The feature will allow viewers to rewind a stream by two minutes, Twitch told The Verge. Then they are able to scrub through the time as with any VOD. Plus, a picture-in-picture window will allow viewers to still watch live in addition to the rewind. The feature will be tested with about a quarter of viewers along with two other buttons. One is a Remind Me button to notify a viewer of a stream; the other allows viewers to watch a streamer’s channel trailer, if they have one. The news, shared on the UserVoice platform and Twitter, has been met with a mixed reaction by streamers. Of course, it means viewers can rewind and watch their favourite moments again - especially if a streamer does something particularly well or funny. Usually viewers rely on the clip function to rewind and rewatch. However, some streamers have raised concerns about their safety should they accidentally do something wrong or release personal information. The feature can be disabled by setting VODs to unpublished by default. However, VODs are the only way for viewers to watch a stream if they miss it live and are a key way for streamers to grow their audience. What’s more, while these features may be useful, marginalised streamers are still waiting for more tools to protect themselves from hate raids and boost discoverability, which they feel should be a priority.
