So you have a cool life, or you have some sweet jokes or maybe you just want people to see what your day to day life consists of and so you have decided to stream IRL (In Real Life) on Twitch. This can be done easily using just your phone!
To Stream IRL on Twitch Using Your Phone Follow These Steps:
- Download the Twitch App on your phone.
- Open the app and link the app with your Twitch account.
- Once you have linked the app and your account go to the home page and then go to your profile by clicking on the profile icon in the top left corner of the screen.
- Click on the “Go Live” button in the top right.
- Once you click “Go Live” you will be taken to another screen where you can choose to do a mobile game stream or an IRL stream. Choose IRL.
- Edit the title of your stream, the type of IRL stream it will be i.e. Art, Food and Drink, Just Chatting, etc. and lastly where you would like to share the stream to i.e. Facebook, Instagram, etc.
- Finally, click “Start Stream” and you are now streaming IRL on Twitch.
Here are some screenshots to help you live stream on your phone:
Open the app and tap on your profile icon in the top left.
Tap the “Go Live” button in the top right.
Choose “Stream IRL”.
Tap “Starts Stream”.
Streaming IRL on Twitch can be a great way to connect with people who may not be interested in gaming but may be looking for a group or community to belong to.
The best part about streaming on your phone is you don’t need to carry around one of them fancy cameras in order to have a quality stream.
What Phones Work Best for IRL Streams?
The answer to this question will constantly change as phones continue to become more and more advanced; however, generally speaking when looking for a good phone to stream on, the two most important factors are: resolution and fps (frames per second). At this time, 2022, the 5 best phones for streaming IRL videos would be:
These phones standout among other phones because they can shoot 4k at 60fps. Although a high-quality camera on your phone is not required, it is important in that it helps make your stream appear more professional and more appealing.
Nobody wants to watch a pixelated stream that keeps coming in and out of focus.
What are the 10 Categories that Have replaced IRL Streams?
Although the IRL category has been removed from Twitch, many people still use the term IRL to refer to the 10 categories that have been created to replace the former IRL category.
The 10 new categories were created to better describe the content of what the streamer is streaming.
So rather than putting EVERYTHING under IRL (cooking, art, sports, etc.) Twitch decided to break the IRL category into more than 10 separate categories.
A description on the site reads “With so many streamers on Twitch, we need to give you better ways to describe your stream when you go live.
In mid-September we will remove IRL and Creative as categories and add more than 10 new categories, which will let you better describe the content of your streams.”
The new categories are as follows:
- Art – This includes paintings, illustrations, animation, comics, photography, and more. These creations are done by both digital and traditional methods.
- Hobbies and Crafts – This category can be used when you are doing crafts or other DIY projects. This can include, but is not limited to sculpting, word working, metal working or sewing.
- Food and Drink – This category is not only for creating great food and drinks, but also consuming them as well.
- Music and performing Arts – Channels in this category will focus on things such as playing an instrument, singing, dancing, composing music, etc. Or maybe all of the above if you have the skills!
- Beauty and Body Art – This channel can be used to stream makeup tutorials, skincare, bodypainting, tattooing, and more.
- Science and Technology – Use this category when you’re streaming activities like software development, game design, science experiments, engineering, or robotics.
- Just Chatting – This category is for conversations between streamers and viewers, like when you’re warming up at the start of your stream, doing Q&As, or live vlogging.
- Travel & Outdoors – Whether you’re exploring a new city or just hanging out in your hometown, this category covers all your walking-and-talking needs.
- Sports and Fitness – From team sports to training solo, this category includes everything you’d do in a gym and more.
- Tabletop RPGs – Finally a place to stream all the tabletop RPGs you love.
- Special Events – This is where you’ll find big events like Twitch Con, E3, and PAX, as well as special announcements from game developers and publishers.
- Talk Shows & Podcasts – This category name gets an update for all the podcasters out there.
- ASMR – A centralized place for ASMR content.
What are Some Ideas for Streaming IRL on Twitch Using Your Phone?
The cool thing about streaming IRL on Twitch using your phone is that there are many MANY things that you can stream. Using your phone, you do not have to worry about carrying big expensive cameras or audio devices.
Below are some ideas of things to stream IRL on Twitch with your phone that are different than the new categories:
- Your Job:
- I have seen many awesome IRL streams of people just working at their job. With that being, said your job must obviously be entertaining or interesting in some way. For example, I ran across a channel several months back where a guy live streamed himself working as a repo man and he had about 200-300 viewers while I was watching. Maybe you work construction and could teach your viewers how to do some of the work you do or maybe you work with a bunch of clowns and think it would be funny to live stream what happens kind of like The Office. There are tons of options with this one, but please be careful. There have been several people who have been banned and have had legal proceedings filed against them for filming people without permission. Just be smart.
- Stream Yourself Playing Videogames:
- Streaming yourself or a group of friends playing videogames is unique and different from streaming the actual videogame itself. It’s usually done with videogames that are multi-player and interactive such as Mario Party. You know how crazy and intense those Mario Party games with all the moving around and so streaming this, or other games like it could be a great experience for viewers. Streaming in this way allows the viewer to feel as though they are actually there with you rather than just watching you play the videogames.
- Yourself Just Living:
- Sometimes people just want to experience life through the eyes of another person. These streams can be you just living your normal life, or you can try to do something unique to make yourself stand out. For example, one stream I saw recently was a large man, a VERY large man, just lying on his couch with no shirt talking with his viewers. It was different to say the least, but it definitely made him stand out.
- Streaming Your Pets
- Lets’ be real here, animals can just make your day. If you have a pretty cool pet; dog, cat, or something else, why not stream them? Maybe you are with them at the park or working on a new trick with them. Regardless of what you are doing animals are generally liked by all people and a stream just focused on them could really grab the attention of viewers.
Regardless of what you choose to stream, just remember to ask yourself “Why are people going to tune into YOUR IRL stream?”
What is it that makes your stream unique or better than the hundreds of other people doing the same thing.
You have to be creative and think outside of the box if you want to attract viewers and followers to your channel.
One Final Thing to Consider…Your Connection.
This is simple, make sure you have a good connection. Since you will be streaming off your phone it is best that you are connected to wi-fi if you want the best quality for your stream.
If you will be streaming in areas where there is no wi-fi make sure that you have a reliable cellphone carrier.
Which carriers are reliable will vary from area to area, but a good connection will prevent your stream from lagging and skipping due to poor signal.
Having a quality connection allows the viewer to focus more on the streamer and makes the stream easier to follow and enjoy.
As always, if you have any questions or just want to hang with me, stop by my Twitch channel here and say what’s up!
For even more streaming tips and how-to content check out my Youtube channel here. And if you want to check out my streams then stop by my Twitch channel here.
I hope this article was useful in helping you begin or enhance your IRL streams while using your phones. Remember that building your channel takes time and patience so don’t become discouraged. Find your niche and stick to it and you will become a successful IRL streamer.
Eric streams 3 days a week on Twitch and uploads weekly to Youtube under the moniker, StreamersPlaybook. He loves gaming, PCs, and anything else related to tech. He’s the founder of the website StreamersPlaybook and loves helping people answer their streaming, gaming, and PC questions.