How to use OBS Virtual Camera on Discord

The short answer

Build your scene in OBS Studio and click Start Virtual Camera. Then open Discord, go to User Settings > Voice & Video, and choose OBS Virtual Camera as your camera. Discord treats OBS like a normal webcam, so anything in your OBS output appears when you turn on your camera in a call. That includes your webcam feed, overlays, text, images and backgrounds.

There are two ways to show OBS content in Discord, and they behave differently. Virtual Camera sends your OBS scene through Discord's camera button, so it appears as your video tile. Screen sharing or Go Live sends a window or display as a stream instead. This guide covers Virtual Camera. Screen sharing is briefly compared near the end.

Before you start

• OBS Studio installed. Current versions include Virtual Camera as a built-in feature. Older versions relied on a separate third-party virtualcam plugin, so if you can't find a Start Virtual Camera button, update OBS rather than looking for that plugin.
• The Discord desktop app is recommended. The browser version can work, but it depends on the browser's own camera permissions and on whether that browser lists virtual cameras.
• A camera source in OBS if you want to appear on screen. A scene with only images or text also works.
• On macOS: permission for OBS to install its camera extension, and camera permission for Discord in System Settings.
• On Linux: OBS's Virtual Camera depends on the v4l2loopback kernel module. Your distribution may need it installed separately.

Step 1: Set up your scene in OBS

• 1. Open OBS Studio and select a scene, or create a new one in the Scenes panel.
• 2. In the Sources panel, click + and add Video Capture Device to bring in your physical webcam. Choose your webcam in the device dropdown.
• 3. Add any other sources you want, such as an image, text or a browser source. Arrange them in the preview.
• 4. Optionally, open Settings > Video and review the Output (Scaled) Resolution and frame rate. Virtual Camera uses these output settings. A widescreen layout is a common choice because it matches most webcams.
• Success check: the OBS preview shows exactly what you want others to see, and your webcam image is live rather than black or frozen.

If your webcam appears black in OBS, another app is probably already using it. On many systems only one application can access a physical webcam at a time. Close Discord's camera, browser tabs, and other video apps, then reselect the device in OBS. This conflict is also why Discord should use OBS Virtual Camera rather than your physical webcam. OBS holds the real camera and passes the image to Discord.

Step 2: Start the Virtual Camera

• 1. In the Controls dock, usually at the bottom right, click Start Virtual Camera.
• 2. In recent versions, a gear icon next to the button lets you choose what the virtual camera outputs. You can send the main program output, a specific scene, or a single source. Leave it on the program output unless you have a reason to change it.
• 3. On macOS, the first start may ask you to allow the OBS camera extension. Approve it in System Settings under Privacy & Security, or in the extensions or login items section of newer macOS versions, then start the Virtual Camera again.
• Success check: the button now reads Stop Virtual Camera. This confirms OBS is sending video. It does not yet confirm that Discord can see it.

Step 3: Select OBS Virtual Camera in Discord

• 1. Open Discord and click the gear icon (User Settings) near your username.
• 2. Under App Settings, open Voice & Video.
• 3. Scroll to Video Settings and open the Camera dropdown.
• 4. Choose OBS Virtual Camera.
• 5. Click Test Video to see a preview.
• Success check: the preview shows your OBS scene, overlays included. This confirms that Discord can access the virtual camera and receive its image.

If OBS Virtual Camera is missing from the dropdown, fully quit Discord, including from the system tray or menu bar, and reopen it with the Virtual Camera already running. Discord may only detect new camera devices when it starts.

Step 4: Use it in a call

• 1. Join a voice channel or start a direct call.
• 2. Click the camera button (Video) to turn on your camera.
• 3. If Discord asks which camera to use, pick OBS Virtual Camera.
• Success check: ask another participant whether they can see your OBS scene and whether the motion looks smooth.

Steps 3 and 4 check different things. The settings preview only shows that Discord receives the image on your computer. It cannot tell you how the video looks to others. Resolution, smoothness and delay on their end depend on your connection, their connection and Discord's own video limits. Only another participant can confirm that.

Using OBS Virtual Camera with Discord on a Mac

On macOS, two separate permissions are involved:

• Allow OBS's camera extension so the virtual camera exists on the system.
• Give Discord camera access under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera. If Discord isn't allowed there, no camera will work in it, virtual or physical.

After changing either permission, quit and reopen Discord. On older macOS versions, OBS used a different virtual camera method that some apps did not recognize. If OBS Virtual Camera never appears in Discord on an older Mac, that limitation may be the cause. The supplied material doesn't confirm which macOS and Discord version combinations are affected, so updating both apps is the most reliable first step.

Common problems and fixes

Symptom | Likely cause | What to try

OBS Virtual Camera not listed in Discord | Discord was opened before the Virtual Camera started, or the macOS extension isn't approved | Start the Virtual Camera, fully quit and reopen Discord, check macOS extension approval

Discord shows a placeholder image, black screen or OBS logo | Virtual Camera is selected in Discord but not running in OBS | Click Start Virtual Camera in OBS

Webcam is black inside OBS | Another app, possibly Discord, is using the physical webcam | Set Discord's camera to OBS Virtual Camera, close other video apps, reselect the device in OBS

Text looks backwards in your Discord preview | Your self-view may be mirrored | Ask another participant to confirm; mirroring in your own view does not necessarily mean others see it reversed

Image is cropped or has bars | OBS output shape doesn't match how Discord displays the tile | Adjust the OBS output resolution or keep important content away from the edges

Others see video but hear nothing from OBS | Virtual Camera carries video only | Check your microphone in Discord's Voice & Video settings

What about audio?

OBS Virtual Camera sends video only. Discord still takes sound from whatever input device is set under Voice & Video. If you want sounds from OBS, such as music or media sources, to reach Discord, you need a separate virtual audio routing tool. Setting one up is outside this guide.

For your normal microphone, there are three separate checks. First, the right device must be chosen as Discord's input. Second, the input meter must move when you speak. Third, a call partner must confirm they can understand you clearly. Each step only proves its own part.

Backgrounds through OBS versus Discord's own effects

There are three different kinds of background:

• OBS backgrounds: an image, a color key such as a green screen, or a background-removal filter added in OBS. These become part of the video before Discord receives it.
• Discord's video effects: backgrounds or blur applied by Discord itself.
• Physical backgrounds: what is actually behind you in the room.

If you use an OBS background, turn off Discord's video effects. Stacking both can produce odd edges or hide your OBS layout.

Virtual Camera versus streaming OBS to Discord

Some people want to stream OBS to Discord rather than use it as a webcam. To do that, you can screen share the OBS window or a projector window. In OBS, right-click the preview and choose a windowed projector. Then share that window with Discord's screen share or Go Live. This shows up as a stream that others choose to watch, not as your camera tile. Use Virtual Camera when OBS should replace your webcam. Use screen sharing when you are presenting content, such as gameplay, to viewers.

Information gaps

The material behind this guide did not include confirmed version numbers, Discord camera resolution or frame-rate limits, or recommended settings. Menu labels may also shift slightly between OBS, Discord and operating-system versions. If a label differs, look for the closest equivalent: Virtual Camera in OBS's Controls dock, and Camera under Discord's Voice & Video settings.