diff --git a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/components/main.tsx b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/components/main.tsx
index 17c88141a..7d4fb19a9 100644
--- a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/components/main.tsx
+++ b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/components/main.tsx
@@ -11,13 +11,14 @@ import React, {useState} from 'react';
 import {plugin} from '../index';
 import {DetailSidebar, Layout, usePlugin, useValue} from 'flipper-plugin';
 import {useHotkeys} from 'react-hotkeys-hook';
-import {Id, Metadata, MetadataId, Snapshot, UINode} from '../types';
+import {Id, Metadata, MetadataId, UINode} from '../types';
 import {PerfStats} from './PerfStats';
 import {Tree} from './Tree';
 import {Visualization2D} from './Visualization2D';
 import {useKeyboardModifiers} from '../hooks/useKeyboardModifiers';
 import {Inspector} from './sidebar/Inspector';
-import {Input, Spin} from 'antd';
+import {Button, Input, Spin, Tooltip} from 'antd';
+import {PauseCircleOutlined, PlayCircleOutlined} from '@ant-design/icons';
 
 export function Component() {
   const instance = usePlugin(plugin);
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ export function Component() {
   const searchTerm = useValue(instance.uiState.searchTerm);
   const {ctrlPressed} = useKeyboardModifiers();
 
+  const isPaused = useValue(instance.uiState.isPaused);
   function renderSidebar(
     node: UINode | undefined,
     metadata: Map<MetadataId, Metadata>,
@@ -53,10 +55,26 @@ export function Component() {
     return (
       <Layout.Horizontal grow>
         <Layout.Container grow pad="medium" gap="small">
-          <Input
-            value={searchTerm}
-            onChange={(e) => instance.uiState.searchTerm.set(e.target.value)}
-          />
+          <Layout.Horizontal padh="small" gap="small">
+            <Input
+              value={searchTerm}
+              onChange={(e) => instance.uiState.searchTerm.set(e.target.value)}
+            />
+            <Button
+              type="default"
+              shape="circle"
+              onClick={() =>
+                instance.setPlayPause(!instance.uiState.isPaused.get())
+              }
+              icon={
+                <Tooltip
+                  title={
+                    isPaused ? 'Resume live updates' : 'Pause incoming updates'
+                  }>
+                  {isPaused ? <PlayCircleOutlined /> : <PauseCircleOutlined />}
+                </Tooltip>
+              }></Button>
+          </Layout.Horizontal>
           <Layout.ScrollContainer>
             <Tree
               selectedNode={selectedNode}
diff --git a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/index.tsx b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/index.tsx
index df1af2da3..0df383cbc 100644
--- a/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/index.tsx
+++ b/desktop/plugins/public/ui-debugger/index.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,12 @@
  * @format
  */
 
-import {PluginClient, createState, createDataSource} from 'flipper-plugin';
+import {
+  PluginClient,
+  createState,
+  createDataSource,
+  produce,
+} from 'flipper-plugin';
 import {
   Events,
   Id,
@@ -20,6 +25,12 @@ import {
 } from './types';
 import './node_modules/react-complex-tree/lib/style.css';
 
+type SnapshotInfo = {nodeId: Id; base64Image: Snapshot};
+type LiveClientState = {
+  snapshotInfo: SnapshotInfo | null;
+  nodes: Map<Id, UINode>;
+};
+
 export function plugin(client: PluginClient<Events>) {
   const rootId = createState<Id | undefined>(undefined);
   const metadata = createState<Map<MetadataId, Metadata>>(new Map());
@@ -49,14 +60,14 @@ export function plugin(client: PluginClient<Events>) {
   });
 
   const nodes = createState<Map<Id, UINode>>(new Map());
-  const snapshot = createState<{nodeId: Id; base64Image: Snapshot} | null>(
-    null,
-  );
+  const snapshot = createState<SnapshotInfo | null>(null);
 
   const uiState = {
     //used to disabled hover effects which cause rerenders and mess up the existing context menu
     isContextMenuOpen: createState<boolean>(false),
 
