During an active YouTube live stream or Premiere, open live chat, find the message, use its More menu and select Pin. The channel owner can pin one message at a time; a creator pin is separate from a viewer’s paid Super Chat.
You can do this from desktop chat or the YouTube mobile app. The pin gives one chosen message a fixed place below Super Chats in the chat feed, while a Super Chat is a purchase made by a viewer. Here is how to use each control and what to plan for when a channel runs continuously.
A creator pin is not a purchased Super Chat
A Super Chat starts with the viewer. They pay to send a highlighted message, and YouTube says how long it stays at the top of the live chat feed depends on the amount spent. It is a purchase feature with its own eligibility and availability rules.
A creator pin starts with the channel owner. The owner chooses an existing chat message—either their own or a viewer’s—and pins it so it remains visible in the designated pinned-message position. Pinning does not turn an ordinary message into a Super Chat, alter a Super Chat’s purchase amount, or require you to pin each paid message. These are separate actions with separate purposes.
| Viewer-purchased Super Chat | Creator-pinned message | |
|---|---|---|
| Who starts it | A viewer buys the feature for a message | The channel owner selects a chat message |
| What it does | Highlights the paid message in chat | Keeps one selected message pinned |
| Position | Super Chats appear above the creator-pinned message | Appears below Super Chats |
| How long or how many | Time at the top depends on the purchase amount | Only one creator pin can be active; another pin replaces it |
YouTube’s guidance on using Live Chat during a stream or Premiere documents the pin control, who can use it and where the pin appears. Its Super Chat and Super Stickers guidance explains the viewer-purchase feature. Keep that distinction clear when you announce a message: “pinned” means you selected it; it does not mean it was paid for.
The two treatments can appear in the same chat. A viewer might buy a Super Chat while you have a separate channel notice pinned below it. The pin does not interrupt the Super Chat’s treatment or move it into the creator-pin slot.
Open chat during a stream or Premiere
The pin option is part of live chat, so first open the chat attached to the active live stream or Premiere. On desktop, go to the watch page and locate the chat panel beside the video. If the panel is closed or hidden, open it from the watch-page controls. You need to be viewing the active event rather than a saved recording with ordinary comments.
On a phone or tablet, open the active stream in the YouTube app and bring up its live chat. The precise screen layout can vary with the app version and device, but the action begins in the chat feed: locate the message itself, then open its message menu. YouTube’s mobile pin instructions are documented in the same Live Chat Help page.
If there is no live chat, there is no message in that chat to pin. Chat can be unavailable because it is turned off or because the event has ended. Do not assume every stream, replay or account has identical controls. For a scheduled event, check the live chat while the Premiere or stream is actually active.
Before the event, decide what should occupy the pin slot: for example, a short note asking viewers to use the description for a playlist, a stream schedule, or an instruction on how to report a problem. Keep the text readable and relevant for people joining at any hour. If your audience includes viewers who have just arrived during a devotional or study loop, avoid relying on earlier chat messages to explain the pinned note.
Pin a message on desktop
On a computer, use the stream or Premiere’s chat panel. The names of menu items below follow YouTube’s documented workflow; screen arrangement may shift as YouTube updates its interface.
- Open the active stream or Premiere and display live chat.
- Find the message you want to keep visible. It can be your own chat message or a viewer’s message.
- Open the message’s More menu.
- Choose Pin and confirm if YouTube asks you to do so.
The selected message becomes the creator-pinned message. If another message was already pinned, the new choice takes its place; you cannot keep several creator pins active at once. Read the message carefully before selecting it, particularly if chat is moving quickly. A typo in a pinned schedule or contact instruction is more noticeable than a typo in a message that scrolls by.
If you use a notice that you have prepared in advance, send it to chat from the channel owner account, then pin that message. This can be useful for a repeating channel where viewers arrive at different times. Do not treat the pin as an automated announcement: the owner still has to select the message in the live chat when it is available.
For a stream operated from a computer that is not attended continuously, make a simple handover note for whoever has owner access. A moderator may help remove disruptive messages but cannot perform the pin action. If your channel is a radio-style playlist, the operating considerations in how to run a Rajasthani folk music radio station 24/7 on YouTube can help you think through continuous presentation separately from this chat control.
Pin a message on mobile
The YouTube app offers the pin action from the active stream’s live chat. On the phone used by the channel owner:
- Open the stream or Premiere in the YouTube app while it is live.
- Open live chat and find the message.
- Tap the message’s More menu.
- Tap Pin and confirm if prompted.
The selected message occupies the one creator-pinned slot, replacing any previous creator pin. The app’s visual layout can differ by device and version, so look for the menu attached to the message rather than a general settings menu. If you cannot see the control, check that you are signed in as the channel owner and are in the active chat.
