How to Send DroidCam Video to OBS and Set Up the Virtual Output

There are two ways to get DroidCam video into OBS Studio. The first is the DroidCam OBS plugin, which adds a dedicated source that receives the phone's stream directly. The second is the regular DroidCam desktop client, which makes the phone appear to the computer as a webcam that OBS can add as a Video Capture Device. Either way, OBS can then pass its finished scene to Zoom, Teams, a browser or another app through OBS Virtual Camera. What changes the steps most is which DroidCam components you have installed: the OBS-oriented app and plugin, or the standard app and desktop client. They connect differently, so start by identifying which one you are using.

Which route fits your setup

Route | What runs on the computer | How it appears in OBS | Good fit when

DroidCam OBS plugin | A plugin installed into OBS Studio | A DroidCam source in the Add Source menu | The phone feed is only needed inside OBS

DroidCam desktop client | The DroidCam client plus its virtual webcam device | A camera listed under Video Capture Device | The phone camera is also needed by other apps, or you already use the client

Depending on the version, the OBS connection may be built into the main DroidCam phone app or offered as a separate phone app. Check the app's description in your phone's app store to see which applies. Menu names and supported operating systems can also differ between releases. Use the developer's current documentation as the authority for your specific version.

Route 1: Using the DroidCam OBS plugin

• Install the DroidCam plugin that matches your OBS Studio version and operating system, then restart OBS so it loads.
• Open the DroidCam app on the phone and leave it on the screen that shows its connection details.
• Connect the phone and computer the way the app supports: the same Wi-Fi network, or USB if your version and platform allow it.
• In OBS, click the plus button under Sources and add the DroidCam source.
• In the source properties, select the phone or enter the connection details the phone app displays, then activate the connection.
• Resize and position the video in your scene as you would any other source.

Route 2: Using the DroidCam client as a webcam

• Start the DroidCam client on the computer and connect it to the phone app until the client shows a live preview.
• In OBS, add a Video Capture Device source.
• In the Device list, choose the DroidCam camera entry.
• If the preview is black, change the resolution setting in the source properties, or close and reopen the source after the client has connected.

Turning on the virtual output

A virtual camera is a software device that other programs treat as an ordinary webcam. OBS Virtual Camera sends whatever OBS is showing, including your DroidCam feed, overlays and effects, to any app that lets you choose a camera.

• Build the scene you want to share in OBS.
• Click Start Virtual Camera in the Controls panel.
• In the receiving app, open its video or camera settings and select OBS Virtual Camera as the camera.
• Leave OBS running for as long as the other app needs the feed. Stopping the virtual camera or closing OBS ends the output.

Platform notes: On Linux, OBS Virtual Camera depends on the v4l2loopback kernel module. On macOS, the system may ask you to approve OBS's camera extension the first time you start the virtual camera. If you use the desktop-client route, don't select the DroidCam camera in your call app as well. Choose OBS Virtual Camera there so OBS remains the only program reading the DroidCam device.

OBS Virtual Camera carries video only. If you want the phone's microphone or OBS's audio mix in a call, route the audio separately. Then select the matching microphone input in the receiving app's audio settings, which are separate from its camera settings.

If the video doesn't appear: the order of checks

Separate three questions as you troubleshoot. Is the device detected at all? Does the app have permission to use it? Is it the input actually selected? Video and audio follow separate paths, so a working picture says nothing about the microphone, and the reverse is also true.

• 1. Phone side: Confirm the DroidCam app is open, has camera permission on the phone, and is not being paused by battery-saving settings.
• 2. Connection: Confirm the phone and computer are on the same network, or that the USB connection is recognized. Check that a firewall is not blocking DroidCam on the computer.
• 3. Detection in OBS: Confirm the plugin source appears in Add Source (plugin route), or that the DroidCam device is listed under Video Capture Device (client route). If the plugin source is missing, check that the plugin matches your OBS version and that you restarted OBS.
• 4. Device conflicts: Close other apps that may be holding the DroidCam camera, since a camera often cannot be opened by two programs at once.
• 5. Virtual output: Confirm Start Virtual Camera is active and the OBS preview shows the scene you expect.
• 6. Permissions in the receiving app: On Windows, check the camera privacy settings for desktop apps. On macOS, check Camera access in Privacy & Security. In a browser, check the site's camera permission.
• 7. Selection in the receiving app: Choose OBS Virtual Camera, not the built-in webcam or the DroidCam device. Restart the app if the camera list doesn't refresh.

What this guide can't confirm

No version-specific evidence was available for this guide. It doesn't confirm which DroidCam releases include the OBS connection, which operating systems the plugin currently supports, whether USB works on a given platform, or what resolution and quality limits apply. Verify these details in the current DroidCam and OBS Studio documentation for your versions before buying upgrades or changing system settings.