# Three ways to unban someone on Twitch
A Twitch ban only covers one channel. Twitch defines it as being "removed from a specific channel's chat", and says "Channel owners and moderators can ban users from participating in their chat."[1] The same people can lift it. Twitch's pages describe three ways to do that. Pick the one that matches what you know about the person.
| Method | Use it when | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Chat command | You know the exact username | Type /unban username in your chat |
| Unban button | The person is still visible in chat | Click their name, then Unban |
| Banned Users list | You don't remember the name, or want to see who banned them | Moderation settings, find the name, unban |
Method 1: the /unban command
- Open your channel's chat, or the chat of a channel you moderate.
- Type /unban followed by a space and the username, for example /unban viewername. Leave out any brackets.
- Press Enter. Twitch's command page says /unban lifts a permanent ban, and "You can also use this command to end a ban early; this also applies to timeouts."[2]
Method 2: the Unban button
If you have just banned someone and their name is still on screen, click it to open their viewer card. Twitch says you can unban by clicking "the Unban button which replaces the Ban button."[2] The command /user username opens the same card, which also shows "that user's channel-specific chat, timeout, and ban history."[2] That history is useful when you are deciding whether a ban was fair.
Method 3: the Banned Users list
Twitch keeps a list of everyone banned from your chat. Its harassment guide says: "You can see a list of any banned users in your Moderation Settings, and hovering over the name will display which moderator issued the ban."[3] Its moderation setup page adds that hovering shows "who banned the user and when."[4] Use the list when you only remember part of a name, or when you want to ask the mod who issued a ban before you reverse it.
# How to remove a timeout
A timeout is a short ban. Twitch says bans "can be temporary (called "timeouts") or permanent."[1] You do not have to wait for a timeout to end. Twitch documents two ways to clear one: "To clear a timeout, either use the Unban command or overwrite the current timeout with a new, 1-second one."[2]
- /unban username ends the timeout at once.[2]
- /timeout username 1 replaces the timeout with a 1-second one. Twitch's harassment guide recommends this for a timeout given by mistake, because it "will overwrite the old timeout with a new one lasting only 1 second, immediately allowing them to chat once again."[3]
Many moderators also type /untimeout. Twitch's chat command help page, as read on 8 November 2026, lists /unban and the 1-second timeout as the ways to clear a timeout, and does not list /untimeout. If /untimeout does nothing in your chat, use /unban.
# How to review unban requests
Unban Requests let a banned viewer ask you to reconsider, without leaving your chat page. Twitch says a banned user "can submit a one-time request to be unbanned" if the channel has the feature on, and that "The channel owner or their moderators will review your request and decide whether to grant it."[1] Twitch itself stays out of it: "Twitch does not get involved in channel-specific bans."[1]
Where unban requests show up
Streamers and mods look in different places. Twitch's moderation setup page says: "Moderators, visit Mod View to see unban requests for channels you moderate. Streamers may view unban requests for their own channel from the Stream Manager by searching “unban requests panel” in the Creator Dashboard".[4] In Mod View, the requests sit in the Unban Requests widget, and our Mod View guide shows how to add it to your layout.
| You are | To review requests | To change the settings |
|---|---|---|
| The streamer | Stream Manager: search "unban requests panel" in the Creator Dashboard | Moderation, then Settings, then Channel Protections |
| A moderator | Mod View, Unban Requests widget | Not listed for mods in Twitch's help |
The four rules that shape every request
- One request per person. The viewer gets "a one-time request".[1] They also cannot change it after sending: "once you have sent your unban request, you cannot edit it."[7]
- Denial is final. "If you choose to deny an unban request, that user will not be able to submit another request."[5] If you are unsure, leave the request pending and decide later.
- You can make new bans wait. "Channel owners can also set a cooldown period which newly banned users must adhere to before they can request to be unbanned."[7] A cooling-off period stops requests sent in anger a minute after the ban.
