How to Set Up DroidCam OBS on Your PC

Short answer: DroidCam OBS has two parts. The DroidCam OBS app runs on your phone, and a matching plugin runs inside OBS Studio on your computer. Install both, start the phone app, add a DroidCam OBS source to an OBS scene, and connect it to your phone. You can connect over Wi-Fi or USB. Wi-Fi needs both devices on the same network. USB needs extra setup that depends on whether the phone runs Android or iOS. If you want the phone camera in apps other than OBS, such as a video-call app or a browser, add one more step: start OBS's Virtual Camera and select it in that app.

What you need before you start

• OBS Studio installed on the computer.
• The DroidCam OBS plugin installed for that copy of OBS. Restart OBS after installing it so the new source type appears.
• The DroidCam OBS app installed on the phone. This is a separate app from the standard DroidCam app, which works with its own desktop client rather than as an OBS plugin.
• Either a shared Wi-Fi network for the phone and computer, or a USB cable that carries data, not just charging power.

Setup steps in order

• 1. Open the DroidCam OBS app on the phone and allow access to the camera and, if you want phone audio, the microphone. Keep the app open in the foreground.
• 2. Open OBS Studio. In the Sources panel of your scene, click the plus button and choose DroidCam OBS. If it isn't listed, the plugin isn't installed for this copy of OBS or OBS wasn't restarted.
• 3. In the source properties, choose the connection type: Wi-Fi or USB.
• 4. For Wi-Fi, select the phone if it was discovered automatically, or type the IP address shown in the phone app. For USB, select the device once it appears.
• 5. Click Activate or Connect. The phone's camera image should appear in the OBS preview.
• 6. Adjust the resolution and quality settings in the source properties if the image is choppy or delayed. Lower settings ease the load on the network and the computer.

Wi-Fi or USB: the choice that changes setup

Wi-Fi needs no drivers, but both devices must be on the same local network. Guest networks, client isolation on some routers, VPNs, and firewall rules can block the connection even when both devices show a good signal. On Windows, allow OBS through the firewall for the network type you are using.

USB connections are usually more stable, but the requirements depend on the phone. Android phones generally need USB debugging turned on in Developer Options, and the phone must accept the computer's debugging prompt. iPhones connected to a Windows PC generally need Apple's device drivers, which come with Apple's iTunes or Apple Devices software, and the phone must trust the computer. Steps differ between operating system and app versions, so follow the instructions shown in the current phone app if they differ from these.

Video and audio are separate

The DroidCam OBS source can carry the phone's camera image and, optionally, the phone's microphone. They fail independently. A working picture does not mean audio is coming through, and the reverse is also true. If you hear nothing, check four things. First, the phone app has microphone permission. Second, audio is enabled in the app or source settings. Third, the DroidCam OBS source shows a moving meter in OBS's Audio Mixer and isn't muted. Fourth, you haven't also added another microphone that you meant to use instead. If you prefer a USB or headset mic on the computer, add it in OBS as its own audio input and mute the phone's audio to avoid echo or doubled sound.

Using the phone camera in other apps

The plugin only creates a source inside OBS. To send that picture to a meeting app or website, click Start Virtual Camera in OBS. Then, in the other app, choose OBS Virtual Camera as the camera. This involves three separate layers. Detection means the virtual camera exists on the system. Permission means the operating system or browser allows that app to use cameras. Selection means the app is set to OBS Virtual Camera rather than a built-in webcam. If any layer is missing, the app shows the wrong camera or none. On macOS, also check System Settings under Privacy & Security, Camera. In a browser, check the site's camera permission and the camera chosen in the site's settings. The virtual camera carries video only. Choose the microphone separately in the meeting app.

Black screen or no connection: what to check first

• 1. Plugin: DroidCam OBS appears in OBS's list of source types. If not, reinstall the plugin and restart OBS.
• 2. Phone app: the app is open, in the foreground, and has camera permission. Phones may stop the camera when the screen locks or the app moves to the background.
• 3. Camera in use elsewhere: no other phone app is using the camera at the same time.
• 4. Connection path: for Wi-Fi, same network, correct IP address, no VPN, firewall allows OBS. For USB, a data-capable cable, plus USB debugging on Android or a trusted computer with drivers on iPhone.
• 5. Source state: the source is activated in its properties, visible (eye icon on) in the current scene, and not hidden behind another source.
• 6. Performance: lower the resolution or quality if the feed freezes or lags.
• 7. Other apps: Virtual Camera is started in OBS, and the app has camera permission and OBS Virtual Camera selected.

What this guide does not cover

No version-specific documentation was available for this article. So it does not list supported phone models, operating system versions, maximum resolutions, frame rates, latency figures, or which features need a paid upgrade in the phone app. Menu names and steps may differ between app releases. If something here doesn't match what you see, follow the current instructions in the phone app and the plugin installer.