To show TikTok LIVE chat on your stream, add a chat overlay to your scene. TikTok LIVE Studio has a built-in chatbox source for this. For more control over what shows and how it looks, use BetterTok's Live Feed: open Feeds / OBS Docks in the Overlays menu, choose Live Feed, pick what it shows, and paste its link into a Link source or a Browser source.
What you need
- TikTok LIVE Studio or OBS on a computer
- For the Live Feed: the BetterTok Creator plan with your TikTok username connected
Showing chat to viewers, or only to you
Viewers in the TikTok app can already read comments. Chat on your video matters when people see it somewhere else: TikTok notes that a chatbox source gives context to highlight videos and helps viewers see which messages you responded to. It also lets you frame the chat as part of your layout.
If you only need to read chat yourself, you do not need an overlay on stream at all. See the section on reading chat below.
Add the Live Feed
Open Feeds / OBS Docks
Open Overlays in the sidebar and choose Feeds / OBS Docks, then choose Live Feed. It is one live list of chat, gifts with their artwork and value, follows, shares and subs.
Pick what shows
Under Events in this feed, choose from Comments, Gifts, Follows, Shares, Subs, Likes and VIP joins. For a chat-only feed, keep Comments and leave out the rest. Max messages and Auto-hide after control how long the list gets.
Pick a theme
Choose a theme from the list. Every Live Feed theme is on the Creator plan.
Copy the link and add it
Press Copy live link, or Copy link on the Live Feed card under Feeds / OBS Docks. In LIVE Studio, click Add source, pick Link and paste it. In OBS, add a Browser source. Then size and drag the source to where you want the feed.
Move it out of TikTok's way
Turn on Safe zone above the preview to see where TikTok's own buttons and comments cover your video, and keep the feed out of those areas.
Check it is connected
The chip on the preview changes from Not connected to TikTok LIVE Studio or OBS to Connected once the link is open. Messages start to appear when your LIVE does.
Reading chat yourself while you stream
- In OBS, use BetterTok's OBS Dock: the same live activity as a panel inside OBS, docked next to your controls, for your eyes and not on stream. It is the other card under Feeds / OBS Docks.
- In LIVE Studio, TikTok's chat panel can float as a window you drag beside your game, so you can keep an eye on it while you play.
Make the chat do something
Once chat is flowing, it can do more than scroll. Text to speech reads it aloud, a chat keyword can spin a wheel, and the chatbot answers commands in your chat.
Frequently asked questions
Can viewers already see chat on a TikTok LIVE?
Yes, in the TikTok app. A chat overlay adds it to the video itself, which helps in clips and highlights, and when your layout is built around it.
Can I read TikTok LIVE chat without showing it on stream?
Yes. BetterTok's OBS Dock shows your live activity as a panel inside OBS that viewers never see, and LIVE Studio's chat panel can float beside your game.
Can a chat overlay show gifts as well?
Yes. BetterTok's Live Feed can show chat, gifts with their artwork and value, follows, shares and subs in one list, and you pick which of them appear.
Which chat overlay theme is free?
None. The Live Feed is part of the Creator plan ($9.99 a month). LIVE Studio's built-in chatbox is free, and so is BetterTok's OBS Dock, which only you see.
Can I show chat on my video if I go LIVE from my phone?
Not with an overlay. Overlays are drawn by streaming software on a computer, so you need TikTok LIVE Studio or OBS.