How to Pop Out Twitch Chat for Streamers (An In-Depth 2800+ Word Guide)

As an avid Twitch streamer myself, keeping up with your channel‘s chat is crucial for audience engagement. But the out-of-the-box Twitch chat window often leaves much to be desired.

Monitoring the tiny sidebar chat while gaming leads to distracted gameplay and missed messages. Popping your chat out into a dedicated window solves these problems for streamers…if you know how to do it properly.

In this comprehensive 2800+ word guide, I‘ll explain step-by-step how to pop out Twitch chat based on my 5+ years of streaming experience. You‘ll also learn:

• Key reasons to pop out Twitch chat for engagement
• Strategic pop out window placement for streamers
• Limitations and workarounds of built-in Twitch chat
• Integrations to enhance your popped out chat experience
• Alternative options beyond just the native chat window

Let‘s dive in and level up your Twitch chat game!

Why Popping Out Chat is a Game Changer

But first – why go through the trouble of popping out chat in the first place?

As a quick refresher, Twitch chat appears by default in a skinny sidebar next to the video player. This makes it tough to keep an eye on as a streamer.

Based on Twitch‘s 2021 recap, users sent over 8 billion chat messages last year. With this level of engagement, you can‘t afford to miss messages if you want to grow an audience.

Popping out chat into a dedicated window solves 3 key issues:

1. Eliminates Distracting Back-and-Forth Viewing

No more straining your neck to glance back and forth from game to chat. A standalone chat window lets you monitor messages with just eye movements instead of head turns.

2. Frees Up Screen Space

Popping out chat removes it from the main Twitch window, freeing up precious screen pixels for your gaming content.

3. Allows Flexible Positioning

You can move the chat window anywhere – whether on a second monitor or tucked beside your main display.

According to StreamElements‘ 2022 report, 81% of streamers say communicating with viewers is very important.

Pop out chat makes this easier so you can focus on gameplay while engaging your community. Keep reading to learn how.

Step-by-Step Guide to Pop Out Twitch Chat

Popping out your Twitch chat only takes seconds. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Twitch Chat

First, navigate to Twitch.tv and open the chat for your channel or any channel you want to pop out.

Click the "Chat" icon located below the stream video to open the chat window:

This will open the familiar skinny chat window we‘re looking to break out.

Step 2: Access Chat Settings

In the bottom right corner of the chat window, click the small gear icon to open chat settings:

This will open up the menu where we‘ll select the pop out option.

Step 3: Switch to Non-Mod View

If you‘re popping out chat for your own stream, first click "Switch to Non-Mod View" at the bottom of the settings window:

This shows all available pop out options.

If accessing another channel‘s chat, skip this step.

Step 4: Select "Popout Chat"

Finally, under "My Preferences", choose the "Popout Chat" option:

And voila! Your Twitch chat will now pop out into a standalone, movable window. Drag it anywhere on your screen that‘s comfortable.

That‘s all there is to it! With just a few clicks you can detach your Twitch chat for better visibility and control while streaming.

Next let‘s dig into how to use this pop out feature effectively.

Strategic Pop Out Chat Positioning

The beauty of the pop out chat window is you can now place it anywhere on your screen(s). But some positions are better than others when it comes to effectively monitoring chat.

Here are 5 proven pop out chat positions used by top Twitch streamers:

1. Right Side of Main Display

This is the most common pop out placement. Positioning chat in your peripheral vision lets you glance at new messages passively:

Tip: Leave a gap between the game frame and chat to avoid minimization when clicking.

2. Upper or Lower Banner

Another approach is framing either above or below your main display:

This takes advantage of unused space while keeping chat visible.

3. Second Monitor

Dual monitors opens up even more pop out options. Here chat occupies its own screen:

This avoids overlap and allows fullscreen gaming. A common pro streamer setup.

4. Tablet or Phone

For a more portable solution, pop chat out on a tablet or phone nearby:

Just be sure to capture non-intrusive angles on your webcam.

5. Picture-in-Picture

With OBS you can crop a portion of another window as a source. Useful for a mini always-visible chat:

This lets you overlay chat anywhere while gaming in fullscreen.

Get creative with pop out chat placements to balance visibility with avoiding distraction.

Limitations of Built-In Twitch Chat

While game-changing, the native Twitch chat pop out does have some limitations to be aware of:

• Chat window minimizes – Clicking outside the window causes it to minimize. Position carefully to avoid this.

• No fullscreen gaming – Pop out chat only works with windowed or borderless mode gaming.

• Loss of mod tools – You lose quick access to mod options with chat detached.

• Small window – The default pop out size is quite small, requiring resizing.

• Resets on page change – Pop out chat doesn‘t persist if you navigate away and back.

Power users may want to look into third party solutions or integrations to help overcome these limitations, which we‘ll cover next.

But for most streamers, the native pop out provides a quick and easy way to upgrade your default chat experience.

Integrations and Bots for Advanced Chat

While native Twitch chat works well for casual streamers, larger channels may benefit from enhancements and customization.

Integrations and bots like Streamlabs Chatbot open up more advanced options:

Streamlabs Chatbot

Apps like Streamlabs Chatbot give you greater control over your popped out Twitch chat:

Key features include:

• Resizable and always-on-top chat window

• Persistent between page changes

• Custom themes and fonts

• Enhanced mod tools

• Automated responses and commands

• Chat statistics and logs

Stream Deck

Elgato‘s Stream Deck hardware also integrates with Twitch chat for quick access to mod tools and commands:

The LCD keys allow switching chat windows and management by just tapping buttons.