- Reviews are anonymous. Banned users send the request "for channel owners and moderators to review and take action on, anonymously."[4]
When you review a request, you see the person's chat history, with one limit. Twitch says "chat message logs only show messages from the past 3.5 years. Moderator actions and comments from any time period remain visible to help inform decisions."[7] So an old ban reason stays on record even after the messages behind it have aged out.
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- Per-minute delivery log
# How to unban someone on Twitch mobile
The Twitch app on iOS and Android has a mobile Mod View. Twitch says you enter it "through the callout that you will see whenever you visit a channel where you have the moderator role, or via the channel’s chat settings."[5] In its chat panel, "Clicking any username in chat will open up their viewer card in a modal", and the viewer card is where moderation actions sit.[5] If the person is still in your chat history, tap their name and unban them there.
There is a gap for unban requests. Twitch lists the mobile Mod View widgets as Chat, Quick Actions, Activity Feed, AutoMod Queue, Mod Actions, Rewards Request Queue and Predictions. Unban Requests is not on that list.[5] To review requests, use Mod View or the Creator Dashboard in a web browser.
# Bans you can lift, and bans you cannot
Not every "ban" belongs to your channel. Before you search your banned list for someone, work out which kind of restriction they have. The table puts the documented cases side by side.
| Restriction | Who can lift it | How |
|---|---|---|
| Ban or timeout in your channel | You and your mods | /unban, the Unban button or the Banned Users list |
| Shield Mode bulk ban | You and your mods | Review the Banned Chatters tab in Shield Mode |
| Ban by another channel's mod during Shared Chat | That channel's team | Ends in your chat when the Shared Chat ends |
| Twitch account suspension | Only Twitch | The person appeals to Twitch |
| A block | The person who blocked | Their own block list |
Shield Mode bans
Shield Mode can ban everyone who types a phrase you add to its Terms and Phrases tab. Those bans can catch innocent people. Twitch says that after the bans, "you can review them in the "Banned Chatters" tab to determine if you want to unban them, keep them banned, or report them to Twitch."[3] The phrase list itself does not carry over, because "Banned terms and phrases will reset after every Shield Mode session."[3]
Bans during Shared Chat
In Shared Chat, mods from each channel can act on viewers from the other channels. A ban from another channel's mod does not last in your chat. Twitch says: "Once the Shared Chat is over, users will only remain banned in the channel from which the moderation action came from."[6] In practice:
- A collaborator's mod banned one of your viewers. They cannot chat for the rest of the Shared Chat. After it ends they can chat in your channel again, without you doing anything. They stay banned in the collaborator's channel, and only that channel's team can lift it.[6]
- Your mod banned a viewer from another channel. "The user remains banned in the channel where the ban originated", which is yours. You unban them the normal way.[6]
- You are not sure who acted. Twitch says to check "the Mod Actions panel in Mod View" for actions by other channels' mods during the session.[6]
Suspensions and blocks
A suspension is not yours to undo. Twitch says "Suspensions are site-wide and affect your entire Twitch account".[1] The person has to appeal to Twitch. Our guide to how long a Twitch suspension lasts covers the appeal routes. A channel ban is still separate from a suspension. Twitch notes that you "can still ban the user, which will prevent them from being able to chat even if their account is reinstated."[3] The reverse holds too: if you want them back after reinstatement, lift your channel ban as well.
A block is a personal setting, not a channel ban, and it is undone from the block list of the person who set it. Our guide to blocking someone on Twitch explains how to unblock.
# Changing a ban into a timeout
Sometimes the ban was too harsh, but you still want the person out for an hour. Twitch's API reference says you cannot turn a ban straight into a timeout: "If the user is currently banned, you cannot call this method to put them in a timeout instead."[8] The other direction works: a timeout can be lengthened or turned into a ban.
- Unban first with /unban username.[2]
- Then time them out with /timeout username followed by a length in seconds. Twitch's API accepts 1 second up to "1,209,600 seconds (2 weeks)".[8]
That API sentence describes Twitch's developer endpoint. The help pages do not say whether chat behaves the same way, but unbanning first gives you a clean start either way. For which tool fits which situation, see our Twitch chat harassment playbook.
