OBS Studio can replace your built-in webcam in Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, and other video software

OBS Studio is free software that lets you create a virtual webcam feed. Instead of your camera pointing at your face, OBS becomes the camera itself—it can show your screen, multiple video sources, graphics, text, or anything else you arrange in OBS, and send that feed to any video call or streaming app that accepts a webcam input.

The setup has two parts: installing OBS, enabling its virtual camera feature, and then telling your video call software to use OBS instead of your physical camera. The process takes about five minutes and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Key Takeaways

  • OBS Studio creates a virtual webcam that any video software can use, so you can show your screen, multiple cameras, or custom layouts instead of just your face.
  • You need the free OBS Studio software and the Virtual Camera plugin (built into OBS 28.0 and later, or installed separately on older versions).
  • After starting the virtual camera in OBS, you select it in your video call app the same way you would select a physical webcam.
  • OBS must be running and the virtual camera must be active for the feed to reach your video call—if the call shows a black screen, check that OBS is still open.

Check your OBS version and install the Virtual Camera feature

Open OBS Studio. Go to Help (top menu) and select About. Note your version number. If it is 28.0 or later, the Virtual Camera feature is already built in and you can skip to the next section. If it is older than 28.0, you need to read and install the Virtual Camera plugin separately.

To install the plugin on older versions, visit the OBS Project GitHub page (search "obs-virtualcam releases") and read the installer for your operating system. Run the installer and follow the prompts. You may need to restart OBS after installation. Once installed, you will see a Start Virtual Camera button in the main OBS window.

If you are on Mac, the process is slightly different: OBS on Mac uses macOS's built-in virtual camera support starting in version 27.2.4. Go to OBS (top menu) → Preferences → Output and enable the virtual camera there. You will not see a separate Virtual Camera button, but the feature will be active.

Set up your OBS scene with the sources you want to show

Before you start the virtual camera, arrange what you want to appear in your video call. In OBS, a scene is a layout of sources—your camera, screen, images, text, or any combination. You can have multiple scenes and switch between them during a call.

To add a source, right-click in the Sources panel (bottom left) and select Add Source. Common choices are Video Capture Device (your physical webcam), Display Capture (your entire screen), Window Capture (one specific window), or Image (a logo or background). Drag the sources around the preview window to position them, and resize them by dragging the corners.

Test your layout before you join a call. Make sure your camera feed is visible if you want it to be, your screen is readable, and nothing is cut off. You can create multiple scenes for different situations—one for a presentation (screen large, camera small), one for a regular meeting (camera centered), one for streaming (with graphics and text).

Start the virtual camera and select it in your video call app

In OBS, click the Start Virtual Camera button (Windows and Linux) or enable it in Preferences (Mac). The button will turn red or show "Stop Virtual Camera," meaning the virtual camera is now active and broadcasting whatever is in your current OBS scene.

Open your video call app—Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Discord, or any other. Go to the camera settings (usually in a gear icon or settings menu). You will see a list of available cameras. Select OBS Virtual Camera (or similar name, depending on your app). The preview should show your OBS scene instead of your physical camera.

If your call app does not show OBS Virtual Camera as an option, the app may not have been open when you started the virtual camera. Close the call app completely, make sure OBS is running with the virtual camera active, then reopen the call app and check the camera list again.

Switch scenes and adjust settings during your call

Once you are in a video call using OBS as your webcam, you can switch between scenes by clicking them in the OBS window. If you set up a presentation scene and a talking-head scene, you can flip between them without leaving the call. Your video feed will update when ready.

You can also adjust the volume of any audio sources in OBS (the Audio Mixer panel), mute individual sources, or hide them by clicking the eye icon next to each source. These changes happen in real time and do not affect your call audio—they only affect what OBS sends as video.

If you need to show your screen during a call, you do not have to switch to a screen-capture scene in OBS. Most video apps have their own screen-share button. Using OBS is useful when you want to show your screen alongside your camera, or when you want to add graphics, text, or multiple windows at once.

Troubleshoot a black screen or no video feed

If your video call shows a black screen after selecting OBS Virtual Camera, first check that OBS is still running and the virtual camera is still active (the button should say "Stop Virtual Camera"). If you minimized OBS, bring it back to the front. The virtual camera only sends video while OBS is open.

If OBS is running but the call still shows black, try restarting the call app. Some apps cache the camera list when they start. Close the call app, make sure OBS is running with the virtual camera active, then reopen the call app and select OBS Virtual Camera again.

On Windows, if OBS Virtual Camera does not appear in the camera list at all, restart your computer. The virtual camera driver sometimes needs a restart to register. On Mac, make sure you are using OBS 27.2.4 or later and that you enabled the virtual camera in Preferences.

If you see video but it is very dark or very bright, adjust the brightness in your OBS scene. Right-click the source (your camera, for example) and select Filters. Add a Color Correction filter and adjust the brightness slider.

Use OBS Virtual Camera with streaming apps and other software

OBS Virtual Camera works with any software that accepts a webcam input. You can use it in streaming apps like Twitch or YouTube (select OBS Virtual Camera as your camera instead of streaming directly from OBS), in video recording software, in virtual background apps, or in any other tool that needs a camera feed.

One common use is to add a virtual background without using your video call app's built-in background feature. Set up your OBS scene with a background image behind your camera feed, start the virtual camera, and select it in your call app. Your call app will see the background as part of the camera feed.

Keep in mind that OBS Virtual Camera sends only video, not audio. If you need to send audio through OBS as well, you will use OBS's own streaming or recording features, not the virtual camera. For a video call, your call app will use your microphone directly, not OBS's audio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use OBS Virtual Camera in Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet at the same time?

No, you can only use OBS Virtual Camera in one app at a time. If you have Zoom open and using OBS Virtual Camera, and you open Teams and try to select OBS Virtual Camera there, Teams will not be able to access the camera because Zoom is already using it. Close Zoom first, then select OBS Virtual Camera in Teams.

What if I want to show my camera and my screen at the same time?

Add both sources to the same OBS scene. Right-click in the Sources panel and add Video Capture Device (your camera) and Display Capture (your screen). Position them side by side or with your camera in a corner and your screen filling the rest. Your video call will see both at once.

Does OBS Virtual Camera work on Mac?

Yes, but the setup is different. OBS on Mac uses macOS's built-in virtual camera support. Go to OBS → Preferences → Output and enable the virtual camera. You will not see a separate button, but the feature will be active. Select it in your video call app the same way as on Windows.

Can I use OBS Virtual Camera while also recording with OBS?

Yes. You can start the virtual camera and also start recording or streaming at the same time. Both will use the same scene, so whatever appears in your video call will also appear in your recording or stream.

Why does my video call show a black screen even though OBS is running?

The most common cause is that your OBS scene has no sources, or all sources are hidden (the eye icon is off). Add a source to your scene or click the eye icon to show a hidden source. If that does not work, try restarting your call app while OBS is running with the virtual camera active.