# Which delay route you have
A stream delay holds your video back before viewers get it. Twitch's API describes the setting as "The number of seconds you want your broadcast buffered before streaming it live" and says "The delay helps ensure fairness during competitive play."[2] The usual worry is stream sniping, where someone in your match watches your stream to find you. With a delay, what they see is already out of date. There are two places to set the delay, and Twitch's feature table decides which ones you can use.
| Channel | Twitch Stream Manager | OBS or Streamlabs |
|---|---|---|
| Any streamer | No | Yes, up to 1,800 s |
| Affiliate | No | Yes, up to 1,800 s |
| Partner | Yes, up to 15 minutes | Yes, up to 1,800 s |
The software limit comes from the apps, not from Twitch. OBS's Duration field accepts 1 to 1,800 seconds[4], and Streamlabs uses the same 1,800-second ceiling.[10] Twitch's pages we read do not state a cap for a delay added in software.
# Add a stream delay in OBS Studio
The setting lives in the Advanced tab. OBS's own overview guide lists "Activate Stream Delay" as one of the few Advanced settings that "can be useful for new streamers", and warns: "Do not touch anything else in Advanced unless you absolutely know what you're doing."[7] The labels below are the exact ones from OBS's English interface file.
- Open Settings and click Advanced in the left column.[6]
- Find the Stream Delay block and tick Enable. It is off by default.[4][5]
- Set Duration in seconds. The field starts at 20 and accepts 1 to 1,800.[5][4]
- Read the memory line under it. OBS shows "Estimated Memory Usage" in MB for the delay you picked. Longer delays are worth checking against your free RAM.[6]
- Click Apply, then start your stream. While the delay runs, the status bar shows "Delay (N sec)", and "Delay (starting in N sec)" while the delay fills.[6]
| Setting | Default | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Enable | Off | On or off |
| Duration | 20 s | 1 to 1,800 s |
| Preserve cutoff point | On | On or off |
# Add a stream delay in Streamlabs Desktop
Streamlabs' help center has no article on adding a stream delay; we searched it. The app's open-source code shows where the setting is. Streamlabs Desktop builds its Advanced settings page from a list that includes a "Stream Delay" block with "Enable" and "Duration (Seconds)", from 0 to 1,800.[10] Its English interface file has the same labels, plus the reconnect option.[9]
- Open Settings and choose Advanced.[10]
- Find Stream Delay and turn on Enable.[10]
- Set Duration (Seconds), up to 1,800.[9][10]
- Leave "Preserved cutoff point (increase delay) when reconnecting" as it is unless you want a reconnect to skip ahead.[9] Then save and go live.
Not sure which app to use? Our Streamlabs vs OBS comparison covers the differences that matter beyond this one setting.
# The Partner route: delay set on Twitch
Twitch's Partner page lists it as a program benefit: "Broadcast Delay : Partners can delay their broadcast by up to 15 minutes to ensure fairness during competitive play."[3] The help center says the control is in Stream Manager and that it needs "no broadcast software setting".[1] That matters when your broadcast tool has no delay option, as Section 6 explains.
Tools and bots can set the same delay through Twitch's API, but only for Partners. The Modify Channel Information endpoint takes a delay in seconds, and "The maximum delay is 900 seconds (15 minutes)."[2] For other channels the API reports the delay as zero, because that value "defaults to zero unless" the channel "has partner status and they set a non-zero stream delay value".[2] So an extension or bot that offers to set a Twitch delay cannot do it for an Affiliate.
# Ending a delayed stream
A delay also applies when you stop. When OBS starts a stream with a delay, it adds a menu to the Stop Streaming button.[8] That menu has two choices.
| Menu item | What viewers get |
|---|---|
| Stop Streaming | The rest of the delayed video |
| Stop Streaming (discard delay) | Stream ends now, buffer dropped |
With a normal stop, the status bar counts down with "Delay (stopping in N sec)" while the buffered video plays out.[6] The discard option is the one to use if something you did not want on stream has just happened. Because of the delay, your viewers have not seen it yet.
Delay protects your games. You pick the viewers.
