To use Instant Replay in Streamlabs Desktop, enable Replay Buffer in Output settings, add an Instant Replay source to your scene, and assign a save-replay hotkey. The buffer keeps a rolling segment of your recent stream; pressing the hotkey plays that segment through the source. You can set it to start automatically when you stream or start it yourself before going live.
Set up Replay Buffer and Instant Replay
- Choose the buffer duration. Open Settings > Output, enable Replay Buffer, and choose how many seconds to retain. Streamlabs’ setup guides use 20 and 30 seconds as examples, not required values. Longer replay buffers require more memory; the guides do not specify an exact amount. Streamlabs’ April 25, 2025 setup guide and its November 10, 2025 support guide show the setup.
- Decide how the buffer starts. In Settings > General, enable Automatically start replay buffer when streaming if you want it to start with each stream. Otherwise, start it manually from the Streamlabs Desktop window when needed.
- Add the playback source. In the scene where you want the clip to appear, add a source and select Instant Replay. Position and resize it where you want the replay to display.
- Assign the save hotkey. Open Settings > Hotkeys and set a key combination for saving a replay. You may also assign hotkeys to show or hide the replay source or switch to a dedicated replay scene. Streamlabs’ general hotkey guidance recommends using at least two keys to reduce accidental activation: Hotkeys guide (published April 1, 2021; updated October 8, 2025).
- Start and test the buffer. Before going live, click Start Replay Buffer in the Streamlabs Desktop window, unless automatic startup is enabled and active. Trigger the save hotkey and confirm the replay appears in the scene.
- Use the replay during your stream. When you press the save hotkey, the buffered interval plays in the Instant Replay source. Check the scene layout beforehand so the source is visible and sized appropriately.
Choose a practical replay workflow
Set the duration to match the moment
The buffer captures only the recent interval you selected. A short duration uses less memory but can miss context that happened earlier; a longer duration preserves more lead-in and uses more memory. Streamlabs’ recording guide documents capture durations from one second to two minutes, but the available range may depend on the current Streamlabs Desktop version and settings: Replay Buffer and recording guide.
Use a dedicated scene if replays need a different layout
If you want the replay to take over the screen or appear in a distinct layout, create a replay scene and assign a hotkey to switch to it. For a small picture-in-picture replay, keep the Instant Replay source in your existing live scene and position it there.
Use a Stream Deck only if you want a physical button
A Stream Deck can trigger the same save-replay hotkey. Assign its button the identical key combination configured in Streamlabs Desktop. It is optional; the keyboard hotkey is sufficient.
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Replay playback is different from saving and editing a clip
The Instant Replay source plays the captured segment in your scene for viewers. To review, trim, reorder, or export clips for later use, use Streamlabs’ Replay/Highlighter workflow. The recording guide also describes starting Replay Buffer manually when you are not live, so you can capture and work with clips outside a stream.
Troubleshoot Instant Replay
- Nothing happens when you press the hotkey: Confirm Replay Buffer is enabled and running, and check that the save action has a hotkey under Settings > Hotkeys. If you expected it to start automatically, verify the setting in Settings > General; otherwise click Start Replay Buffer.
- The replay source is missing or not visible: Confirm that Instant Replay was added to the scene you are showing, and check whether the source is hidden or positioned outside the visible canvas.
- The clip does not include the earlier moment: The buffer only retains the selected recent interval. Increase its duration for future captures, keeping in mind that longer buffers require more memory; increasing it cannot recover footage that has already left the buffer.
- The button fires the wrong action or triggers twice: Check that any Stream Deck button uses the exact same combination as the Streamlabs save-replay hotkey, and choose a multi-key combination that is unlikely to be pressed accidentally.
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