How to Fix Failed to Retrieve Stream Key on Twitch

Want to know how you can fix the failed to retrieve stream key error on Twitch?

Twitch is primarily a live streaming platform owned by Amazon. It’s known for gaming content and online talk shows that discuss various topics like films, comics, anime, and more.

If you’re looking to jump-start your streaming career, Twitch is one of the platforms to consider. 

Although Twitch is a pretty stable platform, it doesn’t mean that you won’t encounter issues while using it. 

Setting up your stream on Twitch can be confusing, especially for new users. 

Besides the tedious process, you can also encounter issues along the way, which ruins your first-time experience. 

One issue that you might face on Twitch is the ‘failed to retrieve stream key’ error. This problem occurs while setting up your stream, which indicates that Twitch can’t detect the stream coming from your recording tools like OBS or Streamlabs. 

To help out, we’ve decided to make a guide for fixing the failed to retrieve stream key error on Twitch. 

Let’s begin!

1. Check Twitch Servers. 

Before starting your stream or changing your configurations, we recommend checking Twitch’s servers first. If there’s an ongoing issue on the platform, you might encounter errors while setting up your stream. 

To confirm this, visit Twitch’s status page and see if the servers are online. 

If not, the only thing you can do is wait. Unfortunately, server-related problems can’t be resolved on your end. 

On the other hand, you can follow the solutions below if Twitch’s servers are up and running. 

2. Restart Your System. 

A bug or glitch may have occurred on your system or streaming tool, which causes Twitch not to detect your stream. Try restarting your system to reload its resources and eliminate temporary errors that may have occurred during use. 

Here’s how you can restart your computer: 

1. First, open the Start Menu on your Taskbar. 
2. Next, go to the Power Options tab. 
3. Choose Restart afterward and wait for your system to reboot. 

Set up your stream again and see if the failed to retrieve stream key error still occurs on Twitch. 

3. Allow Your Stream Tool on Windows Firewall. 

Windows Defender Firewall might be blocking your streaming software from accessing the internet, which prevents it from sending the stream to Twitch. To fix this, ensure that your streaming tool is allowed through your firewall. 

Check the guide below to change your firewall settings: 

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows key to open the Start Menu. 
2. Now, look for ‘Allow an App Through Windows Firewall’ and click Open. 
3. Finally, look for your streaming software and ensure that it can access your Private and Public Networks. 

Go back to Twitch afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

4. Try Another Browser. 

Your current web browser might be experiencing technical issues at the moment, which causes websites to malfunction. It’s also possible that your browser is not optimized for Twitch. If this is the case, we suggest trying other browsers to check if the same error occurs. 

We recommend using popular browsers like Firefox, Chrome, and Opera when streaming on Twitch. 

5. Enable Two-Factor Verification on Twitch. 

For unknown reasons, the failed to retrieve stream key error on Twitch goes away after setting up two-factor authentication on your account. 

If you still can’t start your stream, try doing the following: 

1. First, open your Twitch account using any web browser. 
2. After that, go to your Profile and access the Settings. 
3. Now, go to the Security and Privacy tab. 
4. Under the Security tab, click on ‘Set Up Two Factor Authentication’. 
5. Lastly, follow the on-screen prompts to enable two-factor authentication on your Twitch account. 

Once done, restart your stream to check if the problem is solved.

6. Check Your Network Connection. 

A stable internet connection is required to stream content on Twitch. If you keep on getting an error message while setting up your stream, it may indicate an issue with your network connection. 

To confirm this, run a test using Fast.com to measure your network’s upload and download bandwidth. 

If the test result shows that your network is slow or unstable, restart your modem or router to re-establish the connection with your provider’s servers. Disconnect the power cable of your router and wait for 5 to 10 seconds before plugging it back in. 

Once done, perform another test to check if the restart worked. If you continue to encounter network-related issues, contact your ISP and ask them to fix their service. 

7. Reinstall Your Stream Software. 

You can also try reinstalling your streaming software, such as OBS Studio and Streamlabs, if you keep getting the failed to retrieve stream key error on Twitch. Your streaming tool might not be installed correctly, which explains the issue. 

Here’s how you can delete programs on Windows: 

1. On your computer, go to the Control Panel and click on Uninstall a Program. 
2. Now, look for your streaming software. 
3. Finally, right-click on it and choose Uninstall. 

Reinstall the software afterward and check if the problem is solved. 

8. Contact Twitch. 

At this point, we suggest that you let the professionals handle the situation if none of the solutions above worked. 

Go to Twitch’s Support page and get in touch with their team to ask for assistance in setting up your stream. Provide your account details, the software you’re using, and other necessary information to speed up the process. 

That ends our guide for fixing the failed to retrieve stream key error on Twitch. For your questions and other concerns, please leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to help. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