Streamrise sells Twitch live viewers. Pick the count and window in the dashboard, from 30 minutes to a month, and paste your channel link: no password, no OAuth, no 2FA token. Twitch defines fake engagement as "artificial inflation of channel statistics, such as views or follows, through coordination or 3rd party tools" and says it is not permitted.[12] Read the policy and decide for yourself.
- Starts within minutes
- No password, no OAuth, no 2FA token
- Per-minute delivery log
# Console and phone streams
Twitch's rule is short: anyone can add a delay "provided they broadcast to Twitch using software that allows users to add a stream delay."[1] So the question for a PS5, Xbox or phone stream is whether the tool you broadcast with has a delay option. Twitch's pages we read do not list one for consoles or for the Twitch app, and we did not test each device. If yours has none, two routes are left.
- If you are a Partner, set the delay in Stream Manager. Twitch says that route needs "no broadcast software setting", so it does not depend on the device you stream from.[1]
- If you are not, send the console's picture through a PC that runs OBS or Streamlabs, and add the delay there as in Section 2 or 3. Our PS5, Xbox and Switch streaming guide covers the capture card setup.
# Stream delay vs Low Latency mode, and the viewer side
Low Latency mode is a different setting that works in the other direction. Twitch describes it as "a feature that allows a broadcaster to reduce the delay between their broadcast and their viewers."[11] It does not add a fixed delay. To change it, Twitch says: "head to your dashboard. Click the Hamburger icon, then open the Preferences drop down menu and select Stream." The choice is Low latency or Normal latency, and "You will need to restart your stream in order for the changes to take effect."[11] Our Low Latency mode guide covers that setting in depth.
What a viewer can change
A viewer cannot add a delay to someone else's stream. The delay is a broadcaster setting in Stream Manager or the streaming app.[1] A viewer can switch Low Latency off for their own player: "click the Settings icon on the bottom right corner of the video player, then click Advanced. You can toggle low latency on and off in this section."[11] The same Advanced menu has Video Stats, which shows "Latency to Broadcaster".[11] Twitch does not say whether that number includes a delay you add in your broadcast software. If your viewers report buffering instead, read Twitch buffering with good internet.
# The bottom line
Twitch's own delay switch is a Partner benefit, up to 15 minutes, and Affiliates do not get it.[1] Everyone else adds the delay in OBS or Streamlabs, under Advanced, then Stream Delay, with up to 1,800 seconds.[4][10] OBS presets 20 seconds, but you have to tick Enable.[5] When something goes wrong on stream, Stop Streaming (discard delay) ends it before viewers see it.[6]
# FAQ
How do I add stream delay on Twitch?
If you are not a Partner, add it in your streaming app. In OBS, open Settings, then Advanced, tick Enable under Stream Delay and set Duration in seconds. Streamlabs Desktop has the same block in its Advanced settings. Partners can also set up to 15 minutes in Twitch's Stream Manager.
Can Twitch Affiliates add stream delay?
Not on Twitch itself. Twitch's feature table shows No for Affiliates in the Stream Delay (Stream Manager) row. Affiliates can still add a delay in OBS or Streamlabs, which Twitch says any user can do.
What is the maximum stream delay on Twitch?
For the Partner setting on Twitch, 15 minutes, which the API gives as 900 seconds. The delay fields in OBS and Streamlabs go up to 1,800 seconds. Twitch's pages we read do not state a cap for a delay added in software.
What is the default stream delay in OBS?
The Duration field is preset to 20 seconds, but the delay is off until you tick Enable under Stream Delay in the Advanced settings.
Can I add a stream delay on Twitch as a viewer?
No. The delay is set by the broadcaster. As a viewer you can turn Low Latency off for your own player under Settings, then Advanced, and check Latency to Broadcaster in Video Stats.
How do I end a delayed stream right away?
In OBS, open the menu on the Stop Streaming button and choose Stop Streaming (discard delay). A normal stop plays out the buffered video first.
Is stream delay the same as Low Latency mode?
No. Low Latency mode reduces the delay between you and your viewers. A stream delay adds a fixed number of seconds on top, to protect competitive play.