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You can’t start a traditional Squad Stream on Twitch anymore. Twitch retired the feature on January 17, 2024. Its current collaboration alternative is Stream Together, which connects participants but does not automatically recreate Squad Stream’s shared, multi-channel viewer layout. To put collaborators on your broadcast, you’ll generally need broadcasting software such as OBS or Streamlabs and a scene that includes their feeds.
This guide explains what changed, how to set up a Stream Together session, how to build and test a collaborative layout, and what to do if the feature does not suit your production.
Is Squad Stream still available on Twitch?
No. Twitch announced that Squad Stream would be retired on January 17, 2024, citing its outdated underlying technology and a shift toward developing Stream Together. The old Squad Stream dashboard widget and its setup instructions are no longer a current workflow. Changing your account status, reinstalling Twitch, or searching another Creator Dashboard menu will not restore the retired feature.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSee Twitch’s retirement announcement for the original notice. Older guides may still be useful as historical context, but not as instructions for starting a Squad Stream now.
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What replaced Squad Stream?
Stream Together is Twitch’s collaboration feature. It lets a host invite other streamers or guests into a call. A guest who is also broadcasting to their own channel is a streaming collaborator. Twitch’s help documentation describes Stream Together as being in beta and available to all Twitch users; availability and interface details can change, so consult the current Twitch help page if a control or requirement differs from the steps below.
The important distinction is what viewers see. The retired Squad Stream offered a Twitch-native shared viewing mode for up to four creators. Stream Together is a way to connect participants and make their feeds available to a broadcast workflow. The host or each collaborator can arrange those feeds in software such as OBS or Streamlabs. It does not necessarily give viewers the same universal, synchronized multi-channel layout that Squad Stream provided.
Twitch mentioned potential collaborative features such as merged chat and combined viewership in its retirement announcement. Do not assume those capabilities are available in every Stream Together session; check Twitch’s current documentation and interface rather than planning around an unconfirmed feature.
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What you need
- A Twitch account for the host and invited participants.
- A supported desktop browser. Twitch’s current guidance refers to browser-based participation; check its help page for supported browsers. A desktop browser is the safest choice for setting up and managing a session.
- Broadcasting software such as OBS Studio or Streamlabs Desktop if you plan to stream and compose participant feeds. A host needs broadcasting software; a guest who is only joining the call may not need to broadcast.
- A stable internet connection with enough upload capacity for your own broadcast and any video or audio feeds you use.
- A microphone and headphones are strongly recommended for clear conversation and to reduce echo. A webcam is optional unless you want to show camera video.
- Invited collaborators who know whether they are joining only as guests or also streaming to their own channels.
Twitch says a powerful gaming PC, camera, or microphone is not strictly required to begin streaming. The setup you need depends on what you want viewers to see and hear. Its general streaming FAQ covers broadcast software and basic streaming requirements.
How to start a Stream Together session
Twitch can change interface labels and locations, so treat this as the workflow rather than a promise of an exact menu path.
- Open Twitch in a desktop browser and sign in to the account that will host the collaboration.
- Open Stream Together from Twitch’s creator interface and create a new call as the host. The host creates and manages the call.
- Invite collaborators. Use Twitch’s invitation controls or share the invite link offered by the interface. Confirm that each person is joining the intended call.
- Have each guest join in a browser. They may need to allow browser access to their camera or microphone. Twitch says a guest who is not an Affiliate or Partner may need a verified phone number for security.
- Decide who is broadcasting. A streaming collaborator joins the call and also streams to their own Twitch channel. Anyone doing so should start and configure their own broadcasting software separately.
- Add participant feeds to your broadcast layout. Use the browser-source links Twitch provides, where available, in OBS or compatible broadcasting software. Arrange the feeds in your scene; do not assume joining the call automatically places everyone on screen.
- Test the whole scene before going live. Check that the intended feeds are visible, voices are clear, duplicate audio is not playing, and the layout works at your broadcast resolution.
- Go live only after the group confirms the setup. Agree on who will speak, who will manage chat, and what to do if someone disconnects.
Adding participant feeds in OBS
Use the participant feed link supplied through Twitch’s current Stream Together workflow rather than guessing a URL format.
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- In OBS, select the scene where you want collaborators to appear.
- Add a Browser Source for a participant feed and paste in the URL Twitch supplies.
- Set the source dimensions to fit your canvas and place it in the scene. Repeat for any additional feeds you want to show.
- Resize or crop sources to create a readable layout. Keep gameplay or the main speaker large enough that viewers can follow it.
- Preview the scene and check source order: a source hidden behind an opaque layer will not be visible even if it is connected.
- Make separate scenes for formats you need, such as a starting screen, gameplay, break, and ending screen.
Streamlabs Desktop can also be used for a scene-based broadcast. The specific controls differ, but the same principle applies: the call connects people, while your broadcast scene determines how their feeds appear.
