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MacBook M1 hotkey issues - not working when not in focus and erratically when in focus.
Platform
Operating system and version: macOS Big Sur 11 - MacBook Pro (13", M1, 2020) OBS Studio version: 26.1.2
Expected Behavior
Hotkeys should work as expected/ defined, both with OBS in and out focus.
Current Behavior
Hotkeys do not work when OBS is not in focus. And when in focus, after about 5-10 keypresses, my scene collection reacts as OBS would receive multiple additional keypresses - Resetting security & privacy settings and also adding OBS manually did not help.
Restarting OBS "fixes" the erratic behavior for about 5-10 keypresses, it does not help with keypresses while OBS in not in focus.
I am not using modifier keys in my configurations.
Hammerspoon running in parallel is reacting to hotkeys as expected.
Exactly the same configuration (scene collection, profile, global.ini and Hammerspoon running in parallel) ist just working fine on Intel Macs I have access to: MacBook Air (2017), MacBook Pro (2019) and MacPro (2019).
On the same M1 MacBook hotkeys still worked as expected with OBS Studio 26.0.2 moved to it from an Intel MacBook by the Apple Migration Assistant - even without touching security & privacy settings. For Hammerspoon to work on the new MacBook, it was necessary to remove its keyboard access from the security & privacy settings first.
Please find the scene collection here: https://github.com/verstaerker-583/obs/blob/master/var/ss.json
Deleting TCC databases did not help:
rm "~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db"; sudo rm "/Library/Application Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db"
This did not help either:
HotkeyFocusType=DisableHotkeysOutOfFocus
Steps to Reproduce
Start OBS, check hotkeys with obs in and out focus.
Additional information
hotkeys not working when not in focus on M1 macs seems to be reported often, additional erratic function is seen less often https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/big-sur-hotkey-issues.136859 https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/hot-key-issues.134837 https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/hotkeys-not-working-big-sur-m1-mini.135118 https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/hotkeys-only-work-if-obs-is-the-focused-app.134913 https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/hotkeys-stopped-working-with-an-update-of-obs.115164
Adding information on modifiers:
None of the F1-F12 keys trigger the Hotkey action (I'm only switching scenes) if there was ANY modifier included in the configuration (Shift, Alt, Command), such as ^F1.
The Control and Shift modifier key seems to be completely ignored. If I configure a hotkey to F1, it triggers regardless if I keep the Control (or Shift, Alt, Command) key pressed or not.
The above behaviour is observed only when OBS application is in focus (tested main window and windowed preview).
I'm using a USB connected Apple keyboard, and I get the same results if I'm using the laptop's keyboard (I've set pressing the F1 button to NOT dim light, but to work as a Fn button).
(I've not observed the erratic behaviour.) OBS 26.1.2 MacBook Air M1, 2020 (16GB RAM) Mac OS Big Sur 11.1
FWIW the entire hotkey implementation in macOS is waiting for a revamp anyway (using OS-based events when not in focus).
So this seems to be a known issue, has anybody figured out a workaround for this problem?
There is no known workaround except the one that Jim already implemented - work on a reimplementation of the hotkey handling was started a few months ago but requires some deeper (read: non-trivial) changes and we didn't have the bandwidth to get back to it yet: https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/pull/3914
@meneguzzi my workaround: kill and restart as quick as you can ... In general, I find that the second launch of OBS in the day, usually doesn't cause any issues - it's just the first launch after the computer's been in hibernation / lid closed over night.
Just adding to this as it's a very frustrating issue. I can reproduce breaking behaviour 100% based on the comment at https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/hotkeys-stopped-working-with-an-update-of-obs.115164/page-2#post-504151:
- Start OBS
- Switch to any application requesting secure input (ie. a password field in safari, or Terminal with secure input turned on)
Hotkeys should now be broken until next restart of OBS.
have the same issue. Hotkeys works when OBS window is focus. If not it doesn't work on a Mac mini M1
same here on macbook air m1. hotkeys only work when obs is in focus. no combination with alt or cmd is working either, also not when obs is in focus.
I have also the same issue. Hotkeys works when OBS window is in focus. If not in focus - the hotkeys don't work on a Mac Book Pro macOS Big Sur 11.6. Looks like related to https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/pull/3914
For some reason it now works for me. No need for OBS to be in focus to use hotkeys. No specific changes made.
Can u use ctrl ans shift keys also for the hotkeys?
Which version of obs?
On Tue, 30 Nov, 2021, 1:36 pm Alexis Pryds Parra, @.***> wrote:
For some reason it now works for me. No need for OBS to be in focus to use hotkeys. No specific changes made.
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Definitely still an issue. I ended up buying a stream deck to get past this. Hopefully there's an arduino/pico type project out there that can replicate that same functionality on the cheap (and not just pass through keyboard presses).
Hi, I bought a stream deck and still having the same issue. Also I'm using a MacBook Pro 2019. Hotkeys do not work when out of focus and there is a delay in the scene switcher once the window comes back into fucus.
I have tried everything I can think or find online for the past two months to no avail. I've tried multiple wired / wireless keyboards, macro apps, midi apps, Loupedeck, etc with and without modifiers, virtual keyboard apps, standing on my head and spinning in my chair but still cannot get this thing to consistently pickup hotkey presses. It appears to be the exact same issue in both the Rosetta/Intel version as the Mac/M1 version.
