Overlays appear in the video your viewers receive. Open Settings > Overlays > Overlay editor in Roam Live to add them. Choose an option below for the steps.
Chat for viewers
Roam Chat shows Twitch messages, badges and emotes in your stream. Choose the appearance, then copy one link into Roam Live. No Twitch login is needed. Other compatible chat overlays work too.
- Open chat.roamlive.app. Under Twitch channel, enter your channel name or Twitch channel link and press Connect.
- Keep the default appearance or change options such as Text size, Message spacing and Background. Use the Sample preview to try the appearance without waiting for messages.
- Press Copy overlay URL.
- In Roam Live, open Settings > Overlays > Overlay editor. Choose Web, confirm Add web overlay if prompted, and paste the copied link into URL.
- Set Width and Height for the space chat should use. Move it with Position X and Y, then tap Save. Messages wrap within the area you choose.
- Return to the camera screen and send a new message in your Twitch chat. Check its position, then check the result in your stream.
Messages appear as they arrive after connecting. Earlier messages are not replayed. The overlay editor shows a placeholder; check the actual chat on the camera screen after saving.
Change the font size on Roam Chat. Roam Live's Width and Height change the space available to the webpage. If you change settings on Roam Chat later, copy the updated overlay URL and replace the old URL in Roam Live.
Adding chat to OBS at home
Copy the same Roam Chat overlay URL. In OBS, choose Sources > + > Browser, paste it into URL, and set the browser source's Width and Height. Position it in your scene. Add chat in one place to avoid showing it twice.
See the home OBS guide if you want your computer to compose the final broadcast.
Time, date and other live text
Roam can replace special text such as {time} with its current value. Combine it with your own wording, and it updates automatically. These use Roam's built-in text overlay, with no webpage to load.
- Open Settings > Overlays > Overlay editor and choose Text.
- Enter your wording in the Text field. Use Insert live value or copy a value below, keeping the curly brackets.
- Choose the text size, colour and position, then tap Save.
The examples below are illustrations. The editor uses sample live values; return to the camera screen after saving to check the current values. Copy the tags exactly as shown, including lowercase letters and brackets. Units such as % and km/h are included automatically. Time and date use your phone's language and regional format. A value that is not available appears as a dash (-).
| Copy into Text | What it shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
{time} | Current time on the phone. | 14:30 |
{date} | Current date. | 25 Sep 2026 |
{day} | Day of the week. | Friday |
{battery} | The streaming phone's battery level. | 77% |
{bitrate} | Current outgoing bitrate while streaming. | 2500 kbps |
{stream_time} | Elapsed stream time. Hours appear for longer streams. | 12:34 or 1:12:34 |
{compass} | The phone's compass direction in degrees. Uses the phone's sensors while active, adding some power use. Availability depends on the phone. | 90° |
City, speed and other location values
These values work in a normal Text layer. Type or paste them into its Text field; they are not listed under Insert live value.
Show your city
- Open Settings > Overlays > Overlay editor and choose Text.
- Enter
Location: {city}in the Text field. - Choose a text size, colour and position, then tap Save. Read the location notice and allow location access when Android asks. Make sure the phone's Location setting is on.
- Return to the camera screen and allow time for a location fix and city lookup. Check the name before using it in your stream.
Approximate location may be enough for a city name. Speed, altitude and direction of travel may need precise location. City lookup depends on the phone's place-name service and may need internet access; some devices cannot return a city name. Looking up the name may send your coordinates to that service.
| Copy into Text | What it shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
{city} | City name, or a wider area if a city name is unavailable. | London |
{speed} | Speed in kilometres per hour. | 5 km/h |
{speed_mph} | Speed in miles per hour. | 3 mph |
{altitude} | Altitude reported by the phone, in metres. | 85 m |
{lat} | Latitude, to five decimal places. | 51.50740 |
{lng} | Longitude, to five decimal places. | -0.12780 |
{heading} | Direction of travel in degrees, when reported by the location service. This is different from the phone's compass direction. | 180° |
Location values share information with your viewers. City shows a general area; latitude and longitude can reveal a precise position. Choose only the values you want to broadcast.
Location shows a dash or the wrong area
- Check that Android's Location setting is on and Roam has location permission.
- Give the phone time to find its position. Moving outdoors can help with a GPS fix.
- For city names, check internet access. A dash can also mean the phone's city-lookup service is unavailable.
- Speed, altitude and heading only appear when the location service supplies them. Values may be inaccurate, especially indoors or with poor reception.
- City names are not street addresses and may describe the wider area. If automatic lookup is unsuitable, use a place name you type yourself in a Text layer.
Your own text and images
Use Text for a name, activity, social handle or a number you update yourself. A plain number stays as you entered it until you edit and save it.
Choose Image in the overlay editor to select a logo, frame or graphic from your phone. A PNG with a transparent background works well when you want the camera to show around it. Set its size and position, then save.
The built-in Roam watermark is also a layer. You can show, hide or reposition it in the editor.
Each item is a separate layer. Select it to edit, use the up and down arrows to change which layer is in front, and use its checkbox to show or hide it. Save to apply your changes. The main-screen Layers control can also change saved layers' visibility.
Other web overlays
You can add a compatible overlay from another service using its complete HTTPS overlay URL. In the editor, choose Web, paste the address into URL, set Width, Height and Position X/Y, then save. Use the service's overlay link rather than its settings or dashboard page.
For an overlay supplied as files, choose Import HTML or ZIP instead of entering a URL. Only import files from a source you trust.
Web overlays show a placeholder in the editor. Check the saved result on the camera screen and in your received stream. Their sound may play on the phone, but Roam does not directly mix webpage audio into the broadcast. If you use OBS at home, configure overlay audio there.
For a full reference to the editor controls, see the overlay editor guide.