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Choose a layout before you go live
A layout is easier to follow when it has a clear hierarchy. Consider one of these formats:
- Main gameplay plus reaction windows: Keep the game prominent and use smaller frames for collaborators.
- Equal panels: Useful when a coordinated group event gives every participant an equally important role.
- Host-led interview: Give the host the main frame and bring guests forward as they speak.
- Rotating speaker: Feature one person at a time when several small panels would be too hard to read.
More panels can mean smaller video, competing voices, harder moderation, and more opportunities for echo or confusion. If everyone is playing a different game, a shared voice call with separate channels may be clearer than trying to fit every feed into one scene.
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Prevent echo, audio duplication, and sync problems
- Use headphones. Speakers can send the call audio back into participants’ microphones.
- Choose one audio path for each voice. If a participant’s microphone is captured through both a call and a browser source, viewers may hear that person twice. Mute the duplicate path in your broadcast software.
- Check desktop and browser audio. Avoid capturing the same call once through desktop audio and again through a browser source.
- Record a short test. Listen back for echo, clipping, muted microphones, or voices that are much louder than the game.
- Keep the production simple while troubleshooting. Multiple capture and processing paths can add delay. Test before the event, use a consistent voice-chat method, and avoid unnecessarily high video settings.
- Set a speaking order. Small differences in latency are less disruptive when participants avoid talking over one another.
Browser buffering, network conditions, encoder settings, and audio processing can all affect timing. A test is more reliable than assuming every participant’s feed will be perfectly synchronized.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Stream Together is not the same as co-streaming
Stream Together is for collaboration. Co-Streaming is a separate Twitch feature intended for authorized rebroadcasts of approved broadcasts, such as selected events. Twitch describes access as controlled through an allowlist. It is not a general-purpose way for a group of friends to restream one another’s channels.
Do not capture another creator’s Twitch broadcast and retransmit it as a workaround unless you have the necessary authorization. That can raise copyright and platform-policy issues. Review Twitch’s co-streaming documentation for the applicable rules and eligibility.
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Who is responsible when several creators participate?
When collaborators also stream to their own channels, each creator remains responsible for their own broadcast, moderation, community, rights and policy compliance, encoder, and connection. Do not assume that Stream Together merges chat, viewers, analytics, or channel responsibilities. Confirm what the current Twitch interface actually supports and agree on moderation and content boundaries with the group beforehand.
Troubleshooting
The Squad Stream widget is missing
That is expected: Squad Stream was retired. Use Stream Together for a Twitch collaboration or build a layout in broadcasting software. Partner status will not bring the retired widget back.
A guest cannot join the call
- Confirm the guest is signed in to Twitch and is using the invitation link correctly.
- Check whether Twitch requires that guest to verify a phone number.
- Ask the guest to allow the browser’s camera and microphone permissions if needed.
- Confirm the invitation has not been copied incorrectly and that the guest can access the feature on their account.
A participant joins but does not appear on the stream
- Confirm that you added the correct Twitch-provided feed as a browser source.
- Check whether the source is hidden, covered by another scene element, or placed outside the canvas.
- Check the browser source’s connection and dimensions.
- Confirm the participant is providing the kind of feed you expect. Joining a call is not the same as broadcasting to that person’s channel.
Viewers hear an echo or the same voice twice
Have participants use headphones, then identify every route carrying the same microphone or call audio. Mute the duplicate in OBS or your broadcasting software. For example, capturing both desktop call audio and a browser source that contains the same voice can create duplication.
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Check the connection, browser-source buffering, encoder settings, and audio processing. Make a short test recording and simplify the scene while diagnosing. If timing remains inconsistent, use a clear speaking order and avoid relying on frame-perfect synchronization.
The setup is unreliable on mobile
Use a desktop browser for hosting and scene setup unless Twitch’s current help documentation explicitly confirms the mobile function you need. Guest access from the Twitch mobile app does not mean every host, collaborator, or production control is available on mobile.
Alternatives when Stream Together is not enough
- OBS Studio: Free, open-source broadcasting software with extensive scene and source control. It is a strong fit for custom layouts, but takes more setup than a guided tool. Visit OBS Studio.
- Streamlabs Desktop: Another broadcasting option with creator-focused setup tools and integrated overlays and widgets. It offers free access and optional paid features; check its current product details at Streamlabs Desktop.
- Discord or another call platform: Useful for backstage voice coordination or a call whose video feeds you capture in your own scene. These services do not themselves create a Twitch viewer layout or grant rights to rebroadcast someone else’s content. See Discord.
- Separate channels without a combined layout: If viewers do not need to see every participant at once, creators can stream independently and coordinate through a voice call, schedule, or channel handoffs.
For most groups looking for a Twitch-native starting point, try Stream Together first. Choose a separate production workflow if you need more control over layout, switching, recording, or audio—or if the beta workflow does not meet your needs.
Quick Recap
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