Enable Pause Button in OBS Studio (Fix Not Working)

How to Enable Pause Button in OBS Studio During Recording (Fix Pause Button Not Working)

OBS Studio is one of the best free tools for screen recording and live streaming. However, many users face a common problem — the Pause button is disabled or not visible during recording. If you also want to pause and resume your recordings easily, this step-by-step guide will help you fix it completely.

Quick Tip: The Pause feature in OBS works only for recordings, not for live streaming. If you are streaming and recording together, the pause button may appear disabled.

1) Understanding the Pause Feature in OBS Studio

The Pause option allows you to stop recording temporarily without ending it. This is useful when you want to skip unnecessary parts or take short breaks while recording tutorials, gaming videos, or presentations.

The Pause button appears next to “Stop Recording” in the OBS control panel, but it may sometimes be greyed out. That’s because of certain output settings or conflicts with streaming mode.

2) Why the Pause Button Doesn’t Work (Common Causes)

• Output Quality Linked to Stream: If your Recording Quality is set to Same as Stream and you are live streaming, the Pause button may not work. Go to Settings → Output → Recording and change Recording Quality to “High Quality, Medium File Size.”
• No Hotkeys Set: The Pause button can also be triggered using hotkeys. Without hotkeys, it may not respond properly. You’ll need to assign keys manually (explained below).
• OBS Not Running as Administrator: Sometimes hotkeys don’t work due to permission issues. Run OBS Studio as Administrator to fix this.

3) How to Set Hotkeys for Pause and Unpause in OBS Studio

Follow these steps to enable Pause and Resume hotkeys easily:

1. Open OBS Studio.
2. Go to File → Settings → Hotkeys.
3. Scroll down and find Pause Recording and Unpause Recording.
4. Set your preferred shortcuts (e.g., Ctrl + Shift + P for Pause and Ctrl + Shift + R for Resume).
5. Click Apply → OK.
6. Start a test recording and check if your hotkeys work.

This method is simple, reliable, and works for most users.

4) Using Advanced Scene Switcher Plugin for Auto Pause

If you want advanced control over your recording, such as automatically pausing when switching windows or showing a “Break Scene,” install the Advanced Scene Switcher plugin.

This plugin allows automation based on window focus, inactivity, or time. Once installed, you can create macros to automatically pause or resume recording based on triggers.

Pro Tip: Always test the plugin before using it in real projects. It’s powerful but can behave differently depending on your OBS version.

5) Troubleshooting Pause Issues

• Hotkey Conflicts: If another software uses the same hotkeys, OBS may not detect them. Choose unique combinations (e.g., Ctrl + Alt + Shift + P).
• OBS Window Not Active: Some hotkeys work only when OBS is in focus. To make them global, check “Enable Global Hotkeys” if available or use unique keybinds.
• Recording Format Issues: If recordings get corrupted after using Pause, switch file format to MKV (Settings → Output → Recording Format). MKV is safer and prevents data loss.

6) Best Practices for Using Pause Button

• Always test your pause/resume hotkeys before starting an important recording.
• Keep recording and streaming profiles separate to avoid conflicts.
• Record in MKV format for stable results.
• Use keyboard shortcuts for smooth operation while gaming or presenting.

7) Conclusion

Enabling the Pause button in OBS Studio is simple — you just need to adjust your output settings and assign working hotkeys. If the default Pause button doesn’t work, don’t worry — custom hotkeys or the Advanced Scene Switcher plugin can fix the issue quickly.

With these steps, you’ll save editing time and make your recordings look cleaner and more professional.

Written by: CodePress Academy

For more OBS Studio tips, plugins, and WordPress tutorials, visit: www.codepressacademy.com