How to Blur Your Webcam Background in OBS

The short answer

A standard OBS Studio installation does not include a filter that detects you and blurs only the room behind you. You can add that effect in one of two ways: install a background-removal plugin that offers a blur mode, or, on some computers with supported NVIDIA graphics cards, use NVIDIA's background effects inside OBS. After you add the effect, you can send the blurred image to Zoom, Teams, Meet or a browser call through OBS's built-in Virtual Camera.

The word "blur" can mean two different things here, and they need different tools. One is a blur of the whole camera image, which makes your face soft too. The other is a blur of only the background, which keeps you sharp. This guide covers the second one. Separating a person from the background is called segmentation. OBS needs an add-on to do it.

If you only want a blurred background in a single video call and you don't need OBS's scenes or overlays, the call app's own blur setting is usually simpler. Many current operating systems also have a built-in camera blur on supported hardware. Choose OBS when you also want its other features, such as graphics, layouts or recording.

Option 1: A background-removal plugin

Community-made OBS plugins use a machine-learning model to find the person in the frame. Some of them can blur the background as well as remove it. Features, supported OBS versions and supported operating systems differ from plugin to plugin. Before you install one, read its own documentation and confirm that it has a blur option and supports your setup.

• 1. Close OBS and install the plugin as its documentation describes.
• 2. Open OBS and add your webcam with Sources > + > Video Capture Device, if you haven't already.
• 3. Right-click the webcam source and choose Filters.
• 4. Under Effect Filters, click + and select the plugin's filter.
• 5. Change the mode from removal to blur, if the plugin offers that, and adjust the blur strength.
• 6. Adjust any threshold or smoothing settings until the outline around your head and shoulders looks clean.

Option 2: NVIDIA background effects

On some systems with a supported NVIDIA graphics card, OBS shows NVIDIA's background effects as filters on a video source. This usually works only after you install NVIDIA's separate video-effects component. If the filter isn't listed, your hardware, driver or OBS version may not support it. The steps are the same as for a plugin: open the webcam source's Filters, add the NVIDIA background filter, and choose the blur mode if that mode is available.

Sending the blurred video to a call

• 1. In OBS, click Start Virtual Camera in the Controls panel.
• 2. Open your call app or the browser's site settings and choose OBS Virtual Camera as the camera.
• 3. Choose your real microphone separately. The Virtual Camera sends video only and does not carry audio.
• 4. Keep OBS open for the whole call. If you close it or stop the Virtual Camera, the video feed stops.

Some systems need an extra step for the Virtual Camera to appear. On macOS, you may have to approve a system extension or camera permission the first time you use it. On Linux, the virtual camera depends on the v4l2loopback kernel module. In a browser, the site also needs camera permission. If OBS Virtual Camera doesn't appear as an option, restart the call app after you start the Virtual Camera.

Checking that it actually worked

Three separate things have to work: OBS has to get access to the webcam, the blur has to look right, and the call has to receive a clean picture. Check each one.

• Camera access: the OBS preview shows a live image. If it's black, another app may be using the webcam, so close it and reselect the device.
• Blur quality: move your hands, turn your head and lean back. Look for flickering edges, hair that disappears or background that shows through around your shoulders.
• Call output: check the self-view or test call in the call app. The call app may mirror your self-view, but other people usually see you unmirrored.
• Performance: watch for dropped frames or lag in OBS. Segmentation adds load to the CPU or GPU and can slow down older machines.

Improving the result

Segmentation works best when it's easy to tell you apart from the background. Even lighting on your face, a background that differs from your clothing and hair, and not sitting right against a wall all help the effect find your outline. A busy, backlit room makes errors more likely, whichever tool you use.

What this guide doesn't cover

No tested performance figures, hardware requirements or version numbers were available for this guide, so it doesn't give any. Check plugin and driver compatibility in the official documentation for each tool. This guide covers only a live virtual blur. Tidying or changing your actual room, or blurring the background of a photo afterward in an editor, are separate tasks with separate tools.