OBS Virtual Webcam: How to Use OBS Studio as a Camera in Video Calls

OBS Studio can send its output to other apps as if it were a regular webcam. This feature is called the virtual camera. Once it is running, Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, Discord or a browser-based call can select OBS as its camera and show your OBS scene, including your real webcam image, graphic overlays, text and backgrounds.

The short answer

Recent versions of OBS Studio have the virtual camera built in, so you usually do not need a separate plugin. Build a scene, click Start Virtual Camera in the Controls panel, and then choose OBS Virtual Camera as the camera in your call app. The main limitation is that the virtual camera carries video only. Your microphone and other sound are not included, so you still pick the microphone separately in the call app.

There is one important distinction. A virtual camera is software that appears to other apps as a camera device. It is not the same as your physical webcam, and it does not replace the call app's own effects such as blur or virtual backgrounds. OBS composes the picture, and the call app receives the finished result.

What you need before starting

• OBS Studio installed from the official project, preferably a current release.
• A physical webcam connected and working, if you want your face in the scene.
• On Windows, nothing extra is normally required because the virtual camera is installed with OBS.
• On macOS, the system may ask you to approve a camera or system extension the first time you start the virtual camera. Approve it in System Settings and restart OBS if prompted.
• On Linux, the virtual camera depends on the v4l2loopback kernel module. If the Start Virtual Camera button is missing or fails, install that module through your distribution's package manager.

Step 1: Build the scene you want others to see

In OBS, a scene is a layout made of sources. Sources are the individual layers, such as your webcam, an image or a line of text. Sources higher in the list appear on top of sources lower down.

• In the Scenes panel, click + and name the scene, for example "Calls".
• In the Sources panel, click + and choose Video Capture Device (on Windows and Linux) or Video Capture Device / macOS Screen Capture equivalents on Mac, then select your physical webcam.
• Resize and position the webcam image in the preview by dragging its red outline.
• Check the canvas resolution under Settings > Video. Your call app will receive this resolution, and many call apps scale it down anyway.

Step 2: Add graphic overlays

Overlays are images or text placed on top of the camera image, such as a name label, a logo or a frame. They are part of your OBS scene, so everyone in the call sees them.

• Image source: add a PNG with a transparent background for logos, frames or lower-third graphics. Transparent areas let the webcam show through.
• Text source: add your name, title or a short message. You can set the font, color and background box in the source properties.
• Color source or image as a background: useful behind a cropped camera image or a slide-style layout.
• Chroma key filter: right-click the webcam source, choose Filters, and add Chroma Key if you have a physical green or blue backdrop. This replaces the backdrop with whatever source sits below the webcam in the list.

Keep in mind that a chroma key in OBS needs a real, evenly lit colored backdrop behind you. It is different from the AI-based background replacement found in many call apps, which works without a special backdrop. It is also different from editing the background of a still photo afterward.

Step 3: Start the virtual camera

In the Controls panel at the lower right of OBS, click Start Virtual Camera. The button changes to Stop Virtual Camera while it is active. The small gear icon next to it lets you choose what the virtual camera outputs:

• Program: whatever is currently live in OBS. This is the default and the right choice for most calls.
• Preview: the preview pane, mainly relevant if you use Studio Mode.
• Scene: one fixed scene, regardless of what you switch to in OBS.
• Source: a single source on its own, without the rest of the scene.

Start the virtual camera before opening the call app, or restart the call app afterward. Some apps only list cameras that existed when they launched.

Step 4: Select OBS in your call app or browser

• Desktop call apps: open the app's video or camera settings and choose OBS Virtual Camera from the camera list.
• Browser-based calls: when the site asks for camera permission, allow it. Then open the call's settings and pick OBS Virtual Camera from the camera menu. If you previously blocked the camera for that site, re-enable it in the browser's site permissions.
• Operating system privacy settings: on Windows and macOS, the call app or browser must also be allowed to use the camera in the system privacy settings. If it is blocked there, no camera, real or virtual, will work in that app.
• Microphone: select your actual microphone in the call app's audio settings. The virtual camera does not carry sound.

Step 5: Verify the result

Check three things separately, because each one can succeed while the next fails.

• Camera access: OBS Virtual Camera appears in the app's camera list and the app is allowed to use it.
• Video capture: the app's preview shows your OBS scene, not a black frame or a placeholder image.
• Call quality: in a test call or with a second person, confirm that overlays and text are readable and that motion looks smooth. Small text that is sharp in OBS can become hard to read after the call app compresses and scales the video.

If your name label or logo looks reversed in the call app's self-view, that is usually only the app mirroring your local preview. Other participants typically see the unmirrored image. Check the app's mirror setting or ask a participant before flipping anything in OBS.

Common problems and fixes

Problem | Likely cause | What to try

OBS Virtual Camera is not in the camera list | App opened before the virtual camera started, or the virtual camera is not installed | Start the virtual camera, then fully restart the call app; reinstall OBS on Windows, approve the extension on macOS, or install v4l2loopback on Linux

Black image or OBS logo instead of your scene | Virtual camera not started, or output set to an empty scene or source | Click Start Virtual Camera and check the output type under the gear icon

Your webcam shows in OBS but not in another app at the same time | Many physical webcams can be used by only one app at once | Let OBS use the webcam and select OBS Virtual Camera everywhere else

No sound from you in the call | The virtual camera carries video only | Select your microphone directly in the call app

Overlay text is blurry or unreadable | Call app compression and scaling | Use larger text, higher contrast and fewer fine details

App says camera is blocked | Browser site permission or operating system privacy setting | Allow camera access for that site or app, then reload or restart it

Limitations worth knowing

• OBS must stay open while the virtual camera is in use. Closing OBS ends the feed.
• OBS uses processing power to compose the scene. On a less powerful computer, running OBS and a call app together may cause lag; simplify the scene if that happens.
• Audio needs a separate approach. Sending OBS audio into a call requires a virtual audio device, which is outside the built-in virtual camera feature.
• Some apps, particularly those with strict security policies, may not accept virtual cameras. The supplied material does not include a confirmed list of such apps, so test with the specific app you plan to use.
• This guide does not cite version numbers or specific compatibility data because none was available to verify. If a menu name differs in your copy of OBS, check the current OBS documentation for your platform.