How to Hide Who You Are Watching on Twitch: A Comprehensive Guide

Want to enjoy your favorite Twitch streams without your friends knowing what you’re watching? Twitch, while a platform known for its social interaction, also offers ways to maintain your privacy. This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to hide your viewing activity, along with answers to common questions about privacy on Twitch.

Hiding Your Viewing Activity: A Simple Guide

The core way to hide who you’re watching on Twitch is by adjusting your presence settings on the mobile app. Here’s how:

1. Tap your profile picture: Located in the top-left corner of the screen, tap your profile picture to access your user settings.

2. Select “Set Presence”: In the menu that appears, find and tap the “Set Presence” option.

3. Toggle “Share my activity”: You’ll see a toggle switch next to “Share my activity.” To hide your viewing activity, tap this toggle to turn it off. When it’s turned off, your friends will no longer see the streams you’re watching.

By following these steps, you ensure your viewing habits remain private. Remember, this change only applies to your friends’ ability to see what you’re watching. Streamers and other users will not be affected.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Twitch Privacy

Here are 15 frequently asked questions regarding privacy on Twitch, to give you a more comprehensive understanding of the platform’s features and limitations.

Can Twitch Streamers See Who is Watching?

No, Twitch streamers cannot directly see who is watching their stream. Unless you actively participate in chat, a streamer will not know you are present. The only way they could potentially identify you is by manually opening their viewer list, which is unlikely for streamers with a large audience. This allows for lurking, which is essentially passive viewing without interaction, and is a very common practice on Twitch.

How Do I Avoid Seeing Certain Users on Twitch?

If you wish to avoid seeing content from specific users, you can block them. To do this:

1. Click on the user’s username.
2. Click on the three vertical dots menu.
3. Select “Block [Username].”

You can manage your blocked users list in the Privacy section of your Security Settings page.

How Do I Keep My Identity Secret on Twitch?

Protecting your personal identity on Twitch involves several steps:

• Create separate accounts: Use accounts dedicated solely for Twitch, ensuring they don’t link to your personal social media or search results.
• Choose a non-identifiable username: Your Twitch username should not be your actual name or anything closely related to it.
• Maintain separate profiles: Keep your Twitch profile, Discord, and other related accounts separate from your personal accounts.

Is There a Way to Hide Streamers on Twitch?

Yes, you can hide specific streamers by blocking their channels. You can do this:

1. Open the Channels page or any game page, such as a “Dark Souls” page.
2. Find the stream thumbnail of the channel you want to block.
3. Click the “Block” button within the overlay menu on the stream thumbnail.

This channel’s content will no longer be visible to you unless you choose to unblock it.

Can Twitch Streamers See Who is Lurking?

No, streamers cannot see who is lurking unless you speak in chat. Lurking is a very normal and accepted activity on Twitch. The only way a streamer could potentially see lurkers is by opening their viewer list, which most don’t do.

What Does Streamer Mode Hide?

Streamer Mode in Discord hides sensitive information such as Discord discriminator tags, emails, and stream connections. This helps to keep private information out of public streams. If you have the “Hide Personal Information” option selected in Discord and turn on Streamer Mode, elements like your username will be partially obscured.

Does Twitch Show Your IP Address?

While Twitch doesn’t directly display your IP address to other users, it could be accessed through other methods. To protect your privacy, it is recommended to use a VPN to mask your IP address and location.

Do I Have to Show My Face on Twitch?

No, you are not required to use a mic or camera to stream on Twitch. Interaction with the audience is an important part of streaming, so most streamers choose to, but you can still stream without these.

Do Anonymous Viewers Count on Twitch?

Yes, any live viewer, regardless of whether they are signed in or not, will be counted towards the viewer count. The count increases when they begin watching and decreases when they stop.

Can Banned People Still Watch You on Twitch?

Banned users can still watch livestreams from an incognito window or by logging out. They can also access VODs, highlights, and clips. This means they cannot participate in chat or follow the channel, but they can still view your content.

Why Does Twitch Say I Have 1 Viewer When I Have More?

Twitch’s viewer count may differ from the users in chat list. Some users may connect to chat without actively watching the stream, such as chat-only viewers, bots or pop-out chat users. This can cause a discrepancy between viewer count and the number of chat participants.

Is Lurking on Twitch Bad?

No, lurking is not bad. It’s a common and accepted behavior on Twitch. While active chat is ideal, it’s unrealistic to expect everyone to engage. Lurkers can contribute to a channel’s overall viewership and popularity.

How to Stream Anonymously?

If you wish to stream anonymously you could:

• Use voice transformer software: Change your voice to something less recognizable.
• Create a fantasy character identity: Develop a fictional identity that is not linked to you.
• Don’t use a facecam, or disguise yourself: Use glasses, wigs, or hats to conceal your face if you decide to use a camera.

Does Twitch Hide IP Addresses?

Twitch does not expose users’ IP addresses to each other. The video stream is hosted on Twitch servers, meaning viewers access the stream through Twitch’s infrastructure, and not directly from the streamer or other viewers. This makes it virtually impossible for one user to acquire another’s IP address.

Can Streamers See Their Followers?

Streamers can see their followers, including the follow length and follow date, by using a Twitch Followage Tool. They can see the list of followers and when each user followed them.

Conclusion

Understanding how to manage your privacy on Twitch is essential for a comfortable and safe viewing experience. By utilizing the simple step of adjusting your presence settings, you can easily keep your viewing habits private. Furthermore, knowing the platform’s privacy features allows you to engage in the platform as you please. Whether you choose to be an active participant or a casual lurker, Twitch has options that cater to your needs.