How to use OBS Virtual Camera on Monkey

The short answer

OBS Virtual Camera turns whatever is in your current OBS Studio scene into a camera that other apps can select, as if it were a webcam. To use it with Monkey, build your scene in OBS on a computer and click Start Virtual Camera. Then open Monkey in a desktop browser and choose "OBS Virtual Camera" as the camera in the browser's permission settings. If Monkey's video preview shows your OBS scene, the routing is working.

Several limits change what is possible:

• Desktop only: OBS runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Its virtual camera cannot be selected inside a phone app, so this method needs Monkey in a computer browser, not the mobile app.
• Platform support and rules are unconfirmed: no evidence was available on whether Monkey accepts, blocks or restricts virtual cameras, or what its terms say about altered or pre-recorded video. Check Monkey's current rules before you rely on this. Random video chat services generally expect a live feed of the person on the call.
• No audio: OBS Virtual Camera carries video only. Your microphone has to be selected separately in the browser.

Before you start

• A computer with OBS Studio installed and a working webcam or other video source.
• A desktop browser in which you can open Monkey. Availability of a web version may vary, and no evidence was available to confirm it for your region or account.
• On Linux, the v4l2loopback kernel module, which OBS uses to create the virtual camera device. OBS will report a problem if it is missing.
• On macOS, you may be asked to approve the OBS camera extension in System Settings the first time you start the virtual camera.

Step-by-step setup

• 1. Open OBS and add your webcam. In the Sources panel, click the plus button and choose Video Capture Device (on macOS it may be labeled differently, such as a camera or capture source), then pick your webcam. Success check: your live image appears in the OBS preview.
• 2. Add any effects you want. Filters such as color correction or a chroma key (a green-screen effect that replaces a solid-color backdrop) are applied to the source in OBS. What you see in the OBS preview is what the virtual camera will send. These are virtual effects; they do not change your physical background.
• 3. Start the virtual camera. In the Controls dock, click Start Virtual Camera. Success check: the button changes to Stop Virtual Camera.
• 4. Fully restart your browser if it was already open. Many browsers only list cameras that existed when they launched.
• 5. Open Monkey in the browser and allow camera access when prompted. If the prompt offers a camera choice, pick OBS Virtual Camera.
• 6. If your real webcam was picked instead, open the site's permission settings. In Chromium-based browsers such as Chrome and Edge, use the camera or site-settings icon in the address bar. In Firefox, use the permission icon in the address bar or the camera dropdown in the prompt. Select OBS Virtual Camera, then reload the page.
• 7. Choose your real microphone in the same permission settings, because OBS will not supply audio.
• 8. Success check: Monkey's self-view shows your OBS scene, including any effects you added, rather than the raw webcam image.

What the check proves, and what it doesn't

Seeing your OBS scene in Monkey's self-view confirms three things: the browser has camera permission, it is reading the virtual camera, and frames are reaching the page. It does not show how the video looks to the person on the other end. Their view depends on connection quality and compression. A self-view that looks mirrored can also appear the correct way round to others.

The microphone works the same way. The browser listing your microphone only shows that it was detected. A moving level indicator shows input activity. Neither confirms that you will sound clear to a partner. No verified input-level targets or other technical thresholds were available for this setup, so none are given here. A short test call with someone you know is the most direct way to check picture and sound together.

If it doesn't work

• OBS Virtual Camera isn't in the camera list: confirm the virtual camera is started in OBS, then fully quit and reopen the browser. On Linux, check that v4l2loopback is installed. On macOS, check that the camera extension was approved.
• Black or blank video: the virtual camera may be stopped, or the active OBS scene may be empty. Make sure the OBS preview shows an image, and that the scene you want is the active one.
• "Camera in use" error or a frozen webcam image: OBS is holding the physical webcam, so the browser cannot open it at the same time. Select OBS Virtual Camera in the browser rather than the webcam itself.
• Video works but nobody can hear you: select your microphone in the browser's site permissions. OBS Virtual Camera does not pass audio.
• The browser accepts the camera but Monkey still won't show it: the service may handle virtual cameras differently. No evidence was available to confirm Monkey's behavior here, so check its help resources for current camera requirements.