I have tried everything I can think or find online for the past two months to no avail. I've tried multiple wired / wireless keyboards, macro apps, midi apps, Loupedeck, etc with and without modifiers, virtual keyboard apps, standing on my head and spinning in my chair but still cannot get this thing to consistently pickup hotkey presses. It appears to be the exact same issue in both the Rosetta/Intel version as the Mac/M1 version.
I found that for the standing-on-the-head-and-spinning-on-the-chair trick to work it’s important that you spin counterclockwise. Perhaps you spun clockwise? 🙃
In all seriousness, though, I’m running OBS on a M1 Mac with Rosetta and global keyboard shortcuts work as they should most of the time. When they don’t, restarting OBS fixes it. My keyboard shortcuts are always control+option+command+KEY. 🤷♂️
For what it’s worth:
I updated to OBS 28.0.2 and the issue got worse: Now my favorite kind of keyboard shortcut (control+option+command+KEY) doesn’t work at all 🤷
Other kinds of keyboard shortcut, for example, control+KEY work. I don’t know if they’d stop working after a while…
Note that https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/pull/3914 has been merged, so I assume that the reimplementation has happened, right?
Multiple hotkey fixes went into OBS Studio 28/28.0.2. For hotkeys to work when OBS is not in-focus, you must enable the Accessibility permission for OBS.
For the described "erratic" nature of hotkeys when OBS is in-focus, please provide one example hotkey combination and specific steps to reproduce that we can test. Please test on OBS Studio 28.0.2 or newer, and preferably on macOS 12 (or latest stable).
@RytoEX
Thanks for the answer!
For hotkeys to work when OBS is not in-focus, you must enable the Accessibility permission for OBS.
Yes, I did that. By the way, the OBS team did a great job with the whole “Review App Permissions” workflow. It’s awesome! 👍
For the described "erratic" nature of hotkeys when OBS is in-focus, please provide one example hotkey combination
Control+Option+Command+A. (But really, as I mentioned, Control+Option+Command+ANY-KEY doesn’t work, I’m saying Control+Option+Command+A because you asked for one specific example 😬)
and specific steps to reproduce that we can test.
The usual workflow, really: Open OBS, create a scene, go to Settings > Hotkeys > SCENE > Switch to scene, assign a keyboard shortcut, “Apply”, press the keyboard shortcut, and OBS doesn’t switch to the scene as it should.
I can record a short video if you think that may help uncover something odd that I’m doing and not noticing.
I tried other keyboard shortcuts like Control+KEY and they work, so it seems to be related to the Control+Option+Command combination.
I thought that perhaps the key combinations I tried were clashing with another application, but I don’t think that’s the case for two reasons: 1. After having tried OBS, I bound the same key combination in Hammespoon and it worked; and 2. I tried a bunch of key combinations, and none of them worked in OBS: Control+Option+Command+{A,R,T,Y,F,G,H,J,K,V,B,N,M}.
Please test on OBS Studio 28.0.2 or newer, and preferably on macOS 12 (or latest stable).
I’m running OBS Studio 28.0.2 and macOS Monterey 12.6 (the latest stable).
Can confirm that Cmd, Ctl, and Alt seem to be mutually exclusive when in-focus. Out-of-focus, I couldn't find combinations that didn't work.
@gxalpha: Oh, yeah! You’re right!
The issue only occurs when the OBS window is in focus. When another window is in focus, the Control+Option+Command+ANY-KEY hotkeys do work! That’s even stranger to me… 🤷
I also played around with different options of Advanced > Hotkeys > Hotkey Focus Behavior, but that doesn’t seem to affect anything.
@meneguzzi:
Yeah, things seem to be working now. Should we close the issue then?
🤔 I don’t think so.
I think that keyboard shortcuts of the form Control+Option+Command+ANY-KEY should work when the OBS window is in focus. Or if there’s a reason why they shouldn’t work, I think that there should be some kind of warning on the interface to mention that and avoid confusion. (I’m thinking of a warning similar to what you see when you try to bind the same key combination to multiple actions. A little ⚠️ icon.)
It could be that we need to disable InputMethods the same way we had to disable them for the shortcut configuration screen, as the default InputMethod will "eat" keystrokes that don't result in actual character output.
Multiple hotkey fixes went into OBS Studio 28/28.0.2. For hotkeys to work when OBS is not in-focus, you must enable the Accessibility permission for OBS.
For the described "erratic" nature of hotkeys when OBS is in-focus, please provide one example hotkey combination and specific steps to reproduce that we can test. Please test on OBS Studio 28.0.2 or newer, and preferably on macOS 12 (or latest stable).
I have right arrow and numpad 5 set to ‘transition’ in studio mode, both will work maybe once, then stop working completely.
Running 28.1.2, macOS 12, M1 Pro
Have messed with permissions, and hotkey settings, no change in this behaviour. Works briefly again if I restart OBS, but can’t do that mid-event.
It's also a problem with SHIFT+CTRL+CMD and SHIFT+OPT+CMD when in focus.
SHIFT+CTRL+OPT does seem to work both in and out of focus per my testing.
Wish we could activate stuff directly through a CLI on M1-MAC, but as far as I know the CLI addon is only available for Windows/Linux - unless someone knows of another alternative?
Alas I cannot reproduce either issue - I just tried using hotkey combinations of both <SHIFT+CTRL+CMD> as well as <SHIFT+OPT+CMD> and was able to switch scenes with OBS in focus as well as with Safari in focus.
I have also experienced hotkeys stop working after having OBS open for a while. Once they stop working the only fix I have found is to relaunch the application. Mac OS 13.0.1, OBS Studio 28.0.3.
