How does the map get into your stream?
Your phone sends GPS data. OBS shows it as an overlay. Viewers see route, speed, distance, elevation or heading, while the camera feed keeps running through Moblin, IRL Pro, SRT/SRTLA, RTMP or an encoder.
- StreamerHub: app → StreamerHub account → output → OBS (no RTIRL key)
- RealtimeIRL: RTIRL app → Push/Pull Key → overlay → OBS
Contents of the GPS overlay guide
1. Comparison
| Feature | StreamerHub | RealtimeIRL |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile transmission | StreamerHub app | RealtimeIRL app |
| Login | StreamerHub account | RealtimeIRL account (currently via Twitch) |
| Keys | No RTIRL key, assigned through your account | Push Key (send), Pull Key (overlay) |
| Output | Output through streamerhub.app / app | RTIRL website, Overlay Editor or browser source |
| Public visibility | Doesn't have to run through a public RTIRL page; you control it in StreamerHub | Can be publicly reachable depending on your setup |
| A good fit if | you also use StreamerHub for TTS, sounds and so on | you want the classic map route with keys |
How to decide:
- You already use StreamerHub for TTS or sounds and want as few accounts as possible: go with StreamerHub.
- You want the classic route with Push Key, Pull Key and the Overlay Editor or community overlays: go with RealtimeIRL.
- You don't know which fits: pick one, test it without pressure and switch only if something important is missing.
Same goal, separate tech. Sending the same location over both paths at once makes it harder to keep control, so drop one.
2. What you can show
| Display | Used for | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| Map and route | Following the trip | gives away the location very precisely |
| Speed | Bike, on foot, motorcycle, car | GPS drifts when standing still and with weak reception |
| Place and local time | geographic context | city/region instead of a house number |
| Temperature / weather | Conditions on site | often an external weather service, can lag behind |
| Elevation and distance | Outdoor formats | allow for drift and measurement error |
The GPS overlay is not your video stream. The picture still goes through the encoder and relay to OBS. If the location path fails, your stream keeps sending and only the overlay freezes or goes empty. The same works the other way around: a good video picture doesn't tell you whether the overlay has current data. To check the whole path, see Checking your stream on the go.
3. StreamerHub without an RTIRL key
Location runs through the StreamerHub app and your account. You don't need a RealtimeIRL Push or Pull Key, and you don't enter one.
Why this path comes first here: one login, output at streamerhub.app, and TTS/sounds can stay in the same hub. Your location doesn't have to run through a public RTIRL page with a Pull Key.
Setup (without detailed menu names for now)
- Sign in at streamerhub.app and install the StreamerHub app
- Grant only the location, motion and background permissions it needs
- Turn on the values you want and make them available through the web output / overlay
- Add the output in OBS (or your mobile workflow) and test it privately
Values StreamerHub can currently output
- Movement: steps, current speed, average speed
- Distance: stream distance, total distance
- Position: elevation, heading, tilt, location text
Which values sit together on one output and how they look depends on the version and configuration.
Location and technical data are still processed. How much depends on the app, your account and your permissions. One data path is enough for the same display: StreamerHub or RealtimeIRL, not both.
Contact
StreamerHub is made by Maertuerer | Dustin. For questions about GPS, the app or its features, use the IRL4YOU Discord.
4. RealtimeIRL with keys
- Open RealtimeIRL and sign in with Twitch
- Find your Push Key and Pull Key in your account
- Put the Push Key only in the app that sends your location
- Put the Pull Key only in trusted overlays / browser sources
- Treat both keys like passwords: keep them out of chat, screenshots, videos and public configs
5. The RealtimeIRL app
- Install the app for Android or iOS using the vendor's links
- Enter your Push Key
- Turn on location access. On long trips you often need it in the background too
- Check battery optimization (it can kill the transmission when the display is off)
- Start transmitting and check it on a short test route
GPS + cellular + continuous operation = high power draw. Plan for a power bank and keep an eye on temperature.
RealtimeIRL can run alongside Moblin or IRL Pro. If the streaming app has its own RTIRL/geo integration, keep only one tested location path active.
Choosing an overlay
- Overlay Editor: open it only through your own RealtimeIRL account. Set the Pull Key, map provider, style, language and zoom there in private, and only then put the personal URL into OBS.
- Community overlays on GitHub: separate sources for map, place, time, temperature, speed and so on (partly beta)
Options: a simple map · individual readouts · a dashboard built from several sources · your own map style (may need a Mapbox or Google key).
6. OBS browser source
Both paths end in a browser source, just with a different URL:
- StreamerHub: output address for your account (without an RTIRL key)
- RealtimeIRL: overlay URL with the Pull Key
Steps:
- Test the overlay URL privately in a browser while the app is sending
- OBS → Scene → Sources → Browser
- Paste in the full address
- Start with a full-size map, for example 1920×1080, and crop small speed/weather tiles later
- Leave "Shutdown source when not visible" and "Refresh browser when scene becomes active" off for now, otherwise the display restarts on every scene change
- Place it above the camera feed and adjust it with transform/crop
7. Map, speed, weather
Map: zoom so movement is visible without giving away a house number or your starting point. When you show speed, zoom out further.