+    isPaused: createState(false),
+
     //The reason for the array as that user could be hovering multiple overlapping nodes at once in the visualiser.
     //The nodes are sorted by area since you most likely want to select the smallest node under your cursor
     hoveredNodes: createState<Id[]>([]),
@@ -67,8 +78,8 @@ export function plugin(client: PluginClient<Events>) {
   };
 
   client.onMessage('coordinateUpdate', (event) => {
-    nodes.update((draft) => {
-      const node = draft.get(event.nodeId);
+    liveClientData = produce(liveClientData, (draft) => {
+      const node = draft.nodes.get(event.nodeId);
       if (!node) {
         console.warn(`Coordinate update for non existing node `, event);
       } else {
@@ -76,17 +87,48 @@ export function plugin(client: PluginClient<Events>) {
         node.bounds.y = event.coordinate.y;
       }
     });
+
+    if (uiState.isPaused.get()) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    nodes.set(liveClientData.nodes);
   });
 
+  const setPlayPause = (isPaused: boolean) => {
+    uiState.isPaused.set(isPaused);
+    if (!isPaused) {
+      //When going back to play mode then set the atoms to the live state to rerender the latest
+      //Also need to fixed expanded state for any change in active child state
+      uiState.treeState.update((draft) => {
+        liveClientData.nodes.forEach((node) => {
+          collapseinActiveChildren(node, draft);
+        });
+      });
+      nodes.set(liveClientData.nodes);
+      snapshot.set(liveClientData.snapshotInfo);
+    }
+  };
+
+  //this is the client data is what drives all of desktop UI
+  //it is always up-to-date with the client regardless of whether we are paused or not
+  let liveClientData: LiveClientState = {
+    snapshotInfo: null,
+    nodes: new Map(),
+  };
+
   const seenNodes = new Set<Id>();
   client.onMessage('subtreeUpdate', (event) => {
-    if (event.snapshot) {
-      snapshot.set({nodeId: event.rootId, base64Image: event.snapshot});
-    }
+    liveClientData = produce(liveClientData, (draft) => {
+      if (event.snapshot) {
+        draft.snapshotInfo = {
+          nodeId: event.rootId,
+          base64Image: event.snapshot,
+        };
+      }
 
-    nodes.update((draft) => {
       event.nodes.forEach((node) => {
-        draft.set(node.id, node);
+        draft.nodes.set(node.id, node);
       });
     });
 
@@ -97,28 +139,42 @@ export function plugin(client: PluginClient<Events>) {
         }
         seenNodes.add(node.id);
 
-        if (node.activeChild) {
-          const inactiveChildren = node.children.filter(
-            (child) => child !== node.activeChild,
-          );
-
-          draft.expandedNodes = draft.expandedNodes.filter(
-            (nodeId) => !inactiveChildren.includes(nodeId),
-          );
-          draft.expandedNodes.push(node.activeChild);
+        if (!uiState.isPaused.get()) {
+          //we need to not do this while paused as you may move to another screen / tab
+          //and it would collapse the tree node for the activity you were paused on.
+          collapseinActiveChildren(node, draft);
         }
       }
     });
+
+    if (!uiState.isPaused.get()) {
+      nodes.set(liveClientData.nodes);
+      snapshot.set(liveClientData.snapshotInfo);
+    }
   });
 
   return {
     rootId,
     uiState,
     nodes,
-    metadata,
     snapshot,
+    metadata,
     perfEvents,
+    setPlayPause,
   };
 }
 
+function collapseinActiveChildren(node: UINode, draft: TreeState) {
+  if (node.activeChild) {
+    const inactiveChildren = node.children.filter(
+      (child) => child !== node.activeChild,
+    );
+
+    draft.expandedNodes = draft.expandedNodes.filter(
+      (nodeId) => !inactiveChildren.includes(nodeId),
+    );
+    draft.expandedNodes.push(node.activeChild);
+  }
+}
+
 export {Component} from './components/main';