Overlays in the Streamlabs Mobile App are added and arranged in a scene editor. You can apply a premade theme to a scene or build the layout from individual elements, then review how it sits in the editor’s landscape view before saving.
The important caution is that applying a theme may change the selected scene’s layout. Treat it as a new starting point rather than an overlay that is guaranteed to preserve your existing arrangement; inspect and adjust the scene before using it live.
Open the scene editor
Open the Streamlabs Mobile app menu and choose Scenes. Select an existing scene to edit, or create a new one if you want to keep the current layout untouched while you experiment. A separate test scene is useful when you already have a working arrangement: you can compare the result without first having to rebuild it if a theme changes the original.
When creating a scene, name it so you can identify its purpose later, such as “Evening bhajan” or “Study stream”. Depending on the creation flow shown in your app, you may be offered a premade scene or a custom scene. A premade scene gives you a starting arrangement; a custom scene is the more direct route when you want to choose the layers yourself.
Tap the scene you mean to edit and enter its editor. The exact menu labels and prompts can change between app versions, so follow the current in-app wording if it differs. Streamlabs’ scene editor instructions describe the Layers and Add Layers workflow and the editor’s landscape positioning.
A scene is the composition used for a particular stream view. It can contain a camera view, widgets, graphics, custom images or text, and other sources available in your app. Thinking of the scene as a layout helps: the video or camera is the background, while each overlay element occupies its own layer above or alongside it.
If you are deciding what the visual layout needs to communicate, start with the viewer’s task. A devotional stream might need a readable title and a restrained channel mark, while a study stream may need a timer or now-playing label. For a long-running YouTube broadcast, the underlying content and its continuity matter as much as the decoration; see this guide to making a 24/7 lofi stream with a Hindi study playlist for a different kind of always-on setup.
Choose a theme or individual elements
There are two useful routes. A theme applies a coordinated set of visual elements to a selected scene, while the Layers menu lets you add only the components you want. You do not have to use one route exclusively: a theme can provide a frame or visual style, and you can still add or adjust individual elements where the app allows it.
To browse themes, open the app menu and choose Themes. Select a theme from the library, then choose which scene should use it. Review any preview shown, and if the flow offers an alert preview or test, use it to check what an alert looks and sounds like before going live. Continue through the prompts and choose Apply only after you have checked the selected scene.
A mobile theme may include a border around the screen together with matching widgets, such as an alert box and chat widget. Themed widgets have the theme’s styling; ordinary widgets added separately may not match it automatically. Streamlabs’ mobile overlay theme guide explains the theme approach. Access to particular themes can vary; check the library in your current app rather than assuming a theme is available to every account.
The key trade-off is speed versus control. A theme can give you a coherent starting point without individually styling every piece, but it may replace or rearrange parts of the selected scene. Individual layers take more setup, yet make it easier to keep the composition simple and add only what is useful. If you already have a scene with carefully positioned elements, duplicate or create a separate scene before trying a theme where that option is available.
You can assign different themes to different scenes, according to Streamlabs’ mobile live streaming guide. That can be practical if you use one scene for a face-to-camera introduction and another for a music or study view. It also means you should confirm which scene is selected before applying a theme: selecting the wrong one can leave you adjusting the wrong layout.
Add layers to the scene
For a custom arrangement, open the scene editor, choose Layers, and then choose Add Layers. The available choices depend on the app and device. Streamlabs lists options including themes, guests, cameras, widgets, Streamlabs graphics, custom items and stream labels; screen sharing is listed for iOS. Check your own app’s menu instead of assuming every source is available on every device.
Choose an element that has a clear job in the scene. A camera layer provides a camera view; a widget can show chat or alerts; a graphic can add a frame or logo. Custom items can include an image from your phone, a website link or custom text. A label may be useful for a short title or status, but long text is harder to read when it is scaled down on a phone screen.
Add elements one at a time and check the composition after each addition. This makes it easier to identify which layer caused a collision or covered something important. If you add a chat box, for example, verify that it does not obscure the main camera or the part of the screen where captions or other content appear. A decorative border should frame the content rather than consume the space it needs.
Keep the layer list in mind as well as the visible layout. Layers are separate elements, so their ordering can affect which one appears in front when they overlap. If a graphic hides a widget, changing the order or moving one of them may solve the problem; adding another copy is unlikely to help. The editor’s layer controls are the place to inspect those components when the preview does not look as expected.
Before adding a custom image, check that it is legible at the size you plan to use. Fine detail that looks clear in a phone gallery can disappear when placed over a live scene. A simple logo or short label usually needs less space than a full promotional graphic. On a long-running channel, avoid placing essential information so close to an edge that it becomes difficult to see in the final output.
Position and resize overlay elements
The editor lets you drag and resize elements to arrange the scene. Start with the most important content, such as the camera or main visual, and then position supporting items around it. If you are using an alert or chat widget, leave enough space for its contents to appear without covering the focal point.
Make deliberate adjustments rather than moving several items at once. Move one element, check whether it overlaps another, then resize only if needed. If text or a widget is too small, enlarging it may improve readability but can crowd the scene. If an overlay is large enough to dominate the stream, reduce it or use less content in that element.
A useful check is to imagine the scene at the size viewers will actually see it. A phone-screen preview can make a small label seem readable when it will be tiny in the stream. Keep titles short, give them contrast against the background and leave a clear margin around them. You do not need to fill every empty area; open space can make the main content easier to follow.
Think about the content behind a transparent or semi-transparent element. White text over a bright part of a video may disappear, while a solid panel can cover too much of the image. If a widget or label is hard to read, try moving it to a less busy area or changing its size and styling if those controls are available. Check the result against the actual scene rather than adjusting it in isolation.
