Try the demo
This is the real control page, running on made-up data. Nothing is connected and nothing you type is saved or sent. Switch inputs, flip destinations on and off, and press Simulate: phone loses signal to watch the automatic backup take over. The preview also shows picture-in-picture and an overlay, and you can pretend to link the remote.
What it does
Many inputs, one stream
Phones, action cameras and OBS can all stream in. You pick which one is on air with a click, from any device.
Out to every platform
One encoder, then Twitch, YouTube, Kick, Facebook and any other RTMP service get a copy, so extra destinations cost almost nothing.
Survives signal drops
If your phone loses signal, viewers see a Be-right-back screen instead of a dead stream, and it returns by itself.
Automatic backup
Fall back to another camera when the main one drops or gets too slow, then switch back once it's healthy again.
Starting-soon and BRB screens
Your own words, your newest Twitch clips playing on the BRB screen, or a cwtch.es overlay such as a countdown.
Steer it from chat
Your mods can switch scenes with !brb, !back and !switch right from Twitch chat.
Live preview and stats
Watch any input before you go to it, and see bitrate graphs, drops and how long each destination has been live.
Safe starting
It checks every destination can be reached before the program starts, so you don't discover a typo mid-walk.
A different picture per destination
Send your gaming PC to one platform and your phone to another, each as its own copy, while the main program carries on as normal.
Picture-in-picture and overlays
Put a second camera in the corner of what's on air, or lay a cwtch.es countdown, goal bar or alert box over the video itself, so every destination gets it.
Crew sharing
Live with friends or stream as a group? Send one of your cameras to a friend's relay and add theirs to yours, so anyone can put anyone's camera on air. Each friend gets their own invite you can cancel, only inputs are shared (never your stream keys), and a friend's feed shows as online using next to no bandwidth until you use it. Both of you need Pro.
Control it from anywhere
A big-button page for your phone, and a cwtch.es remote that needs no ports opened at home: your relay checks in by itself and picks up what you press.
No router changes needed
Behind a shared internet connection (CG-NAT), or just don't want to open ports? Connect Tailscale or WireGuard from the settings page. Sign in or paste your config and your phone reaches your relay from anywhere.
Real OBS inside (optional)
On a stronger computer, run OBS Studio inside the relay. Your phone feeds it, you switch scenes from the control page or edit them in your browser, and the relay keeps the Be-right-back protection in front of Twitch and Kick.
Two-step login
Protect the control page and phone remote with a 6-digit code from an authenticator app, with recovery codes in case you lose your phone.
Let it run itself
Start when your phone connects, stop when nothing has for a while, and get a message in your own Discord channel when you go live, drop out or switch.
How it works
- Run it at home. IRL Relay is a small Docker app for a computer, NAS or server you own (an Unraid box, a Raspberry Pi-class machine or any Linux machine).
- Point your devices at it. Phones and cameras send to its address with the apps you already use; OBS works too.
- Add your destinations. Paste your Twitch, YouTube or Kick stream keys once and switch them on.
- Go live from anywhere. Control it from your phone's browser while you're out, and let it cover the dropouts.
Questions
When will it be released?
IRL Relay is released on 1 January 2027. If you'd like to try it before then, request early access above. It's built and being tested, and early access is how we find the rough edges.
How does early access work?
You request access with your email address and we approve requests by hand. If you're approved we email you a Pro key and where to download the app. The key is shared between everyone in early access, so please keep it and the download link to yourself. It gives you all of Pro, but it only works until 31 December 2026. After that IRL Relay goes back to the Free plan unless you choose a Pro plan, which opens at the release on 1 January 2027. Nothing you've set up is deleted either way.
What will it cost?
There's a Free plan for the basics (the demo's "View as" button shows the split as it stands today). Pro has the same features whichever way you pay: £4.99 a month or £49.99 a year (that's two months free). You can also get a free Pro key by subscribing to CwtchesGames on Twitch (Prime subs count too). Prices aren't final until the release, and people who have requested early access will hear first.
Do I need my own server?
Yes, this one is self-hosted: it runs in Docker on a machine you own. You either open a few ports on your router, or skip that and connect Tailscale or WireGuard from the settings page. A full setup guide comes with it.
My internet provider won't let me open ports. Can I still use it?
Yes. If your provider shares one address between many customers (CG-NAT), port forwarding can't work. IRL Relay can join your own Tailscale account from its settings page: you open a sign-in link once, install Tailscale on your phone, and the two can always reach each other. WireGuard is supported too, if you already run your own VPN.
Can it run OBS?
Optionally. There's a second, bigger version of the app with OBS Studio inside. It needs a stronger computer (plan on 4 or more processor cores for 720p30, because there's no graphics card inside the container), so smaller boxes should use the normal version. You switch OBS's scenes from the control page and can open the full OBS window in your browser to edit them. This OBS has no Browser Source, so a cwtch.es overlay is added with the relay's own overlay setting instead.
Is the demo using my camera or sending anything?
No. The demo is a self-contained page with made-up inputs and pictures. It never contacts a server and doesn't use a camera or microphone.
What do you do with my email address?
It's used to reply to your early access request (the key and download link if you're approved) and to tell you when IRL Relay is released. We don't share it, and you can ask for it to be deleted at any time through Get in Touch.