A phone can be convenient for an owner who needs to make a quick change away from the streaming computer. It does not remove the need to check which account is signed in. If a shared phone is signed into a personal account rather than the channel owner account, the pin permission will not follow the moderator or device; it belongs to the channel role.
It is sensible to keep the pinned wording brief enough to read on a small screen. For instance, “Tonight’s full playlist is in the description” states one useful action, while a long series of instructions is harder to scan in the chat interface. The message remains a chat message, so use appropriate channel wording and do not put private contact details in it.
Who can pin, and how many messages
YouTube identifies the channel owner as the person who can pin or unpin a message. Moderators can perform other chat tasks, such as removing a message or placing a user in timeout, depending on their role, but YouTube’s pin instructions do not give moderators the ability to pin. If a moderator is the only person watching chat during a shift, they need a way to contact the owner for a pin change.
There is one creator-pinned message at a time. Pinning a different message replaces the current one. This is a slot for a single current notice, not a stack of messages that viewers can browse. If you want to communicate several details, put the essential point in the pinned message and direct viewers to a stable place such as the video description for the rest.
Super Chat eligibility is a separate question. YouTube says Super Chats and Super Stickers depend on creator and video eligibility, and certain video or chat settings can make them unavailable. Check the channel’s Earn area in YouTube Studio and the current Super Chat eligibility and availability guidance before planning around paid messages. A pin is not a workaround for those conditions.
For a 24/7 channel, document who holds owner access and who is only a moderator. This is an operational distinction, not a requirement to keep the owner watching every moment. If only moderators are on a shift, they can continue the moderation tasks available to them and request that the owner change the pinned notice when needed. The guidance on moderating live chat helps separate moderation actions from owner-only controls.
Where viewers see the pinned message
YouTube places creator-pinned messages below Super Chats in the live-chat feed. That is why a pinned message and a paid message can look like related forms of emphasis while still being distinct. The creator pin has its own position; it does not take over the Super Chat position above it.
Think of the pin as a way to keep one instruction in the chat’s visible hierarchy, not as a guarantee that every viewer will notice or read it. A viewer may join late, use a different device, or have chat closed. If the information matters to every viewer, repeat it in the video description or on-screen content as appropriate rather than relying on chat alone.
For a local news loop, a pinned correction or note about where to find a full update may help, but it should not replace checking the underlying video and description. For a bhajan or ambience channel, a brief note can point to a playlist or explain a planned change. Avoid suggesting that a pinned message changes the live video, its archive, or its monetisation state; it is a chat display choice.
On a long-running stream, replay behaviour is a separate concern from pinning. YouTube’s archive guidance says streams longer than twelve hours may not be captured, and its DVR guidance warns rewind may be limited or unavailable for streams longer than twelve hours. Those limits concern replay and DVR, not the pin control itself. If a complete replay matters, consult the current archive guidance and DVR guidance, and do not promise a full recording of a continuous broadcast.
Unpin or replace the message
To remove a pin without choosing another message, open More on the pinned message and select Unpin. If you want a different notice instead, pin the replacement message; the one-slot limit means the previous creator pin is replaced. You can choose between these approaches based on whether viewers still need the current instruction.
A useful routine is to check the pinned wording at the start of an owner’s shift and after a planned change to the stream. If a temporary notice has expired, unpin it or replace it so that new viewers do not act on stale information. For a continuous channel, record the intended current notice in the handover notes rather than expecting the next operator to infer it from old chat.
If the pin option is missing, first verify the event is live and that you are in its chat, then check that the signed-in account is the channel owner. If chat itself is disabled, a message cannot be selected from it. Do not troubleshoot the video encoder first: the pin action is a chat permission and interface matter, separate from playback or stream transmission.
The same separation helps when a channel runs from a looping file or a cloud playout workflow. For example, the cloud radio playout guide concerns how a programme reaches YouTube; it does not grant chat permissions. If your practical problem is instead keeping the programme itself running, the long MP4 looping checklist covers a different part of the operation.
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FAQ
Can a moderator pin a Super Chat?
No. YouTube’s pin instructions identify the channel owner as able to pin or unpin; moderators can help with other chat moderation tasks but cannot pin. The viewer’s Super Chat remains a paid message whether or not the owner pins a separate message.
Does pinning make an ordinary message a Super Chat?
No. A pin is the owner’s selection of one chat message for the pinned position, while a Super Chat is a viewer purchase that highlights their message. The pin does not create a purchase or change its amount.
Can I leave several creator-pinned messages in chat?
No. YouTube allows one creator-pinned message at a time. Pin a replacement to change the current notice, or use Unpin to remove it without replacing it.
Does a 24/7 stream’s pin disappear after twelve hours?
YouTube’s reviewed guidance does not say that the pin control stops working after twelve hours. Its twelve-hour archive and DVR cautions concern whether a long stream is captured or can be rewound, so check those separately and do not promise a complete replay.