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Game overlay

See who's in voice, read chat and watch call video while you play fullscreen games.

What is the game overlay?​

The game overlay displays Root information on top of fullscreen games and applications. It includes:

  • Voice overlay: Shows who is in your current voice channel and indicates when they're speaking
  • Notification overlay: Displays chat messages and notifications from your communities and direct messages
  • Call video: Shows the person talking and up to two screen shares from your call (needs the native call engine)

The overlay appears over your game while you're in a fullscreen application, so you can stay connected without switching windows. You can move and resize each part of it in interactive mode.

note

The game overlay is only available on Windows. It can't show over games running in exclusive fullscreen. If it doesn't appear, set the game to borderless or windowed fullscreen in its display settings.

Enable or disable the game overlay​

  1. Select your profile picture in the user tray.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Select Game overlay from the left navigation.
  4. Under Over fullscreen games, turn Game overlay on or off. It stays off until you turn it on.

Enable or disable the voice overlay​

  1. Select your profile picture in the user tray.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Select Game overlay from the left navigation.
  4. Under Over fullscreen games, below Game overlay, turn Voice channel members on or off.

The voice overlay shows who is in your current voice channel and indicates when they're speaking.

Enable or disable the notification overlay​

  1. Select your profile picture in the user tray.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Select Game overlay from the left navigation.
  4. Under Over fullscreen games, below Game overlay, turn Chat messages and notifications on or off.

The notification overlay displays chat messages and notifications over fullscreen games.

Move and resize the overlay​

While you're in a game, press Ctrl + F1 to switch the overlay to interactive mode. In interactive mode you can:

  • Drag a panel to move it.
  • Drag a panel's corner to resize it.
  • Select the Overlay settings icon at the top to change what the overlay shows without leaving your game.

To put every panel back where it started, select Reset layout in Overlay settings.

Press Ctrl + F1 again, or Esc, to go back to your game. You can change the shortcut in Keybindings.

Customize overlay appearance​

  1. Select your profile picture in the user tray.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Select Game overlay from the left navigation.
  4. Under Voice overlay look, adjust these options:
OptionDescription
OpacityAdjust the transparency of the overlay elements (10 to 100%)
ShowSelect Avatars, Names, or both, to choose what the voice overlay shows for each person
Only show who's speakingHide the overlay background and only show people while they are speaking

To change the size of a panel, drag its corner in interactive mode. The same options are also in Overlay settings inside the overlay, under Appearance.

Hide the overlay from screen capture​

Under Privacy, turn on Hide from screen capture to keep the overlay's chat and call video out of your screen shares, recordings and screenshots. It is off by default and needs Windows 10 version 2004 or later.

Show call video in the overlay​

With the native call engine turned on, the overlay can show video from your call. Set it up in Settings > Game overlay, in the Call video section:

SettingWhat it doesDefault
Speaker panelShows the person talking. Choose Camera on (only when their camera is on), Always (with their avatar when the camera is off), or Off.Camera on
Stream panelsLets you watch up to two screen shares over your game.On
Open new screen shares automaticallyWhen you watch a screen share in Root, it also opens in a free stream panel.On

In interactive mode, the Streams list shows the screen shares in your call, so you can pick which ones to watch. To stop watching one, select Close stream on its panel. To keep the speaker panel on one person, select the lock on the panel. Select it again to follow whoever is talking.

When to use the game overlay​

The game overlay is useful when you want to:

  • See who's talking in a voice channel without leaving your game
  • Watch a friend's stream while you play
  • Stay updated on chat while playing fullscreen games
  • Monitor activity across multiple communities during gaming sessions

Consider disabling the overlay if it interferes with game UI elements.