Twitch will continue to improve its mobile experience this year, with a new mobile app on the way.
CEO Dan Clancy shared an open letter today detailing the company's plans for 2024, including making the platform more mobile friendly, helping streamers make more money, and improvements to the Clip Editor for easier shares on social media.
Back at TwitchCon Paris last year, Twitch announced its Stories and Discovery Feed features would be added to the Twitch mobile app. Both of these will form the backbone of improvements coming this year.
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The redesigned mobile app will be the first major update since 2019 and will make the previously limited Discovery Feed available for all users as the main landing experience. The feed is scrollable and shows live streams and clips (with filters) with suggestions of content you may like. It will also be made simpler for stories to be created and shared on the app, with short-form video updates on the way and other requested features.
Further, it will be easier for viewers to purchase subscriptions, gift subs and Bits on mobile, while features like Hype Trains will be optimized for the platform.
Lastly, a Mobile Mod View will be rolled out later this year on iOS to make moderating streams easier when not on a desktop.
Other improvements to the platform include changes to the Clip Editor to make it easier for both streamers and viewers to make clips and share to social media, including a direct to Instagram export option.
Elsewhere the Stream Together feature will continue to be developed so streamers can join forces on a single stream, plus there will be new incentives to encourage viewers to support streamers financially with interactions.
Twitch will also be continuing to reduce harassment on the platform and update its enforcement system to ensure its community guidelines are adhered to with regards to suspensions at both ends of the severity spectrum.
“There's a lot to be excited about in 2024,” Clancy wrote. “We're focusing on the products, tools and programs to help you build your communities and make it more rewarding, fun, and safe. The list above includes just a portion of some of the things we are working on for 2024 and we look forward to sharing more over the course of the year.”
At TwitchCon last year, Eurogamer spoke with product VP Jeremy Forrester on the Discovery Feed and mobile-first approach.
“We want to use things like short form content and UX that people are familiar with in order to help streamers grow their live stream community. For us livestream will continue to be the heart of everything that Twitch does,” he said.
“Lots of streamers have to actively encourage their Twitch viewers to go follow them on other platforms so they can continue to communicate with them. We're going to provide a more rounded solution.
“But it's not a move for us to compete with Instagram on Stories, or compete with TikTok on short form videos. We want to help augment streamers' livestreams and help them engage with their communities.”
Back in January, Twitch expanded its Plus Program to allow more streamers to receive a higher revenue split.
TwitchCon EU will take place this year in Rotterdam, tickets available now.
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