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To use OBS as a virtual webcam, prepare the scene you want to share, start Virtual Camera from OBS’s Controls dock, then choose OBS Virtual Camera in your meeting app or browser. The setting you choose in OBS determines whether people see your normal program output, a preview, or one specific scene or source.
Start OBS Virtual Camera
- Prepare your OBS scene. Add and arrange the sources you want the receiving app to see, such as a game capture, desktop capture, webcam, or graphics. A physical webcam is optional; OBS Virtual Camera shares OBS output rather than requiring a separate camera.
- Choose the output. In the Controls dock, open Virtual Camera settings and select Program, Preview, Scene, or Source. If your OBS version does not show a separate settings button, use the available Virtual Camera control.
- Start the feed. Click Start Virtual Camera. OBS Project describes this feature as sharing an OBS scene with applications that accept webcam feeds.
- Select it in the receiving app. Open the app’s camera or video settings and choose OBS Virtual Camera as its camera. If the app was already open and does not list the camera, close and reopen the app after starting Virtual Camera.
- Stop when finished. Return to OBS and click Stop Virtual Camera, the same control used to start it.
Choose what the virtual camera sends
| Mode | What viewers receive | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Program | The normal OBS output currently being sent to the program. | Use this for the finished scene you intend to present. |
| Preview | The Preview pane when Studio Mode is in use. | Useful when you deliberately want to show the preview. Be aware that scene changes or edits visible there may also be visible to viewers. |
| Scene | One selected scene, regardless of the current program output. | Use it when the receiving app should always see a particular scene rather than follow program changes. |
| Source | One selected source. | Use it when you want to send a single item instead of a composed OBS scene. |
For a straightforward presentation, Program is usually the least surprising choice. In Studio Mode, confirm whether you intend to send Preview or Program before making changes: Preview can expose in-progress scene work.
Windows: if OBS Virtual Camera is missing
First confirm that OBS Virtual Camera has been started and check the receiving app’s camera selector. If Start Virtual Camera is absent in OBS, OBS Project’s troubleshooting guidance documents manual installation by running virtualcam-install.bat as administrator from the OBS installation folder’s dataobs-pluginswin-dshow directory.
- Locate the OBS installation folder. If you do not know its location, use the OBS shortcut to locate the installed files. Portable installations may use a different folder.
- Open
dataobs-pluginswin-dshowwithin that installation. - Right-click
virtualcam-install.batand choose to run it as administrator. - Reopen OBS and check for the Virtual Camera control.
The folder path depends on where OBS is installed; do not assume every Windows installation uses the same drive or directory.
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macOS: check OBS and macOS compatibility
The macOS steps depend on both the OBS Studio version and the macOS version. OBS Project’s consulted troubleshooting page (dated 2022) gives the following compatibility guidance; later software releases may change it.
- OBS Studio 30.0 or later with macOS 13 (Ventura) or later: OBS says these versions include the newer virtual camera component, compatible with all Mac applications.
- OBS 29.1 and earlier with macOS 14 (Sonoma): OBS says the older virtual camera component is not compatible with macOS 14.
- Older component on macOS 12 and earlier: OBS notes that it may be incompatible with some applications and recommends Chromium-based browsers such as Chrome or Edge for best compatibility, particularly for online services such as Discord.
macOS: approve the virtual camera component
On macOS 13 and later, the system may block the OBS virtual camera component the first time it is used. OBS Project documents these approval locations:
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- macOS 13 or 14: Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Security. Allow the blocked OBS system software, authenticate if prompted, and restart OBS.
- macOS 15 or later: Open System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Camera Extensions. Allow the OBS camera extension, authenticate if prompted, and restart OBS.
- macOS 11 or 12: OBS says the virtual camera is installed when you first click Start Virtual Camera.
Menu names and compatibility details above reflect OBS Project’s consulted troubleshooting guidance and may change in later OBS or macOS releases.
macOS permissions: distinguish camera input from virtual camera output
Two different permission questions can arise. OBS Project’s permissions guidance concerns what OBS is allowed to capture as input:
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- Camera permission lets OBS capture a webcam or capture card.
- Screen Recording permission lets OBS capture the desktop, windows, and apps.
Those input permissions are separate from approval of the OBS virtual camera component. If OBS can show its composed scene but a source is blank, check the permission for that source type. If OBS output works but the receiving app cannot see OBS Virtual Camera, check virtual camera approval, app selection, and compatibility instead.
Troubleshoot a camera that does not appear or show the expected picture
- OBS Virtual Camera is not in the meeting app’s list: Start it in OBS first, then reopen the receiving app and check its camera selector again. On Windows, if the OBS start control itself is missing, follow the manual installation steps above. On macOS, check extension approval and the OBS/macOS compatibility notes.
- The app shows the wrong scene: Reopen OBS Virtual Camera settings and check whether the selected mode is Program, Preview, Scene, or Source. Confirm that the selected scene or source is the one you intend to send.
- People see scene edits or transitions you meant to keep private: Check whether the virtual camera is sending Preview in Studio Mode. Choose Program for the normal program output, or a specific Scene or Source if that better matches your intent.
- A webcam or capture card source is blank on macOS: Check OBS’s macOS Camera permission. That permission applies to capturing the device in OBS, not to selecting OBS Virtual Camera in another app.
- Desktop, window, or app capture is blank on macOS: Check OBS’s Screen Recording permission, which governs those capture sources.
- OBS appears to run but an older Mac app or browser cannot use the feed: Verify the macOS and OBS versions against the compatibility guidance. For the older component on macOS 12 and earlier, OBS recommends Chromium-based browsers such as Chrome or Edge for best compatibility.
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