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Keys that work while you are live
OBS shortcuts matter precisely because clicking is visible on stream. Ctrl + Shift + S starts and stops streaming, Ctrl + Shift + R does the same for recording, and Ctrl + Shift + P pauses a recording without splitting it into separate files. Ctrl + Shift + M mutes the microphone, Ctrl + Shift + A silences desktop audio, and Ctrl + Shift + V toggles the virtual camera when OBS is feeding your meeting software.
Sources stack like layers — whatever sits higher in the list renders on top — and Ctrl + Up / Ctrl + Down reorder them without touching the mouse. Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V copy a configured source into another scene, Ctrl + D duplicates, Ctrl + E opens the selected source's properties and Ctrl + F its filters — where color correction and noise suppression live.
Rescuing a mangled layout
Every OBS user eventually scales a source into oblivion. The rescue sequence is three keys: Ctrl + Alt + F fits the source to the canvas, Ctrl + Alt + C centers it, and Ctrl + R resets its transform entirely — scale, rotation, crop, all back to defaults. F11 switches the preview to fullscreen for checking what viewers actually see, Ctrl + , opens Settings, and Ctrl + S saves the current profile.
Frequently asked questions
Do these hotkeys work when OBS is in the background?
By default they fire when the OBS window has focus. To keep them working mid-game or mid-presentation, assign global hotkeys in Settings (Ctrl + ,) → Hotkeys — mute, scene switches, and the stream/record toggles are the usual candidates, and you can add push-to-mute or push-to-talk behaviour there too.
Can I stop myself from ending the stream by accident?
Yes — OBS has optional confirmation dialogs for starting and stopping streams and recordings, under Settings → General. With them enabled, a stray Ctrl + Shift + S asks before cutting the broadcast.
I pressed mute but viewers still hear something. Why?
Ctrl + Shift + M mutes the microphone source and Ctrl + Shift + A the desktop audio — but any other audio source in the scene (a browser source, a media file, a second capture) keeps playing. Check the audio mixer panel; every source has its own mute state.
A source is stretched or half off-screen. Fastest fix?
Select it, then Ctrl + R to reset the transform, Ctrl + Alt + F to fit it to the screen, and Ctrl + Alt + C to center. In that order, the trio recovers almost any layout accident in under two seconds.
What are the macOS equivalents?
Cmd replaces Ctrl: Cmd + Shift + S for streaming, Cmd + Shift + R for recording, and settings live behind Cmd + , as in every Mac app. Custom global hotkeys carry whatever keys you assign them.
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