Currently, the Playback app supports only one instance running at a time. If you're encountering the "Multiple Instances Detected" message it means that there is already an instance of the Playback app running, either visibly on your screen or in the background.
Below, you'll find step-by-step instructions on how to locate and close the background instance of the Playback app on various operating systems:
MacOS:
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Using Dock:
- Right-click the Playback app icon in the dock.
- Select Quit.
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Using Activity Monitor:
- Open Activity Monitor from the Utilities folder within Applications.
- Search for "Playback" in the top-right search bar.
- Select the Playback app from the list and click the Quit Process (X) button.
Windows:
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Using Taskbar:
- Right-click the Playback app icon on the taskbar.
- Select Close window or Quit.
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Using Task Manager:
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Del and select Task Manager.
- Find the Playback app in the Processes tab.
- Right-click on it and select End Task.
Linux:
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Using System Monitor:
- Open a system monitoring application from your applications menu.
- Find the Playback app and end the process.
-
Using Terminal:
- Open Terminal.
- Type
ps aux | grep Playback | grep -v "grep"
and press Enter. - Here you will find the ID of the Playback instance running in the background
- Type
kill -9 <ID of Playback>
and press Enter.
Steamdeck (Desktop Mode):
- Using System Monitor:
- Navigate to Applications in the toolbar.
- Go to System>System Monitor and open the Processes tab.
- Select Playback and click End Process.
Sometimes, the simplest solution might be the most effective. If you're unable to locate the app running in the background or the problem persists, consider restarting your PC or device. A simple reboot often solves many minor issues and refreshes the system.