# status The command buffer’s current state. ``` var status: MTLCommandBufferStatus { get } ``` ## Discussion Each command buffer can be in any one of the following states: |State |Meaning | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |``doc://com.apple.metal/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBufferStatus/notEnqueued``|A command buffer’s initial state, which indicates its command queue isn’t reserving a place for it.  You can modify a command buffer in this state by encoding commands to it, or by adding a state change handler.| |``doc://com.apple.metal/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBufferStatus/enqueued`` |A command buffer’s second state, which indicates its command queue is reserving a place for it.  You can modify a command buffer in this state by encoding commands to it, or by adding a state change handler. | |``doc://com.apple.metal/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBufferStatus/committed`` |A command buffer’s third state, which indicates the command queue is preparing to schedule the command buffer by resolving its dependencies.  You can’t modify a command buffer in this state. | |``doc://com.apple.metal/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBufferStatus/scheduled`` |A command buffer’s fourth state, which indicates the command buffer has its resources ready and is waiting for the GPU to run its commands.  You can’t modify a command buffer in this state. | |``doc://com.apple.metal/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBufferStatus/completed`` |A command buffer’s successful, final state, which indicates the GPU finished running the command buffer’s commands without any problems. | |``doc://com.apple.metal/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBufferStatus/error`` |A command buffer’s unsuccessful, final state, which indicates the GPU stopped running the buffer’s commands because of a runtime issue. | The first two states ([`MTLCommandBufferStatus.notEnqueued`](/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBufferStatus/notEnqueued) and [`MTLCommandBufferStatus.enqueued`](/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBufferStatus/enqueued)) both indicate that you can encode commands to the command buffer. You do this by creating an encoder that indirectly adds commands for a pass (see [Command encoder factory methods](/documentation/Metal/command-encoder-factory-methods)) to the command buffer. Command buffers also have some methods that directly encode commands between passes, such as [`encodeSignalEvent(_:value:)`](/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBuffer/encodeSignalEvent(_:value:)) and [`present(_:)`](/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBuffer/present(_:)). Each command buffer’s state can only change to a state below it in the table, and ends its life cycle at either [`MTLCommandBufferStatus.completed`](/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBufferStatus/completed) or [`MTLCommandBufferStatus.error`](/documentation/Metal/MTLCommandBufferStatus/error). --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)