Speed: km/h is the usual unit in Germany. It can jump, so treat it as entertainment and not a measuring tool.
Weather: often an external API based on coordinates. It can lag behind and differ from a sensor on your body.
Map, speed and weather don't have to come from one URL. Stack several transparent browser sources in OBS. Each one needs a network connection and its own test.
8. Readability
- A few large values instead of a wall of telemetry
- High contrast, with a semi-transparent panel behind light numbers
- Don't leave the map over your face, subtitles or important parts of the picture
- Keep speed/weather tiles at the edge of the frame with some margin
- Check in OBS at 100%, on the phone in full screen and in a local recording
- Keep a scene without location ready (private scene)
9. Protecting your location
A live map shows where you are, in the stream and, depending on your setup, publicly beyond it. A place name in the overlay doesn't mean your exact position can't be retrieved somewhere.
- Never start at your home, where you're staying, your workplace or a private meeting spot
- Turn it on once you're some distance away, and turn it off in good time before you return
- StreamerHub: protect account and output access · RealtimeIRL: keep the Pull Key secret and renew it after a leak
- Don't make children, people at risk or sensitive places identifiable through a live route
- In a vehicle stream, don't build anything that encourages risky driving
- Mod/production: a private scene that's reachable instantly
For more on risks and how to behave on the road, see IRL safety.
Privacy: StreamerHub processes location, device, overlay and connection data, among other things (without an RTIRL Pull Key). RealtimeIRL processes account, stream, connection and location data, among other things. See its privacy policy. With your own maps, Mapbox or Google come on top. Summary: IRL4YOU privacy policy.
10. Testing and errors
| Problem | Check | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Position frozen | Is the app sending? GPS + background on? | Battery optimization off, restart the app, go outside under open sky |
| Overlay empty | StreamerHub: right account + output active? RTIRL: Pull Key + URL? | Test the URL privately in a browser, then refresh the OBS source |
| Map shows, marker missing | Is current data arriving? | StreamerHub: login/permissions · RTIRL: Push Key · move around briefly |
| Speed jumps | Poor GPS / standing still? | smooth it, hide it or label it as approximate |
| Weather missing | Do you need your own API key? | Check the provider and quota |
| OBS shows an old view | Browser source cached? | Refresh the source or clear the browser cache |
Test once on Wi-Fi and once over cellular: app, overlay, OBS recording, public visibility, power.
What to check before the stream
- The app is sending, location and background permissions are on, battery optimization is off.
- Only one data path is active (StreamerHub or RealtimeIRL).
- You've tested the overlay URL privately in a browser, and the markers move.
- The OBS "GPS overlay" group sits at the edge of the frame and doesn't cover anything important.
- The private scene without location is ready and tested.
- You've checked what's publicly visible using a second, signed-out device.
If that doesn't help, work through IRL troubleshooting step by step. GPS and cellular in continuous use need power, so see Power supply. The IRL checklist shows where the overlay fits into the rest of your prep.
11. GPS overlay FAQ
Do I need StreamerHub and RealtimeIRL at the same time?
No. Both do the same job with separate tech, and one data path is enough for the same display. If you send your location through both at once, it gets easier to lose track of which source is on screen. Pick one and test it thoroughly.
Does the live map give away my exact location?
It can, depending on zoom, route and setup. Zoom out far enough that viewers see movement but can't make out a house number or your starting point. Never start right at your home or where you're staying. A delayed map alone doesn't protect you. Keep a private scene without location ready and use a second device to check what's publicly visible.
Why does the speed jump or the position freeze?
GPS drifts when you stand still, between tall buildings and with weak reception. That makes speed more of an entertainment value than a measuring tool. If the position is completely frozen, check that the app is sending, that GPS and background access are on, and that battery optimization isn't throttling the app.
The overlay stays empty in OBS or shows an old view. What now?
First test the overlay URL privately in a browser while the app is sending. If data shows up there, refresh the browser source in OBS or clear the browser cache. With RealtimeIRL, check the Pull Key and URL; with StreamerHub, check that you're on the right account and the output is active. You'll find more steps in the troubleshooting guide.
Does the map travel the same way as the camera feed?
No. The camera feed still goes through Moblin, IRL Pro, SRT/SRTLA, RTMP or an encoder to OBS. The GPS data takes its own path and sits on top of the picture in OBS as a browser source. That way the picture and the overlay can fail independently of each other.
12. Sources
- StreamerHub: current app, account and outputs at streamerhub.app
- RealtimeIRL: rtirl.com, app/extension notes and the documentation of the map or weather provider you use
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