Change the picture shown by the OBS virtual camera

The short answer

The OBS virtual camera sends whatever OBS is outputting to apps such as video-conferencing software. By default that is the Program view, which is your active scene. To change the picture, you change the scene or the sources inside it. You can switch to another scene, add or remove an image, video or camera source, rearrange layers, or apply filters. Recent OBS versions also let you choose which output the virtual camera uses. Menu names and options differ between OBS versions and operating systems, so check the labels in your installed version.

Change the picture by editing or switching scenes

• In OBS, select the scene that is live in the Program view, or the only scene if Studio Mode is off.
• In the Sources panel, click the add button and choose a source type. Common types are an image, a media or video file, a video capture device for a webcam, or a display or window capture.
• Drag sources up or down in the list to set layering. Sources higher in the list appear in front.
• Resize or reposition a source by dragging it in the preview. You can also right-click it and use the Transform options, which include flip, rotate and fit to screen.
• To show a completely different picture, create a separate scene and switch to it. If Studio Mode is on, transition it to Program.
• Start the virtual camera if it is not already running, then select the OBS virtual camera as the video device in the receiving app.

Check the result in the receiving app's self-view or video preview, not only in OBS. Many conferencing apps mirror your self-view by default, while other participants see the unmirrored image. Text that looks reversed to you may therefore look correct to everyone else. Check the app's mirror setting before you flip anything in OBS.

Choose what the virtual camera outputs

In recent OBS releases, a settings (gear) button sits next to Start Virtual Camera in the Controls panel. It lets you choose the output type, such as the Program output, the Preview, a specific scene or a single source. Picking a specific scene or source means the virtual camera keeps showing that picture even while you switch scenes in OBS for other purposes. Older versions may not have this control. In those versions, the virtual camera follows the Program output only. This guide was written without access to specific version documentation, so confirm in your release whether the control exists and what it is called.

Replace or hide the background behind you

For background replacement, put an image or video source below your webcam source in the same scene. Then make the area around you transparent. With a physical green or blue screen, add a Chroma Key filter to the webcam source: right-click the source, open Filters, then add the filter under Effect Filters. The background image will then show through. Without a screen, third-party OBS plugins can segment a person from the background. These are not part of OBS itself, and no evidence was available here on their quality or processing load. Some conferencing apps also offer built-in background effects. In that case, check whether they apply on top of the virtual camera feed so you don't stack two effects.

Size, shape and when changes appear

The virtual camera's frame size generally follows the output (scaled) resolution in OBS's Video settings. If the picture looks cropped or letterboxed in your meeting app, compare that setting with the aspect ratio of your sources. Some apps also crop the video to their own layout. Scene and source edits usually appear in the receiving app as soon as you make them. Changes to resolution, however, may require stopping and restarting the virtual camera, and sometimes reselecting it in the app. When the virtual camera is selected but not running, some apps show a static placeholder or a blank frame instead of your scene.

What this means for your microphone

Changing the virtual camera picture does not affect your audio, because the OBS virtual camera carries video only. Your speech reaches the meeting app through whichever microphone the app itself selects, such as a webcam's built-in mic, a USB microphone or a headset. Changing the video device to the OBS virtual camera does not automatically switch the microphone. Open the app's audio settings, choose the input you want, and speak while watching its input level meter or using its mic test. That confirms speech is being captured. If you need OBS audio filters or mixes in the call, you will need a separate virtual audio route. That setup is outside the scope of this guide.