OBS · Windows & macOS
Use OBS Virtual Camera in Discord
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
Build and preview the scene in OBS, select Start Virtual Camera in the Controls dock, then open Discord User Settings > Voice & Video and choose OBS Virtual Camera from the Camera menu. The virtual camera sends the selected OBS output as video only; configure your microphone separately in Discord.
Build a caller-safe OBS scene
In OBS, create or select the scene callers should see and check every visible source in the preview. Hide private windows, notifications, browser tabs, and unused capture sources before continuing.
Choose what Virtual Camera sends
In the Controls dock, select the gear beside Virtual Camera. Choose Program for the normal OBS output, or intentionally choose Preview, Scene, or Source only when that fixed output is required, then close the settings.
Start OBS Virtual Camera
Select Start Virtual Camera in the Controls dock. Confirm the button changes to Stop Virtual Camera before opening Discord.
Select the camera in Discord
In the Discord desktop app, select the cog beside your username, open Voice & Video, then choose OBS Virtual Camera from the Camera menu. Discord interface experiments can move controls, but the camera remains under Voice & Video.
Test before joining a call
Select Test Video and confirm the preview matches the intended OBS output, including scene changes and cropping. Stop the test and correct OBS before a call if any private source is visible.
Turn the camera on in the call
Join the DM or voice channel, select Turn on Camera, and confirm the feed with a trusted participant. Audio does not travel through Virtual Camera, so select the intended microphone separately in Discord.
Stop both outputs when finished
Turn off the camera in Discord, then return to OBS and select Stop Virtual Camera. Verify the button returns to Start Virtual Camera so another app cannot keep receiving the scene unintentionally.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If OBS Virtual Camera is missing from Discord, confirm OBS shows Stop Virtual Camera, fully quit and reopen Discord, then check the Camera menu again.
- If Discord shows a black or wrong scene, open Virtual Camera settings in OBS and verify whether Program, Preview, Scene, or Source is selected; then rerun Test Video.
- On macOS 13 or later, follow OBS's system-extension instructions if the virtual camera is unavailable. OBS 30.0 or newer is required for its current macOS 14-compatible component.
- If camera video works but callers cannot hear you, choose the microphone under Discord Voice & Video; Virtual Camera does not carry OBS audio.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Windows, macOS.
OBS documents the built-in Virtual Camera and its output choices; Discord documents selecting and testing a camera in desktop Voice & Video settings.