play/pause and stop media keys on my keyboard on vlc

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for the follow-up. I totally get what you mean, you want your keyboard’s play/pause key to control VLC even when the VLC window is minimized or running in the background. Let’s make sure that happens.

Here’s what to try next to enable global media key control for VLC when it’s minimized:

Make VLC Respond to Media Keys When Minimized

1. Enable VLC’s Global Hotkeys Properly

You mentioned enabling hotkeys, but let’s double-check that the hotkeys are set as global hotkeys:

• Open VLC > Tools > Preferences (Ctrl + P).
• At the bottom left, select All under “Show settings.”
• Go to Interface > Hotkeys settings.
• Find the Play/Pause action and double-click it.
• In the pop-up, make sure to click the box labeled Global Hotkey (not just Hotkey).
• Press your keyboard’s Play/Pause button to assign it.
• Do the same for Stop and any other media keys you want.
• Click Save and restart VLC.

2. Make Sure VLC Is Allowed to Run in Background

Sometimes Windows may restrict apps from running background processes or intercepting key presses:

• Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Background apps (or similar, depending on your Windows version).
• Find VLC Media Player and make sure it’s allowed to run in the background.

3. Check for Conflicting Programs

Since Windows Media Player Legacy grabs media keys by default, ensure it’s closed completely when testing VLC’s media keys.

Also, if you have any keyboard software or media utilities, check if they are prioritizing media keys for other apps.

4. Try Running VLC as Administrator
   • Right-click the VLC shortcut and choose Run as administrator.
   • Sometimes higher permissions help VLC intercept global key presses properly.

I hope I was able to address your concerns. If there’s anything else I can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Warm regards,

Pau

Hello Ryan,

Thank you for the update. I look forward to a positive outcome.

Best regards,

Pau

I'll let you know I'll try it today & respond back If nessasary tomorrow

Will This work if I had vlc miminised because the play button on my keyboard would only work if I have vlc on my screen & when I have it miminised it does nothing I have to have vlc on my screen for it to work

Hello Ryan,

I’m Pau, here to assist you as your Independent Advisor. I understand you’re facing some challenges right now, and I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Let’s work together to get this sorted out.

Try the following approach on how to Make Play/Pause and Stop Media Keys Work with VLC Media Player:

Step 1: Enable Global Hotkeys in VLC

1. Open VLC Media Player.
2. Click on Tools from the top menu, then choose Preferences (or press Ctrl + P).
3. At the bottom left, select All under “Show settings” to enable advanced settings.
4. In the left pane, expand Interface > then click Hotkeys settings.
5. On the right side, scroll down and find Play/Pause, Stop, Next track, and Previous track.
6. Double-click on each one, then in the window that opens:

• Click “Global hotkey” (not just "Hotkey").
• Press your keyboard's media key (e.g., Play/Pause).
• Click OK.

Step 2: Save and Restart

1. Click Save at the bottom of the Preferences window.
2. Close and restart VLC Media Player.

***If that doesn’t work, try disabling Windows Media Player from Taking Control:

Sometimes Windows Media Player (Legacy) takes priority over media keys.

Step 1: Disable Windows Media Player from Autostart

1. Press Windows + R, type optionalfeatures.exe, and press Enter.
2. Scroll down and expand Media Features.
3. Uncheck Windows Media Player.

4 . Click OK and restart your PC.

I hope I was able to address your concerns. If there’s anything else I can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Warm regards,

Pau