Return auto host to "live" view
Rollback the changes to auto-hosts that make them not appear in the "live" view of the channel page. It effectively removes all usefulness from auto-hosts by forcing users to seek out the creator being auto-hosted rather than seeing it by default.
We and many other creators have already seen how this negatively impacts our viewership and discoverability.
Auto-hosts have the potential to function as a community building tool that leads to a more supportive and less competitive environment. The recent change to auto-hosts completely destroys that potential.
Thanks for kicking off this conversation! Hoping we can provide a bit more context for why we decided to make this change. While manual hosts will still appear in the live view and channel carousel, we made the decision to have auto-hosts appear only in the channel carousel going forward.
As part of our ongoing research and development for the offline channel page, we conducted a number of experiments over the past year to pinpoint what was most effective in streamers using their channels to enable discovery of other streamers. This includes things like auto-hosts, manual hosts, and raids.
Auto-hosts in live view specifically were found to be confusing for new viewers, and did not result in viewers sticking around to watch the channel. We made this change to reflect viewer habits, and ultimately to prioritize manual hosts that see significantly improved discoverability.
We conducted another experiment to compare a personalized auto-host list versus the “random” order auto-host list which resulted in improved watch time on newly discovered channels, and even the ability for streamers to give more discoverability to more streamers. Because of this, we replaced the “random” setting with the new personalized setting. Now, when you select the personalized option, you can have a larger auto-host list without putting newer additions to the list at a disadvantage based on the default order.
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bishoukun commented
Autohost is a HUGE part of how streamers across the globe support one another! This is how we share and promote each other regardless of time zones or access to Twitch at any given moment. Removing it from the Directory is a devastating blow that will only serve to actively HARM creators. Removing the ability to browse current autohosted channels as you've done is a crippling blow to the community and completely nullifies the point and purpose of autohost.
"Auto-hosts in live view specifically were found to be confusing for new viewers, and did not result in viewers sticking around to watch the channel."
This is because they were MIXED with channels that were actually Live. You have a section for Hosted streams, so you're halfway there. Put it back, just in a more appropriate and less confusing location. With the hosted content no longer mixed with live channels, the confusion is effectively combated.
This was not handled well, y'all. There needed to be a lot more communication around this, especially because if there had been, we could have given you this suggestion - moving instead of removing autohost content - instead of having to come band together in support telling you y'all done goofed.
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DJRiiser commented
So, I would also like to add - Please return this to how it worked... I wanted to host channels automatically - and that is not happening now in the same way as I do a manual host... So - in effect, this is not autohost anymore.... =( Please revert this change...
Kind regards,
DJRiiser -
TheAlkaris commented
I noticed recently that Autohost no longer works to host channels or teams that you have setup on your channel, why would you disable this from working? What purpose does this serve when people want auto-host to broadcast other streamers when offline? Literally nobody asked for auto-host to be disabled across the platform entirely.
When I go offline I would expect auto-host to pick from the team or list of other streamers to auto-host from, instead what I find is that no channel gets auto-hosted now, so you're pretty much having to manual host channels now. This needs to be fixed, because auto-host only has one purpose, to host other channels automatically when offline.
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Stygian_Styx commented
You call this a conversation yet its already been declined and further voting not allowed.
You are ruining one of the best features on twitch. I might as well stream on Facebook, YouTube or Trovo now.
You have never cared what we have to say, Twitch has always done it the way its gonna do it and not care what people think like a rebellious kid.
If anyone really wants anything actually done about this, just google Jeff Bezos Public Business Email. Who knows, Maybe he will listen.
Might help to get Twitch on the same level as Amazon Customer Service/Support.
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ZoeBallz commented
People LIKE AUTO HOST as it was - Bring it back
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Ridgure commented
Please bring back autohost. It was a great way to showcase other channels on your offline page without having to manually host somene.
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BobaBinks commented
Auto host is not starting unless I start it manually
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Breon commented
Removing Auto Hosting for Twitch Teams seems pretty backwards. Why wouldn't I want to promote my team members
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MrNY2Cali commented
Twitch just say its because of ad revenue & advertiser ROI's, plus, less "streaming" means you don't have to pay for those bandwidth and transcoder resources.
If you were to actually poll affiliates/partners & then viewers separately, you will see that having AUTOhost be AUTO is the preferred habit for both streamers and viewers of channels that use it.
Really what should happen is any channel that is "Auto Hosting" should act like the channel that is being hosted. For example, if I'm on my channel and its hosting a friends channel then the video, extensions, title, tags, etc and chat should be that of the AutoHosted channel and that view should count as an average viewer similar to Embedded views that are on say charity site pages.
Yes, both solutions will have negative impacts in a few areas, but it would increase discoverability & would most definitely keep viewers watching more hours.
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SouleBreaker commented
Twitch being clueless again. Hurting small streamers and trying to pass it off as help.
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Copic__ commented
Hi! Please revert it, it was very useful for us, small channels!!!
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VelkenT commented
What if, instead, you made hosted views count to the hosted channel? or even go a step further, and have so host chat can interact with hosted channel by pressing a button that doesnt necessarily sends them to the hosted channel? Me and all my small creator friends have started to suffer huge view losses because of auto-host being killed.
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Akul44 commented
Previously I could see all the hosting and autohosting a channel I follow does inside the directory/following/hosts page. Nowadays I can only see the direct hosts so the number of channels promoted by that page has dwindled tenfold (20-50 -> 1-5). The page was very useful in finding new channels as the channels were "soft recommended" by the channels I follow. Please consider adding autohosts to the hosts page again or creating another tab for autohosts only.
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EDL666 commented
I think it being confusing to new people is completely BS, there's so many things that are confusing to new people on the platform AND the part that's confusing about the autohost is the same part that's confusing about the regular host, which is that someone checking out if you're live and it's not you BUT GUESS WHAT??? It says "hosting X" That's a garbage reason that makes no sense whatsoever, Twitch talk to us, what's the real reason, either that or don't PREVENT US FROM SAYING WE DON'T LIKE IT AND WANT IT BACK THE OTHER WAY
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PoisonFae commented
this is ridiculous. i have to manually host all my friends now. if you're moving where the auto-host is visible on my page, fine, but ACTUALLY make """AUTO""" host AUTOHOST again
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Mothergamer commented
You did research and testing and again did not communicate with any of us or show full transparency. Again, you neglect to openly communicate with any of the content creators about things like this that affect our communities. Don't say thank you for kicking off the conversation while you're refusing to have a conversation in the first place. You, Twitch tell us to hold you accountable and we have been doing that, but you always show the only thing you care about is your bottom line and that is truly disappointing.
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A2Rhombus commented
Your experiments were wrong, revert it
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TriHouse commented
Basically auto hosts won't have any effect on viewer count anymore. I had a group of underrated streamers on mine that could have really felt the impact of the few hard lurkers that always have my channel page open. Just making it even harder to support small streamers 👍
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actorpat commented
Twitch, I'm going to go on a limb and say literally -no one- asked for this. A negligible % at best.
Please go back to auto-hosts being on the live page of the channel. It was a wonderful way to support other streamers and friends at any time of day or night. Now I am unable to host many people because I'm not on during their streams (basically anyone in other time zones).
Very few people (if any) like and use the carousel.
These are the kind of questions that should be on streamer surveys.
Please and thank you.
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Paspinall commented
What a load of rubbish, its amazing how you do so much "research" yet no one ever gets asked anything, that was a feature many of us were using with purpose to suddenly have vanish, new users will always find everything confusing until they learn whatever it is, if you are going to stop "confusing" features we wouldnt have anything !