MacBook M1 hotkey issues - not working when not in focus and erratically when in focus.

[verstaerker-583]

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

[FredrikWendt]

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

[PatTheMav]

FWIW the entire hotkey implementation in macOS is waiting for a revamp anyway (using OS-based events when not in focus).

[meneguzzi]

So this seems to be a known issue, has anybody figured out a workaround for this problem?

[PatTheMav]

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: #3914

[FredrikWendt]

@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.

[meneguzzi]

@FredrikWendt I'm afraid that does not work.

[peppy]

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.

[skalero01]

have the same issue. Hotkeys works when OBS window is focus. If not it doesn't work on a Mac mini M1

[AlexisParra]

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.

[abrilevskiy]

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 #3914

[samipshah100]

I am having the same issues also on macbook air m1 Big Sur.

[AlexisParra]

For some reason it now works for me. No need for OBS to be in focus to use hotkeys. No specific changes made.

[samipshah100]

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. — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#4126 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AMJ3FQHDYC426YFJR6CQPWDUOSAWRANCNFSM4WQCO7RA> .

[BeauNouvelle]

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).