How To IP Ban Someone In Twitch

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While Twitch can be a wholesome and funny streaming platform, there are times when users take things too far. Harassment and bullying are quite common, which led to the platform enacting measures against trolls. The best method to prevent trolling or toxicity is through an IP ban.

If you’ve experienced harassment on Twitch and have had enough, you can find the methods of IP banning someone here. Read on to find all the details you’ll need.

Can You IP Ban Someone in Twitch?

Yes. Since 2020, Twitch has implemented IP bans for streamers and their moderators. Once you report someone, the report will go through Twitch’s moderation team, which reviews it. Once they decide to ban a Twitch user, they also ban anyone attempting to create an account from the IP address.

Thus, IP banning is the default option for streamers to fight harassment. All offenders are IP banned with no exceptions.

IP Banning on PC

If you’re a streamer and someone comes along with troll guns blazing, chances are you’re streaming from a PC, the most common platform used on the site. So, let’s start with the PC steps.

Here’s how to IP ban someone on Twitch for PC:

1. When broadcasting or watching a stream, click on a username in chat.
   
2. Click on the three dots that appear in the user’s menu.
   
3. Select “Report (insert username here).”
   
4. Pick the proper categories and give as many details as possible.

The above steps are for people in chat. If someone whispers to you, it’s also possible to report them and have them IP banned.

1. On Twitch, go to the “Whisper” window.
   
2. Look for the offending whisperer.
3. Click on the cog icon of the chatbox.
   
4. Select the option to report the user.
   
5. Choose the proper categories.
   
6. Give any critical information in the “Tell Us More” field.
   

If you’re the streamer or a mod, you can also type “/ban” before a username to permanently ban them from the chat. This ban is reversible by the stream administration.

Streamers can also enable the Unban Request function. If a banned person returns to the channel, they’ll find this option where the chat is supposed to be. They can use this function to try and convince the streamer to unban them.

IP Banning on Mobile Devices

Thankfully, you don’t need to be on a computer to report a Twitch troll. It’s just as easy to IP ban someone on mobile. To report someone in the chat, follow these steps:

1. In the chat, tap on the troll’s username.
   
2. Select “Report” from the menu that appears.
   
3. Pick the right report reason.
   
4. Give a clear basis in the description field.
   
5. Send the report.
   
6. You’ll get a confirmation notification once your report has been sent.

Trolls will also sometimes harass a streamer’s audience. They don’t have limits and won’t stop unless you report them. Here’s how to deal with malicious whispers.

1. Go to the “Whisper” section.
   
2. On the top-right corner of the Whisper menu, click the cog icon.
   
3. Pick “Report” from the options.
   
4. Select the appropriate reason for reporting this user.
   

You can also ban someone by using the “/ban” command on mobile devices. The steps are similar to the section above. All you need to do is type the command and the username to ban.

How to Ensure Your Reports Are Accepted

Unless you provide a compelling reason, the Twitch moderation team won’t believe it’s a real call for help. That’s why you should always offer them as much information as possible. By doing so, you increase the likelihood of getting a troll banned.

• Give the date, time, and description of the violation

Giving all of this information will help the moderation team track down the precise moment the user broke Twitch’s Terms of Service. You should also include the streamer’s timezone to ensure extra precision.

• List where the violation occurred and to whom it was directed

It would help to write down the offender’s username, the target’s username, and what rule the troll broke. It is also helpful to include the channel on which the harasser did their dirty work. In the case of Whispers, explain that you received malicious messages from a user.

• Concrete proof

Sending VOD timestamps is a great time-saving way to provide proof. A screenshot of the chat log or message is also very helpful. If not, copying a chat log is acceptable, especially for Whispers.

• Game names

If you find a Twitch streamer cheating or playing prohibited games, you should include the title and possible infractions, such as using aimbot.

What Happens After Reporting a Twitch User

After you file a report, you’ll receive an email from Twitch confirming that the complaint was received. Should the user get IP banned for the reason you stated, you’ll get a further email. That email will inform you that Twitch has found your report valid and taken action.

Sadly, you won’t receive emails if the following happens:

• Twitch didn’t take any action
• Twitch banned the user but not for the reason you provided
• Criminal activity occurred

Moderation in the Past

The reason you can get trolls and harassers IP banned today is because of how easily they could come back. In the past, bans only affected the email address tied to the Twitch account. However, a troll or bot could come back after creating a throwaway account.

Mass-banning an army of trolls for hours straight sounds like a bad idea to us, and high-profile streamers were practically driven insane. A skilled Twitch raider can easily generate thousands of bots to spam messages in chat in minutes, and it would be impossible to hold them back.

Bots aside, trolls and haters can also make throwaway accounts to circumvent bans. Thus, Twitch revised its ban system and implemented IP bans.

One side effect is that if you get IP banned, everyone using your network will also get banned unless they use their own internet. You may be banning other potential or existing viewers if you ban a specific IP address.

Additional FAQs

Does a VPN Bypass IP Bans?

The answer can vary between VPNs, as some assign static IP addresses to clients. You’ll get the VPN provider’s address banned, which may not be a good idea.

No More Bullying

While it’s impossible to stop trolls and harassers completely, Twitch has been steadily improving conditions for streamers. Bots have been deleted en masse, and you can IP ban someone pretty quickly.

Have you seen someone get IP banned? What else do you think Twitch can do? Let us know in the comments section.