\LocalCache\Roaming\Kodi\kodi.log
  • Linux: $HOME/.kodi/kodi.log
  • Mac OS: /Users//Library/Application Support/Kodi/kodi.log
  • OpenELEC: /storage/.kodi/kodi.log

Final Thoughts

Experiencing errors in Kodi can be frustrating, especially when they stop you from being able to enjoy your media properly. Being able to access and share your Kodi log is a valuable tool for helping to solve issues in Kodi. If you are going to be sharing your log on a forum, then maybe using the Ares wizard is the better option since you can easily share the corresponding link. On the other hand, if you plan to examine the log yourself, then directly accessing the log from your device is probably ideal.