A practical arrangement for a music stream might keep the main visual central, put a short channel label near a safe edge, and use a modest alert area away from the title. For a camera-led stream, the face should remain unobstructed and chat should have enough room to appear. The right layout depends on the content; the aim is to let viewers understand the stream without making the overlay the main event.
For a stream sent through another encoder or production setup, overlay placement is only one part of the result. The output settings also affect how the image is delivered; this guide to extra encoder parameters in OBS covers that separate configuration task. Do not change encoder settings just to fix a visual overlap in the mobile scene editor.
Understand landscape positioning and side bars
Streamlabs says the scene editor switches to landscape positioning because widget placement is based on a 16:9 stream output, and that widgets can only be edited in landscape mode. The editor may rotate when you enter it from portrait orientation. This is the layout space used to position elements, not a promise that a portrait broadcast will fill the screen without bars.
Streamlabs also notes that portrait streaming can show black bars at the sides of the camera view. An element placed at the far edge of the landscape editor may end up within a side bar in the portrait view, depending on the output. Avoid placing essential text, alerts or logos at the extreme left or right if viewers may see the stream in portrait orientation. Keep the important parts of the composition nearer the central area and inspect the actual output arrangement where possible.
This is a trade-off rather than a setting you can solve by dragging every element to the edge. Landscape positioning gives you the space corresponding to the stated 16:9 output, while a portrait camera view can occupy a narrower portion of that space. The safe area for a particular element depends on the selected layout and how the stream is presented, so do not assume that the full editor width will remain visible in every viewing orientation.
For a channel built around a static image, lyrics, a playlist or a local information loop, decide which text must remain visible and arrange it accordingly. Put the essential title and visual content where they are not likely to be hidden by bars, and treat decorative material near the edges as expendable. For an always-on stream, it is worth checking a representative section of the output rather than judging only the editor canvas.
The same principle applies to a channel mark or watermark. If it sits too close to the edge, it may fall into a bar or be cropped in a way that makes it look accidental. Leave breathing room, then check the scene in the format you intend to use. If you are also running a desktop stream, remember that display and power behaviour can interrupt it independently of the overlay; this guide explains how to keep a YouTube live stream running when Windows updates.
Review changes before saving
Before saving, review the selected scene from the beginning of the edit rather than assuming the app has kept its previous layout. This matters especially after applying a theme, because Streamlabs warns that the layout may change. Check the camera or main visual, the order of layers, the placement of widgets and any text or custom image you added.
If the app offers a prompt to repeat or adjust the layout for landscape, follow it and inspect the result. Confirm that the theme’s border and matching widgets are where you expect them, and remove or reposition any element you do not plan to use. A theme package does not require you to keep every included component if the app lets you edit the scene afterward.
Use any alert preview or test offered in the theme flow. A widget that appears correctly in a static editor may behave differently when it displays a longer message or an alert. Check that the notification is visible without covering the primary content. If no preview is available, keep the element’s footprint modest and verify it in a controlled test before relying on it during a public stream.
Check the visual hierarchy: a viewer should be able to identify the main content first, then any useful supporting information. If the logo, chat, labels and border all compete for attention, remove something. This is particularly important when the stream is meant to run for a long period; a quiet composition is easier to watch than one in which several animated or high-contrast elements are constantly asking for attention.
Finally, distinguish saving a scene from confirming the whole broadcast. Saving preserves the edit in the app, but it does not by itself establish that the correct scene is selected for streaming or that the stream output looks right on YouTube. If you are preparing a stream, verify the chosen scene and use the app’s available preview or test flow before relying on it live.
Check the saved scene
After saving, return to the scene list and open the scene again. Confirm that the elements remain in the intended positions and that you are looking at the scene you meant to edit. This simple recheck catches a common source of confusion: applying a theme to a different selected scene than the one you expected.
If you have multiple scenes, give them distinct names and check the selection before going live. A theme assigned to one scene does not mean every scene has changed in the same way. Switch between the scenes you expect to use and inspect each layout separately. A simple scene for a talking introduction and a more detailed scene for a main programme can be easier to manage than one scene trying to serve every purpose.
Where practical, check a test stream or preview from another viewing device. The editor canvas shows the arrangement, while the viewer’s display can reveal whether text is actually readable and whether portrait viewing introduces side bars around the camera view. Avoid treating a successful save as proof that the layout will look identical on every screen.
If the scene is not right, return to the editor and adjust the relevant layer rather than rebuilding the entire composition. Move or resize the element, review the layer order, and save again. For a theme that has changed a layout more than you intended, use a separate scene or return to a simpler arrangement if your app version provides that route. Keep a note of the layout you prefer so that future edits do not start from guesswork.
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FAQ
Does applying a theme keep my existing scene layout?
Not necessarily. Streamlabs warns that applying a theme may change the selected scene’s layout, so inspect the result before saving or using it live. If the current arrangement matters, try the theme on a separate scene first where possible.
Can I use a theme and add my own overlay elements?
Yes, the theme and individual layers are not mutually exclusive. A theme can supply its coordinated border and widgets, while the Layers menu lets you add other available elements such as custom images or text. Review the finished composition so the additions do not overlap or overwhelm the themed elements.
Why does the scene editor switch to landscape?
Streamlabs says widget placement is based on a 16:9 output and widgets can only be edited in landscape mode. Portrait streaming can show side bars around the camera view, so keep essential elements away from the far edges and check the output layout.
Are all themes and layers available on every device or account?
Availability can depend on the app, device and current theme access conditions. Streamlabs’ instructions list screen sharing for iOS, for example, rather than establishing it as available on every device. Check the choices in your current app and the current official guidance before planning a scene around a particular item.