What is latency, and why low latency matters
You want chat to feel like a conversation, not a delayed broadcast. That comes down to latency: the delay between something happening in front of you and your viewers seeing it. Here is what it means, why keeping it low keeps your stream feeling live, and how to set it in Super Simple IRL.
What latency means
Latency is the delay between something happening in front of you and your viewers seeing it on their screens. It is sometimes called glass to glass, the time it takes to travel from your camera lens to the glass of a viewer’s display.
Low latency means a small delay, so what you do reaches your audience quickly. High latency means a longer wait before they catch up with the moment.
Why low latency matters for IRL
For IRL streaming, latency is what makes chat feel live. With low latency, you can read a comment and react to it in near real time, so the stream feels like a conversation rather than a broadcast.
When the delay is high, that back-and-forth gets awkward. You answer a question, but your viewers asked it many seconds ago, and by the time they see your reply the moment has passed. Keeping latency low keeps you and your chat in sync.
The latency tradeoff
SRT (Secure Reliable Transport, the method your phone uses to send the stream) lets you set a latency window. That is a small buffer, a brief head start that gives your connection time to re-send any bits of the stream that went missing before they are needed. That buffer is where the tradeoff lives.
- A bigger window is more resilient on shaky networks, because there is more time to resend anything that goes missing, but it adds delay.
- A tiny window feels instant, but it drops more easily on mobile, because there is barely any room to re-send a bit that went missing.
There is no single right answer. It is a balance between staying stable and staying responsive.
Setting SRT latency in the app
In Super Simple IRL you can set the SRT latency to suit your connection. On mobile data, somewhere around 2 to 4 seconds is a good balance of resilience and responsiveness.
Raise it if your connection is rough, so it has more room to recover. Lower it if your connection is rock solid, so chat stays as live as possible.
Frequently asked questions
What is stream latency?
Latency is the delay between something happening in front of your camera and your viewers seeing it on their screens. It is sometimes called glass to glass. Low latency means a small delay.
Why does low latency matter for IRL?
Low latency lets you read chat and react in near real time, so the stream feels like a conversation. When the delay is high, back-and-forth with viewers gets awkward and slow.
What SRT latency should I use?
On mobile data, somewhere around 2 to 4 seconds is a good balance of resilience and responsiveness. Raise it if your connection is rough, and lower it if it is rock solid.
Does lower latency mean more drops?
It can. A smaller latency window feels instant but gives your connection less time to re-send lost bits of the stream, so it drops more easily on shaky mobile networks. It is a balance.