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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteTo use OBS as a virtual webcam, build the scene you want to share, choose an output mode in OBS, start Virtual Camera, then select OBS Virtual Camera in your meeting app or browser. You do not need to buy a webcam for this: OBS sends its scene as a webcam feed to apps that accept one. The steps are similar on Windows and macOS, but macOS compatibility and approval prompts depend on your OBS and macOS versions.
Start OBS Virtual Camera
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In OBS Studio, prepare the scene you want the other app to receive. Check that its sources, layout, and audio are as intended.
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In the Controls dock, open the Virtual Camera settings and choose what OBS should send: Program, Preview, Scene, or Source.
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Click Start Virtual Camera.
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Open the meeting app or browser service and select OBS Virtual Camera as its camera. The exact menu location varies by receiving app.
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When finished, return to OBS and click Stop Virtual Camera.
OBS Project documentation describes Virtual Camera as a way to share an OBS scene with applications that can use a webcam feed, including Zoom, Skype, and Discord. The feature sends the OBS output onward; a physical webcam is optional and would only be one possible source in an OBS scene. OBS Virtual Camera guide
Choose what the receiving app sees
| Output mode | What it sends | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Program | The normal OBS output. | Choose this when the receiving app should see what your current program output shows. |
| Preview | The Preview in Studio Mode. | Use this only if you intend the receiving app to see the preview. Changes and edits in Preview can become visible to viewers. |
| Scene | One selected scene, regardless of the current program output. | Choose it when you want a fixed scene rather than whichever scene is currently on Program. |
| Source | One selected source. | Choose it when the receiving app should see a single source rather than a composed scene. |
The mode names and behaviors above follow the OBS Project guide. If you use Studio Mode, check the selection carefully: Preview can reveal work that you have not transitioned to Program.
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OBS’s troubleshooting guidance says that if Start Virtual Camera is absent, you can manually install the virtual camera by running virtualcam-install.bat as administrator from the OBS installation’s dataobs-pluginswin-dshow folder. OBS Virtual Camera troubleshooting
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Locate the OBS installation folder. If you do not know where OBS is installed, use the OBS shortcut to find its location; portable installations may be in a custom folder.
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Open
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Run
virtualcam-install.batas administrator. -
Reopen OBS and check the Controls dock again.
macOS: check version compatibility and approve the component
On macOS, the required steps differ by OBS and macOS release. OBS’s troubleshooting page, consulted for this guide, says OBS Studio 30.0 and later on macOS 13 (Ventura) and later include the newer virtual camera component, which is compatible with all Mac applications. It also says the component in OBS 29.1 and earlier is not compatible with macOS 14 (Sonoma). With the older component on macOS 12 and earlier, some applications may be incompatible; OBS recommends Chromium-based browsers such as Chrome or Edge for best compatibility, particularly for online services such as Discord. These are OBS’s version-specific statements, not a guarantee for every later release. OBS Virtual Camera troubleshooting
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Approve a blocked component on macOS 13 and later
OBS says macOS may block the virtual camera component the first time it launches. Allow the blocked OBS system software, authenticate when prompted, and restart OBS. The approval path depends on macOS:
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macOS 13 or 14: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Security.
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macOS 15 and later: System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Camera Extensions.
macOS 11 or 12
According to OBS, the virtual camera is installed when you first click Start Virtual Camera on macOS 11 or 12. Follow any system prompt that appears.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDo not confuse camera permissions with virtual camera approval
macOS privacy permissions govern what OBS can capture as an input. Camera permission lets OBS capture a webcam or capture card; Screen Recording permission lets it capture the desktop, windows, and apps. These permissions are separate from approving the virtual camera component that sends OBS output to another app. See the OBS macOS permissions guide and OBS Virtual Camera troubleshooting.
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Troubleshoot when the receiving app cannot see OBS Virtual Camera
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There is no Start Virtual Camera control in OBS. On Windows, use OBS’s manual installation procedure above. On macOS, check the OBS/macOS version combination and whether the component needs system approval.
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The receiving app does not list OBS Virtual Camera. Start Virtual Camera in OBS first, then check the receiving app’s camera selector. On older macOS virtual camera components, app compatibility can be the issue; OBS recommends Chrome or Edge for best compatibility with the older component.
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macOS blocked OBS system software. Open the relevant Security or Camera Extensions settings for your macOS version, allow the blocked OBS software, authenticate, and restart OBS.
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Your webcam or capture card is unavailable inside OBS. Check OBS’s macOS Camera permission. That permission affects OBS input capture; it is not the same as virtual camera approval.
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Your desktop, window, or app capture is blank or unavailable. Check OBS’s macOS Screen Recording permission, which controls those capture sources.
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The wrong scene or content appears in the meeting. Return to OBS Virtual Camera settings and verify whether you selected Program, Preview, a specific Scene, or a Source. In Studio Mode, Preview may expose edits before you intend to transition them.
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