Chatbots

Bots like Nightbot help auto-moderate your busy channels, allowing you to focus on engaged chatters.

And More

Many other tools exist like PhantomBot, StreamElements overlays, and the Streamlabs OBS chat solution with unique capabilities.

Integrations unlock custom pop out chat experiences catered to large and professional streams.

For most streamers just starting out, I recommend sticking with the basic built-in Twitch pop out. But it‘s good to be aware of advanced options for the future.

Beyond Pop Out: Alternative Chat Options

While pop out Twitch chat resolves many issues, some situations call for more creative solutions. Let‘s explore a few popular alternatives.

Chat on a Mobile Device

Rather than monitoring a second screen, some streamers prefer interacting via mobile chat apps. This allows dynamic positioning:

Downsides include constantly looking down and no overlay integrations.

Temporary Chat Docks

Slow chat channels may only need selective monitoring. "Docking" chat temporarily is an option:

Position chat off-screen until you need to glance at messages. Reduces distraction.

Chat Heads-Up Displays (HUDs)

For minimal interface, HUDs overlay new messages subtly during streams:

This peripheral view keeps chat visible but unobtrusive.

Chat Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Hearing messages read aloud is another hands-free method. But TTS can get noisy and distracting:

Visual pop outs tend to be lower profile than chat TTS options.

Think about your specific streaming goals, chat volume, and audience size when selecting a chat interaction method.

The Pros and Cons of Pop Out Twitch Chat

Now that we‘ve covered the full gamut of pop out techniques and alternatives, let‘s analyze the overall pros and cons.

Benefits of Twitch Chat Pop Out:

• Frees up screen space from default skinny sidebar
• Allows flexible positioning on screen(s)
• Reduces distracting back-and-forth viewing
• Makes monitoring messages easier
• Overlay works with windowed/borderless gaming
• Easy one-click pop out process

Limitations of Twitch Chat Pop Out:

• Not compatible with fullscreen gaming
• Chat window prone to minimizing
• Loss of moderator tools in pop out view
• Requires manual resizing of default small window
• Doesn‘t persist when navigating away

As you can see, the pros far outweigh the cons for most streamers. Just be aware of the limitations and quirks.

Fine-tuning your Twitch chat setup takes experimentation – I encourage trying different positions and integrations. The pop out feature provides a great starting point to build upon.

My Experience and Tips as a Twitch Streamer

I‘ve streamed consistently on Twitch for over 5 years now across several channels and games. In that time, I‘ve developed a few strong opinions when it comes to chat engagement.

The tiny default Twitch chat is simply unacceptable for maintaining quality interaction with viewers. Even with just 10-15 concurrents, Twitch‘s sidebar chat is a nightmare.

Once I discovered the pop out feature years back, it became a requirement for all my streams. I prefer situating chat in a vertical window to the right of my game display.

This peripheral view lets me passively monitor chat in my vision while remaining focused on gaming. It‘s a perfect balance.

I do wish Twitch would develop a true standalone chat client for multi-device syncing. Until then, I leverage Streamlabs and Nightbot bots to enhance my DIY experience.

For new streamers overwhelmed by chat, try these best practices:

• Start with native pop out chat to simplify your setup
• Position for passive visibility like left/right sidebars
• Slowly grow multi-monitor/mobile integrations over time
• Use bots to auto-moderate busy channels
• Temporarily dock or minimize during intense gaming
• Stay responsive! Even one viewer deserves conversation

Chatting with your Twitch community may feel awkward at first. But nothing beats the rush of that first loyal fan who comes back stream after stream.

Nail your Twitch chat setup early on, and you‘ll be well positioned for growth and engagement.

The Future of Twitch Chat Innovation

Twitch chat has come a long way from the Wild West early Justin.tv days. But what does the future hold for further enhancing streamer-viewer chat interaction?

Even in 2022, Twitch has yet to release an official standalone chat client – forcing the pop out workaround. This remains a hugely requested feature among streamers.

Twitch is investing heavily in speech-to-text transcription features to improve chat accessibility and moderation. Integrating transcription into pop out chat could be game-changing.

StreamElements recently discussed a [concept for floating always-on-top chat bubbles](https://news.streamelements.com/ighthaven-floating-chat-for-single-monitor-streamers-ck2niowb700me3bs19osdd geographic.png) – similar to the HUD overlay idea covered earlier.

And chatbots like Nightbot continue to evolve new ways to help automate and enhance Twitch chat.

I‘m optimistic that Twitch recognizes chat limitations as a pain point worth solving. Expect ongoing incremental improvements until one day we hopefully get a true standalone chat client.

For now, mastering pop out chat puts you ahead of the curve and sets you up for future engagement success on Twitch.

Recap and Next Steps

Let‘s do a quick recap of what we covered:

• Why pop out Twitch chat improves monitoring and engagement

• How to easily pop out chat in just 4 steps

• Where to strategically position your new chat window

• Limitations with built-in pop out and possible workarounds

• Alternatives beyond just the native pop out option

• Tips to leverage chat pop out effectively based on my streaming experience

No matter your current stream size or goals, taking control of your Twitch chat is crucial. Don‘t settle for the neglected default sidebar experience.

Hopefully this guide gave you ideas and inspiration to level up your chat setup. Experiment with different configurations until you land on just the right formula.

Popping out Twitch chat is one of the easiest yet most impactful stream production tips I can offer new broadcasters. Give it a try on your next stream!

I expand on engagement strategies and other tips in my in-depth blogging guide for Twitch streamers. Check it out if you found this helpful.

Now it’s your turn. Pop out chat, say hi to your community, and start building genuine connections with fans. This is what streaming is all about.