IP Webcam to Virtual Camera

Convert your Android device into a virtual webcam on macOS using IP Webcam app and OBS Studio.

Setup

1. Install OBS Studio

brew install --cask obs

2. Enable OBS Virtual Camera Extension

Important: This is required for the virtual camera to work in other apps.

1. Open OBS Studio
2. Go to Tools → Start Virtual Camera
3. If prompted with "The virtual camera is not installed", click OK
4. macOS will open System Settings automatically
5. Navigate to: General → Login Items & Extensions → Camera Extensions
6. Find "OBS Virtual Camera" and enable it (toggle on)
7. Restart OBS Studio

3. Enable OBS WebSocket Server

1. Open OBS Studio
2. Go to Tools → WebSocket Server Settings
3. Check Enable WebSocket server
4. Note the port (default: 4455) and password (if set)
5. Click Apply and OK

4. Install Python Dependencies

pip3 install -r requirements.txt

5. Configure Environment Variables

Copy the example environment file and fill in your values:

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env and set:

• ANDROID_IP: Your Android device IP (you'll get this from the IP Webcam app)
• OBS_PASSWORD: Your OBS WebSocket password

6. Install the webcam Command (Optional)

For easier access, install the launcher script globally:

chmod +x webcam
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
ln -sf "$(pwd)/webcam" ~/.local/bin/webcam

Add ~/.local/bin to your PATH if not already present:

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Now you can run webcam from anywhere!

7. Setup IP Webcam on Android

1. Install "IP Webcam" app from Google Play Store
2. Open the app and scroll down to "Start server"
3. Note the IP address shown (e.g., 192.168.1.100:8080)

Usage

Important: Make sure OBS Studio is running before starting the script!

Quick Start (if you installed the command)

webcam

Using Python directly

Option 1: Using .env file (Recommended)

Once you've configured your .env file, simply run:

python3 ip_webcam_virtual.py

Option 2: Using command-line arguments

python3 ip_webcam_virtual.py <IP_ADDRESS>

Examples

# Using .env file (simplest!)
webcam

# With command-line argument
webcam 192.168.1.100:8080

# Override .env with custom resolution
webcam --width 1280 --height 720

# Full manual configuration
webcam 192.168.1.100:8080 --obs-password your_password --width 1920 --height 1080

Options

• --width: Output video width (default: 1920)
• --height: Output video height (default: 1080)
• --obs-host: OBS WebSocket host (default: localhost)
• --obs-port: OBS WebSocket port (default: 4455)
• --obs-password: OBS WebSocket password (if set)

Usage in Other Apps

Once the script is running, the virtual camera will be available in:

• Zoom (select "OBS Virtual Camera")
• Google Meet
• Microsoft Teams
• Discord
• Any app that uses webcams

Stopping

Press Ctrl+C to stop the virtual camera.

Troubleshooting

Virtual camera not appearing in Google Meet/Zoom

1. Check if the camera extension is enabled:

   system_profiler SPCameraDataType

   You should see "OBS Virtual Camera" in the list.

2. If not listed:

   • Go to System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Camera Extensions
   • Make sure OBS Virtual Camera is enabled (toggled on)
   • Restart OBS and your browser

3. Restart everything:

   • Quit and restart OBS
   • Close all browser windows
   • Run the script again: python3 ip_webcam_virtual.py
   • Open Google Meet in a fresh browser window

Cannot connect to OBS WebSocket

Run the test script:

python3 test_obs_connection.py

This will help diagnose connection issues and test your password.

IP Webcam stream not loading

• Make sure your Android device and Mac are on the same WiFi network
• Check that the IP Webcam app shows "Server is running"
• Try accessing the stream in your browser: http://<ANDROID_IP>/video