Twitch is a live-streaming website that allows viewers to watch and interact with their favorite Twitch Streamers. Twitch streams can be watched on either a computer or on mobile devices, which makes Twitch the perfect place for gamers to show off their skills.
If you follow someone, you will receive updates from them whenever they go live, but if you miss some content, Twitch makes it hard to go back and watch it. Twitch does not have a scrubbable timeline feature like Youtube streams. This is extremely annoying if you want to go back and watch a highlight of something that just happened.
In this article, we are going to look at 3 ways you can rewind on Twitch.
How To Rewind A Twitch Stream
Unfortunately, there is no official rewind function on Twitch. The best way to rewind a Twitch stream is to use the clip button on the stream. Click on the clip button to reveal the last 86 Seconds of the stream. You can then watch and save the clip if you want to.
If you want to get a rewind function on a live stream, you can also use a third-party chrome extension such as Twitch DVR player. This is my preferred method. If you want to install the extension, jump to Method 2.
Let’s take a deeper look at how to use the clip function to rewind a stream you are watching.
Method 1 – How To Use The Clip Function To Rewind A Stream
Follow the steps below to clip on stream and see the past 90 seconds.
- First, click on the movie icon that is located at the bottom right of the stream. You can alternatively use the shortcut Alt + X.
- After clicking on the movie icon, you’ll see a clip pop up in a new tab (like in the image below).
- Here you can use the play head to rewind through the past 1 minute and 26 seconds of the stream.
This is our preferred method of rewinding on Twitch. If you thought it was a sick clip, you can cut the video to the exact part you enjoyed and save it. You can then share this clip with chat via URL or share it on Reddit/social media if you want.
You can view all of the clips you have taken on people’s streams by following the steps below. This also allows you to rewind back through the clips.
- Navigate to your profile picture on Twitch –> Video Producer
- In Video Producer go to Content –> Clips
Here you can view all the clips you have taken on other people’s channels as well as clips other people have taken on yours.
Method 2 – Use The Twitch Rewind extension
While Twitch is yet to release the rewind function on their platform, other smart developers have developed chrome extensions to help you rewind a stream. My favorite is an extension called Twitch DVR player.
Follow the steps below to install and use the Twitch DVR extension. You must be using Google Chrome to use the extension.
- Install the Twitch DVR Extension
- Chrome Web-store will open. Click on the ‘Add to Chrome’ button.
- Now, the Twitch Rewind extension is added to your Chrome browser.
When you watch your next live stream, you will be able to scrub the playhead back and forth on your Twitch player:
If you don’t mind adding an extension to your browser and regularly want to fast forward and rewind streams, then this is your best option.
Note: If a streamer has Auto Publish VODs set to OFF the extension will unfortunately not work. While this is annoying, most streamers have this set to ON. If your favorite streamer doesn’t have it on, maybe ask them nicely to switch it on so you can use this extension.
Method 3 – Watch Streamers VODs
If you want to watch a stream after it is finished you can find it on the streamers channel. Twitch gives you the ability to rewind and fast-forward through these VOD’s. Follow the steps below to find and rewind past streams.
- Go to the streamers stream that you want to view replays on
- Click on the name of the User again to access their channel page
- Click on the Videos tab.
- Here you can watch all the recent videos that have been streamed in the past
If you’re not looking to rewind live in real time, then this is the best option for rewinding on Twitch.
Twitch Have Tested A Rewind Button In The Past
After Twitch re-branded itself in October 2014, Twitch users began asking for a rewind button. Twitch streamers expressed frustration because Twitch does not offer such a feature.
A Twitch user can only go back 30 minutes of streaming, which is the amount of time Twitch allows its users to save videos for later viewing.
Twitch still requires users to have Google Chrome installed on their computer in order for Twitch Rewind to work. Twitch Rewind is currently being tested if Twitch decides to keep it or kill it off altogether.
Even though Twitch users are asking for a live rewind button, it may not happen anytime soon, if ever. Twitch has been trying out a beta version called “Twitch Rewind.” It allows Twitch viewers to scrub back and forth through live streams they missed and need to view again.
2022 Update: While this announcement was released over a year ago, there is still no rewind button on the Twitch platform. The methods above are still your best option.
How To Play An Entire Twitch Stream From The Beginning
If you simply want to watch a Twitch stream from beginning to end you can (for most streamers). If a streamer has VODs turned on, once they finish a stream, just head to their channel –> Videos and select the VOD you want to watch.
This is the best way to catch a stream you have missed.
Some streamers do not release their VODs on Twitch or require you to be a subscriber to watch them.
My favorite way to keep up to date with particular streamers is through their Youtube clip channels. Most streamers have a channel where they post the best highlights from their streams. This means you can catch up on all of the best bits of the stream without having to sit through all of the boring content.
What Does VOD Stand For On Twitch?
VOD on Twitch stands for Video on Demand. These are the replays of a Twitch stream and can be watched after a stream has finished.
Can You Rewind On YouTube?
You can rewind a live stream on YouTube only if the streamer has enabled YouTube’s DVR feature.
If they did, rewinding is super easy, so here is how you can rewind a YouTube stream:
- Open a stream you would like to watch.
- Use the slider playhead on the video to go rewind on Twitch.
Wrapping up
Rewinding a live Twitch stream can be complicated and time-consuming if no tools are used, but with Twitch’s new ‘Twitch Rewind Button’, rewinding a live Twitch stream becomes very simple and efficient.
A new Twitch Rewind Button allows viewers to rewind a Twitch stream back for up to 60 minutes, making the process extremely simple. The Rewind Button is located at the bottom-right of all streams under the video player.
Using the Twitch extensions on Chrome we mentioned or watching streams on YouTube would be another option for you. Choose the one that suits you best.
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