Use Video as Webcam: Play a Video File Through a Virtual Camera

The short answer

You can't select a video file directly in most call apps or browsers. They only list cameras. To show a prerecorded clip in place of your live webcam, you need a virtual camera. This is software that creates a camera device on your computer and sends it whatever picture you choose. You load the video into that software, start its virtual camera output, and then pick the virtual camera as your camera in the call app or browser.

Be clear about what you want before you start, because it changes the setup:

• Showing a clip to people in a call: use the screen-share or content-share feature of your call app if it has one. That is usually simpler and avoids presenting a recording as live video.
• Replacing your camera feed with a video, for example a looping background clip, a test pattern or a prepared intro: use a virtual camera, as described below.
• Changing only what appears behind you: try the call app's built-in background effects first. A virtual background in a call is different from a physical backdrop and from a background edited into a photo afterward.

What a virtual camera is

A virtual camera is a software device that the operating system lists alongside your real webcam. Apps that read from it receive frames produced by another program, not by camera hardware. One commonly used free option is OBS Studio, a recording and streaming program that includes a virtual camera feature. Other video tools offer similar outputs. Menu names and supported systems vary by program and version, so check the documentation of the tool you choose.

Step by step: send a video file through a virtual camera

The steps below use the general workflow found in OBS Studio and similar tools. The exact labels in your version may differ.

• 1. Install the virtual camera software from its official source.
• 2. Create a scene or project and add your video file as a source. In OBS Studio this is a Media Source.
• 3. Resize or crop the video so it fills the output frame the way you want.
• 4. Optionally, add graphic overlays above the video, such as a logo, a name caption or a frame. Sources placed higher in the list appear on top.
• 5. Start the virtual camera output. In OBS Studio this is the Start Virtual Camera button.
• 6. Open your call app or browser and go to its camera settings.
• 7. Select the virtual camera from the camera list. In OBS Studio it usually appears as OBS Virtual Camera.
• 8. Play the video in the source software if it does not start automatically.

Making the video loop

For a virtual webcam loop, turn on the repeat option in the media source's properties. In OBS Studio this is a Loop checkbox on the Media Source. Without it, the feed may freeze on the last frame or turn black when the clip ends. A short clip that loops smoothly will look less obviously repeated than a clip with a visible jump at the end.

Permissions and the camera not showing up

• Restart the call app or browser after you start the virtual camera for the first time. Many apps read the camera list only when they launch.
• Check the operating system's privacy settings and make sure camera access is allowed for the app or browser that will use the virtual camera.
• In a browser, check the site's camera permission and choose the virtual camera there, not only in the system settings.
• On some systems, installing a virtual camera requires approving a system extension or driver. Follow the prompt from the operating system.
• Close other programs that might be holding the real webcam or the virtual camera if the picture is black or the device appears busy.

Sound is a separate step

A virtual camera normally carries only video. Your call app will still use whichever microphone it has selected, so the audio in your video file will not reach the call on its own. To send the clip's sound, you need a separate virtual audio device or the call app's option to share computer audio, if it offers one. If you only need the picture, mute the media source's audio to avoid echo on your own computer.

Check that it actually works

Each of these checks confirms something different, so do them in order:

• Camera access: the app lists the virtual camera and lets you select it without an error.
• Video capture: the preview shows your video, including any overlays, and keeps moving. If you turned on looping, it should continue past the end of the clip.
• Call quality: other participants see smooth motion and acceptable sharpness. This depends on your connection and the app's compression, not only on the source file. Make a short test call or ask someone to confirm.
• Mirroring: many apps mirror your own preview but send an unmirrored image. Text in overlays may look reversed to you but correct to others. Confirm with a test participant before changing any settings.

Limitations to keep in mind

• Some apps or services may not accept virtual cameras, or may restrict them. Check before relying on one for an important call.
• If a meeting, exam or verification process expects live video, showing a prerecorded clip as your camera may break its rules. Tell participants when what they see is not live.
• This guide does not include tested performance figures, compatibility lists for specific apps, or version-specific instructions. Confirm those details in the documentation for your software and call platform.