# Why an unban does not work
Twitch's API reference lists the errors its Unban User action can return. They match the problems people hit in chat, so they are a good checklist. The API messages are Twitch's. The chat steps are our reading of them.
- "User is not banned." The API returns this when "The user specified in the user_id query parameter is not banned."[8] The timeout may have ended already, the name may be misspelled, or the person may have changed their username. Check the Banned Users list.
- You are not a moderator of that channel. Twitch rejects the action when the user "is not one of the broadcaster's moderators."[8] Ask the streamer to check your role in their moderator list.
- Two mods acted at once. "You may not update the user's ban state while someone else is updating the state."[8] Wait a moment, check the Mod Actions panel, and try again.
- The ban came from another channel. During Shared Chat, a ban placed by a collaborator's mod comes from their channel. Twitch says the person stays banned only in the channel the action came from, so the ban is theirs to lift, not yours. See Section 5.[6]
- The account is suspended or deleted. Twitch says a banner on the viewer card explains this. For a deleted account, "you will not be able to take any action from the viewer card".[3]
# What Twitch does not say about unbanning
Twitch's help pages leave some common questions unanswered. We list them so you don't take another guide's guess as fact.
- Clip comments. While banned, a viewer "cannot comment on that channel's clips, and any existing comments you've made are hidden".[1] Twitch does not say whether those hidden comments come back after an unban.
- Notifications. If you unban someone by approving their unban request, Twitch's page on enforcements says they can see whether the request was granted or denied in the chat column. For unbans done without a request, the pages we read do not say whether Twitch tells the person. If it matters, tell them yourself.
- An "unban all" button. None of the help pages we read describes one. Unbanning is per user, through the command, the button or the list.
- Roles. Twitch does not say whether an unbanned VIP or mod gets their role back. Check your roles list after unbanning a former VIP or mod.
One more thing an unban does not change. Banned users "can still watch livestreams from an incognito window or while logged out, and will still be able to access VODs, highlights, and clips."[3] A ban never fully shut them out, so lifting it mainly gives back their ability to chat.
# The bottom line
To unban someone on Twitch, type /unban username in your chat, click the Unban button, or remove them from the Banned Users list in your moderation settings.[2][3] The same command ends a timeout early.[2] Review unban requests in Mod View or Stream Manager, and only click Deny when you are sure, because the person cannot ask again.[5] A ban placed by another channel during Shared Chat, or a Twitch suspension, is not yours to lift.[6][1]
# FAQ
How do I unban someone on Twitch?
Type /unban followed by their username in your channel's chat and press Enter. You can also click the Unban button on their viewer card, or remove them from the Banned Users list in your moderation settings.
Can a moderator unban someone on Twitch?
Yes. Twitch's chat commands, including /unban, are listed for broadcasters and all moderators. Mods review unban requests in Mod View.
How do I remove a timeout on Twitch?
Use /unban username, which also ends timeouts, or overwrite the timeout with /timeout username 1, which lasts one second.
How do I see my ban list on Twitch?
Open your moderation settings in the Creator Dashboard. Twitch's help calls it the Banned Users List. Hovering over a name shows who banned the user and when.
Where are unban requests on Twitch?
Moderators find them in the Unban Requests widget in Mod View. Streamers can search "unban requests panel" in the Creator Dashboard to open them in Stream Manager.
Can a viewer send another unban request after a denial?
No. Twitch says that if you deny an unban request, that user will not be able to submit another request. Leave a request pending if you have not decided yet.
Can I unban someone on Twitch mobile?
In the app's Mod View, tap the person's name in chat to open their viewer card. Twitch's list of mobile Mod View widgets does not include Unban Requests, so review requests in a browser.
Can I unban someone who was suspended by Twitch?
No. A suspension is site-wide and only Twitch can lift it, through an appeal. You can only lift your own channel ban.