How to Fix a DroidCam Black Screen in OBS

The short answer

A black DroidCam image in OBS usually means the source exists in OBS but no video frames are arriving. The cause is usually one of three things. The phone app is not actively sending video. The connection between the phone and the computer is blocked or pointed at the wrong address. Or the OBS source is not attached to the device, which can happen when another program is holding the camera or when the plugin no longer matches your OBS version. Work through the checks below in order. Each one rules out a layer before you move on to the next.

This guide is based on general troubleshooting principles. No tested measurements, version-specific results or official figures were available for it. Menu names and options can differ between DroidCam and OBS versions, so treat the labels below as approximate. Check the current documentation for your version if something does not match.

First, identify which DroidCam setup you are using

"DroidCam in OBS" can mean two different setups, and the fix depends on which one you have.

• Plugin setup: you installed a DroidCam plugin for OBS and added a DroidCam-specific source in OBS. The phone streams straight to that source.
• Client setup: you installed the standalone DroidCam desktop client. It presents the phone as a webcam, and you added it in OBS as a standard Video Capture Device.

If you are not sure, look at your OBS source list. A source created from a DroidCam entry in the Add Source menu points to the plugin setup. A Video Capture Device with DroidCam selected as the device points to the client setup.

Step 1: Confirm the phone is actually sending video

Fix this layer first. OBS cannot show an image the phone is not capturing.

• Open the DroidCam app on the phone and leave it in the foreground. If you switch apps or lock the screen, the camera can stop on many phones.
• Check that the app has camera permission in the phone's settings. If the permission was denied, the app may run but have no image to send.
• Close any other phone app that might be using the camera, such as the built-in camera app or a video-call app.
• Turn off battery saver or battery optimization for DroidCam, if your phone has it. These features can pause background camera use.
• If the app has its own preview, check that it shows a live image. A blank preview in the phone app means the problem is on the phone, not in OBS.

Step 2: Check the connection between phone and computer

A connection that fails or is never made can leave the OBS source black with no error message. Use the checks that match how you connect.

Over Wi-Fi:

• Put the phone and computer on the same network. Guest networks and some office or campus networks keep devices from seeing each other.
• Compare the address the phone app shows with the address entered in OBS or the desktop client. Phone addresses can change after a reconnect.
• Check whether a firewall or security program on the computer is blocking OBS or the DroidCam client. If it is, allow them through on private networks.
• If you use a VPN on either device, turn it off while testing.

Over USB:

• Try a different cable and port. Some cables only charge and cannot carry data.
• On Android, USB connections often need developer options and USB debugging turned on. Accept the authorization prompt that appears on the phone when you connect.
• On iPhone, unlock the phone and accept the prompt to trust the computer. On Windows, the phone may also need Apple's device drivers installed before it is recognized.
• Re-plug the phone after the phone app is open, then reconnect from OBS or the client.

Step 3: Reset the source in OBS

For the plugin setup:

• Open the DroidCam source's properties. Check that the right phone or connection is selected, then use the option to refresh or reconnect.
• If the source still shows black, delete it and add a new one. A fresh source can clear stale connection settings.

For the client setup:

• First, confirm that the DroidCam desktop client itself shows video. If it does not, go back to Steps 1 and 2.
• In OBS, open the Video Capture Device properties and select the DroidCam device again. Use the Deactivate and then Activate button to restart the capture.
• If the properties include resolution settings, go back to the device default. An unsupported custom resolution can produce a black frame.
• Close Zoom, Teams, browser tabs on call sites and any other program that might be using the same camera. A webcam device often serves only one application at a time.

Step 4: Check plugin and OBS compatibility

If the black screen started right after an OBS update, the DroidCam plugin may no longer match your OBS version. Reinstall the latest plugin build listed as compatible with your OBS release, and update the phone app too. Restart OBS after installing. If the DroidCam source is missing from the Add Source menu entirely, OBS did not load the plugin. The problem is the installation, not the camera.

Step 5: Restart everything in order

If none of the targeted checks worked, restart in a clean order so each part starts fresh:

• Close OBS and the DroidCam desktop client, if you use one.
• Close the DroidCam app on the phone, then reopen it and keep it in the foreground.
• Open the desktop client, if you use one, and confirm it shows video.
• Open OBS and check the source.

Quick reference: symptom, likely cause, what to check

Symptom | Likely cause | What to check

Phone app preview is also black | Camera permission or another phone app using the camera | Phone camera permission; close other camera apps

Phone preview works, OBS is black over Wi-Fi | Network separation, wrong address or firewall | Same network, current address, firewall rules, VPN

Phone preview works, OBS is black over USB | Cable, driver or authorization prompt | Data cable, USB debugging or trust prompt, drivers

Desktop client shows video, OBS does not | OBS source not attached or device in use elsewhere | Deactivate and Activate; close other video apps

DroidCam source missing in OBS | Plugin not loaded or incompatible | Reinstall a plugin build that matches your OBS version

Video stops after a while | Phone sleeping or battery restrictions | Keep the app in the foreground; turn off battery optimization

How to confirm the fix worked

Seeing the device listed is not the same as getting video. Check each stage separately:

• Camera access: the phone app shows a live preview.
• Connection: the phone app or desktop client reports a connected computer.
• Capture in OBS: the OBS preview shows a moving image, not a frozen frame. Wave a hand to check.
• Use in a call: if you send OBS into a meeting app through its virtual camera, start the virtual camera in OBS and pick it in the meeting app. Make a short test call to judge image quality and smoothness. A working OBS preview does not guarantee good call quality.

If it still shows black

If all the checks pass but OBS stays black, try one other video tool on the computer. Use the DroidCam desktop client or a basic camera app that can select the DroidCam device. This shows whether the problem is specific to OBS. If no program on the computer gets video, focus on the phone, the connection and the drivers. If other programs work and only OBS fails, focus on the OBS source and plugin version. At that point, the developer's support resources or the OBS community forums are the best places to ask. Include your OBS version, your phone model, your connection type and whether you use the plugin or the client setup.