Anonymous chat limits
What HowlBox can and cannot show through its read-only anonymous Twitch IRC connection.
HowlBox reads Twitch chat anonymously. That keeps setup simple and removes account credentials, but it also sets the limits of the overlay.
- It cannot send messages, timeouts, or bans.
- It cannot read the moderator queue, AutoMod holds, or the contents of deleted messages.
- It cannot show follower alerts. Follows arrive through EventSub, which requires an authenticated app. Subs, gifts, raids, cheers, first messages, and announcements are available through anonymous chat.
- It cannot show chat history from before the browser source connected.
- It cannot show whispers or messages from a channel it has not joined.
These features require an authenticated backend and an OAuth app. The configurator and overlay do not ask for Twitch credentials.