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Can You Rewind Live Streams on Twitch?

Sunny Wen 29/05/2026

Related to: CleverGet Recorder

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Summary: This blog covers everything you need to know about Twitch Stream Rewind, as well as the best alternatives for achieving unlimited playback control.

As a long-time user of Twitch, I still remember the first time I watched a Twitch live stream. I went to the restroom, and when I came back, I saw that the chat room was suddenly very lively, but I had no idea what had happened. At that time, you could only wait for the VOD or hope that someone had edited that moment. But things are different now. Last year, Twitch launched Stream Rewind. In this blog, I will take you through everything about Twitch Stream Rewind, from who can use it to how to rewind twitch stream, and the best workaround if it doesn’t meet your needs.

Quick Preview

Can you rewind a live twitch stream? The answer is yes. But it has some limitations such as being limited to two minutes and not supporting mobile devices, so you might need the best alternative to achieve unlimited replay control.

Method	Best for
Twitch Stream Rewind	Short clips replay
CleverGet Recorder	Offline viewing of long clips or entire live streams

What Is Twitch Stream Rewind?

Twitch Stream Rewind allows viewers to pause, rewind, and catch up on missed moments during a live stream. Before this feature was introduced, if you wanted to rewatch something that just happened on the stream, you had to click on the streamer’s ‘Videos’ tab and hope the VOD was still processing. But now it’s no longer that troublesome; you just need to click on the progress bar and drag backward to see what just happened, and the chat remains live in real time.

Who Can Use Twitch Stream Rewind?

The access to rewind Twitch streams is divided into two aspects: viewers and streamers, both of whom need to meet specific conditions.

1. Viewer Requirements

If you want to rewind Twitch live content, you need to be a Twitch Turbo subscriber or an active subscriber of that particular channel; free viewers cannot use this feature. Additionally, mobile users cannot use it either.

2. Streamer Requirements

Even if you are a paid subscriber, you may not be able to use this feature, because:

Live rewind is only available if the streamer has enabled the "Store past broadcasts" option;
It is effective only on channels with VOD archiving enabled;
This feature is currently limited to partners and affiliates;
Due to copyright restrictions, music and DJ streams are also excluded from this feature.

How to Rewind a Twitch Live Stream?

If you ensure that all the above requirements are met, then you can take a look at the specific steps to tell you how to rewind a twitch stream:

Open Twitch and go to the live channel you want to watch.

Drag the progress bar on the video player backward.

Click the “Live” that appears on the video player to return to the real-time live broadcast.

The whole process is very simple, with no need to switch between tabs. Compared to the previous process of jumping between VODs, it is much smoother.

What Are the Benefits and Limitations of Twitch Stream Rewind?

Although the live streaming rewind function is very convenient, there are also some limitations that are somewhat annoying.

Benefits

Rewind stream without having to leave the screen.
Real-time chatting will continue to flow.
Interactivity indicators that are beneficial to the streamers.

Limitations

Only go back two minutes.
Only for Turbo and subscribers of specific channels.
Limited to desktop version.
The streamer has enabled the “VOD Archiving”.
Music and DJ Live streaming are not available.

Best Alternative to Twitch Stream Rewind: CleverGet Recorder

The two-minute limit is simply not suitable for someone like me who frequently watches live streams, let alone the higher subscription costs involved. So I found a better solution, which is to record Twitch live streams. Here, I’ll share with you the recording tool I’m currently using, that is CleverGet Recorder. It can capture live content from Twitch and over 1000 other platforms for unlimited offline playback.

Why I prefer CleverGet Recorder:

No backward playback restrictions.
Completely free.
Save the video in its original quality.
Applicable to any live stream with no rewind function on Twitch.
Permanently saved for offline viewing.

Specific usage steps:

Download and install CleverGet Recorder.

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Open Twitch using the built-in browser and select the live stream.

Click REC on the upper left corner to bring up the recording toolbar.

record-toolbar-steps-of-cleverget-recorder

Click REC on the toolbar to start the recording. You can find recordings in the Library.

Disclaimer

All trademarks, logos, and brand names mentioned or displayed in this blog are the property of their respective owners.
Recorded Videos are for personal use only. Please do not repost or redistribute copyrighted content without permission.

Tips

You can also use the CleverGet Twitch Downloader to download the videos before Twitch VOD files expires. Because For the platform, it usually deletes the vast majority of VOD files within 14 to 60 days based on the account permissions.

FAQs

Is Twitch Rewind free?

No. Twitch live rewind currently requires a Twitch Turbo subscription or a paid subscription to the specific channel you are watching.
Does Twitch rewind work on mobile?

No. This feature was launched only on the desktop web version. However, mobile support has been confirmed as part of Twitch’s future plan.
How do streamers enable rewind?

Streamers need to go to their Creator Dashboard, navigate to Settings > Stream, and enable the “Store past broadcasts” under VOD settings. The streamer must also have Partner or Affiliate status.
How far back can you rewind a Twitch live stream?

You can drag back up to two minutes from the live point. If you need a longer rewind capability, you would need third-party tools like CleverGet Recorder to record Twitch streams.
Does Twitch Rewind affect live chat?

No. Even while rewinding, chat continues to flow in real time.
Does Twitch automatically save live streams?

It depends on the streamer’s settings. If the streamer has enabled “Store past broadcasts”, Twitch will automatically save each live stream as a VOD.

Conclusion

Twitch Stream Rewind does improve the real-time viewing experience, but the two-minute limit, subscription requirement, and desktop-only restriction mean that it is not yet the complete solution many viewers hope for. So if you need greater flexibility, CleverGet Recorder is undoubtedly the best option to make up for the limitations of the official feature.