How to Use Freeze Filter in OBS Studio

This guide explains how to install and use the Freeze Filter plugin in OBS Studio to pause a single video source, window capture, or camera feed. You will learn how to apply the filter to your sources, configure its settings, and set up hotkeys to freeze and unfreeze your feed instantly during live streams or recordings.

Step 1: Install the Freeze Filter Plugin

Before you can pause a source, you need to download and install the Freeze Filter plugin (created by Exeldro) for OBS Studio.

  1. Go to the official OBS Projects forum or GitHub release page for the “Freeze Filter” plugin.
  2. Download the installer or zip file compatible with your operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
  3. Close OBS Studio.
  4. Run the installer, or manually extract the zip file contents into your OBS Studio installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\obs-studio).
  5. Relaunch OBS Studio.

Step 2: Apply the Freeze Filter to a Source

Once installed, you can apply the filter to any video source, such as a webcam, media source, or game capture.

  1. In the Sources dock, right-click the source you want to freeze.
  2. Select Filters from the context menu.
  3. In the Filters window, click the + (Plus) icon under the Effect Filters section (the bottom section).
  4. Select Freeze from the list of available filters.
  5. Give the filter a name (e.g., “Webcam Freeze”) and click OK.

Step 3: Configure and Trigger the Freeze Effect

With the filter added, you can now control when the source pauses and resumes.

  1. In the filter properties, you will see a checkbox labeled Freeze.
  2. Checking this box will immediately pause the video feed of that specific source, while leaving all other stream elements active.
  3. Unchecking the box resumes the live video feed.

Step 4: Set Up Hotkeys for Easy Control

To freeze and unfreeze your source mid-stream without opening the Filters menu, you can map the toggle to a keyboard hotkey or a stream controller (like a Stream Deck).

  1. In OBS Studio, click on Settings in the bottom-right corner or go to File > Settings.
  2. Click on the Hotkeys tab in the left menu.
  3. In the search bar at the top, type the name of the source to which you applied the filter.
  4. Locate the options labeled Freeze: Deactivate and Freeze: Activate (or Toggle Freeze if available).
  5. Click the empty field next to these actions and press the key combination you want to use.
  6. Click Apply and then OK.

You can now instantly pause and resume your chosen OBS source at any time with a single keypress.