Adding a webcam to OBS takes three steps: plug it in, open OBS, and add a Video Capture Device source to your scene

OBS Studio (the free streaming software) treats your webcam as a video source — the same way it treats your screen or a video file. You add it to a scene the same way you'd add anything else. If your webcam is already plugged in and OBS is installed, the whole process takes about two minutes.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're on Windows, Mac, or Linux, but the principle is identical: create a new source, tell OBS which device is your webcam, and position it on your canvas. Once it's there, you can resize it, layer it over other sources, or add filters to change how it looks.

Key Takeaways

  • OBS finds your webcam through the Video Capture Device source type, which works with most USB and built-in cameras on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
  • You add the webcam to a scene, not to OBS itself, so you can have different camera setups for different scenes if you stream multiple games or activities.
  • If OBS doesn't see your webcam, check that the camera is plugged in, that no other program is using it, and that OBS has permission to access it in your system settings.
  • You can resize, crop, and rotate your webcam feed directly in OBS without needing a separate tool, and you can add filters like blur or color correction.

How to add a webcam on Windows

Open OBS and look at the bottom left corner where it says "Scenes". Make sure you have a scene selected (if you don't have one, right-click in that area and choose "New Scene"). Then look directly below that at the "Sources" box.

Right-click in the Sources box and select "Add Source". A menu will pop up. Choose "Video Capture Device". A dialog box will open asking you to name the source — you can call it "Webcam" or anything else you want. Click "OK".

OBS will now show you another dialog with a dropdown menu labeled "Device". Click that dropdown and select your webcam from the list. Most computers show the camera name (like "Logitech C920" or "Integrated Webcam"). Once you select it, you should see a preview of your camera feed appear in the main OBS window. Click "OK" to finish.

How to add a webcam on Mac

The steps are the same as Windows, but you'll need to give OBS permission to use your camera first. Open System Preferences, go to Security & Privacy, click the Camera tab, and make sure OBS Studio is checked in the list. If it's not there, click the lock icon to unlock the settings, then click the plus button and navigate to Applications > OBS Studio.

Once OBS has permission, follow the Windows steps above: right-click in the Sources box, select "Add Source", choose "Video Capture Device", name it, and select your camera from the Device dropdown. On Mac, your built-in camera usually shows as "FaceTime HD Camera" or similar.

What to do if OBS doesn't see your webcam

The most common reason OBS can't find your camera is that another program is already using it. Close any video chat apps (Zoom, Discord, Teams, Skype), web browsers with active camera access, or streaming software. Only one program can use a USB camera at a time on most systems.

If that doesn't work, unplug the camera and plug it back in, then restart OBS. On Windows, you can also check Device Manager: right-click the Start button, select Device Manager, expand "Cameras", and make sure your camera is listed without a warning symbol. On Mac, restart your computer — sometimes the camera permission gets stuck.

If you're on Mac and OBS still can't see the camera after restarting, go back to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Camera and remove OBS from the list, then add it again. On Windows, you can try unplugging the camera, restarting your computer, and plugging it back in.

Positioning and resizing your webcam in OBS

Once your webcam appears in the main OBS window, you can click and drag it to move it around. Drag the corners to resize it. If you want to crop it (cut off the edges), right-click the camera source in the Sources list and select "Filters". Click the plus button, choose "Crop/Pad", and adjust the values to remove the parts you don't want.

Most streamers put their camera in one corner of the screen so it doesn't cover the game or content they're streaming. You can also right-click the source and select "Transform" to flip it horizontally (useful if you want to mirror yourself) or rotate it.

Adding effects and adjusting camera quality

Right-click your camera source and select "Filters" to add effects. Common ones include "Color Correction" (to brighten or adjust colors), "Blur" (to blur the background), and "Chroma Key" (to remove a solid-color background, like green screen). Each filter has its own settings you can tweak.

If your camera feed looks grainy or dark, right-click the source, select "Properties", and look for settings like brightness, contrast, or exposure. These vary by camera model. You can also adjust the resolution here — lower resolution uses less computer power but looks less sharp. Most webcams default to 1280×720 or 1920×1080, which is fine for streaming.

Using multiple cameras or switching between them

You can add more than one camera to OBS by repeating the steps above and selecting a different device from the dropdown. Each camera becomes a separate source in your Sources list. You can show them all at once, or hide some by clicking the eye icon next to them.

If you want to switch between cameras during a stream (for example, switching from a desk camera to a phone camera), you can hide one source and show another by clicking the eye icon. Or you can create separate scenes — one for each camera setup — and switch between scenes during your stream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my phone as a webcam in OBS?

Not directly through Video Capture Device. You'll need a third-party app like Droidcam (Android) or Codeshot (iOS) that turns your phone into a virtual camera. Install the app on your phone and the companion software on your computer, then OBS will see it as a regular Video Capture Device.

Why does my webcam look upside down or backwards?

Right-click the camera source in OBS, select "Transform", and choose "Flip Horizontal" or "Rotate 90" depending on which way it's wrong. You can also rotate it in the camera's own software if it has a settings app, but doing it in OBS is faster.

How do I reduce lag between my camera and what viewers see?

In OBS, right-click your camera source, select "Properties", and look for a "Buffering" or "Latency" setting — set it to the lowest value. Also make sure no other programs are using your camera, and close browser tabs and other apps to free up computer power.

Can I use a security camera or IP camera in OBS?

Yes, but not through Video Capture Device. You'll need to add it as a Media Source or Browser Source instead, using the camera's IP address and stream URL. Check your camera's manual for the correct URL format, or contact the manufacturer's support.

What if I want to blur my background without a green screen?

Right-click your camera source, select "Filters", click the plus button, and add a "Blur" filter. This blurs everything in the camera feed. For a more realistic background blur (blurring only the background, not your face), you'll need a plugin like StreamFX, which you can install separately in OBS.