How to Stream Mobile Games on Twitch
Given the technological limitations of mobile devices, broadcasting a quality gaming stream to Twitch from a smartphone is a little more complicated than doing the same from a console or PC. In addition to your mobile device and the game you want to play, you need the following:
A Windows or Mac PCA copy of the Reflector 3 program on your computerA copy of the free OBS Studio streaming software on your computerA webcamA microphone
Install Reflector 3
To stream the footage from your mobile device, you’ll need to get it to display on your computer, which in turn will send it to Twitch. It’s similar to how you need to connect a Blu-ray player to your TV so you can watch the Blu-ray disk. Reflector 3 is a program that works on Windows and macOS computers and essentially makes them compatible with the numerous wireless projecting technologies supported by iOS, Android, and Windows phones such as Google Cast, AirPlay, and Miracast. You won’t need to use any cables or additional hardware when using Reflector 3. After downloading Reflector 3 from its official website, open the program on your computer and then wirelessly project your mobile’s display to the computer using one of the following methods.
iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch: Swipe up from the bottom of your iOS device’s screen to open the Control Center. Press the AirPlay icon in the middle of the menu.Android: Open the Notifications Center on your Android phone or tablet and press the Cast icon. Once open, select More Settings and choose your computer.
Set Up OBS Studio
If you haven’t already, download OBS Studio onto your computer. This is a popular free program that’s used to broadcast livestreams to Twitch. Once you have OBS Studio installed, you need to link it to your Twitch account so that your broadcast is sent to the correct location.
Add Media Sources to OBS Studio
Make sure Reflector 3 is still open on your computer and that your mobile device is mirrored on it. You’re now going to add Reflector 3 to OBS Studio and this is how your viewers will see your mobile gameplay.
Start Your Twitch Broadcast
When you have your dashboard looking the way you want, click on the Start Streaming button in the lower-right corner. You’ll now be live on Twitch and your viewers should see your webcam footage, any images you’ve added, and your favorite mobile video game.
Prepare Your Smartphone for Streaming
Before you begin streaming from your mobile device, you should close all the open apps. This will make sure that your device is running as fast as possible and will reduce any slowing down or crashing of the game you’re going to be playing. It’s also a good idea to turn off notifications so that your stream isn’t interrupted by incoming alerts. You might also want to turn on Airplane Mode to prevent people from calling you though make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth remain functional so you can project your screen to your computer with Reflector 3. You can easily enable Airplane Mode on iPhones; on Android, you can turn this mode on via Quick Settings.
What Is Mobile Twitch Streaming?
Mobile Twitch streaming is the broadcasting of the live gameplay of a video game from an iOS, Android, or Windows smartphone or tablet to the Twitch streaming service. It is possible to stream only the gameplay footage in a broadcast but most successful streamers also incorporate webcam footage of themselves and an appealing visual layout to engage with their viewers and to encourage them to follow or subscribe to their Twitch channel.
