How to use an Android phone as a camera in OBS on a Mac

There are two ways to get an Android phone camera into OBS Studio on a Mac. Either make the phone appear to macOS as a camera, then add it in OBS as a Video Capture Device source like any webcam. Or install the DroidCam OBS plugin, which adds the phone as its own source type inside OBS with no Mac camera involved. The first way suits people who also want the phone in meeting apps. The second is built for OBS and nothing else.

Publisher note: The Relay publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Details about other products come from each maker's own pages, checked on 1 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

What does OBS itself say about phone cameras?

OBS has a page for exactly this. Its Smartphone Camera Guide says: "You can use your smartphone, such as an iPhone or Android phone, as a webcam in OBS Studio. Using one of the options below, your smartphone will appear in the Video Capture Source alongside your webcams and capture cards."

For Android, that guide names two products. It describes Camo as "a freemium solution for Windows and macOS" that connects "over USB or Wi-Fi". It describes DroidCam as "a freemium solution for Windows and Linux", and adds that there is "an OBS plugin, which integrates DroidCam directly into OBS Studio". The other entries on the page are for iPhones or need an NDI plugin.

OBS Studio is free. Its download page says the Mac version "supports macOS 13.0 or newer", with separate Intel and Apple silicon downloads.

Route 1: how do I add the phone as a Video Capture Device?

This works with anything that makes the phone show up as a camera on the Mac. The ways to do that are covered in how to use an Android phone as a webcam for a Mac: Android's USB webcam mode, Camo, Iriun, or The Relay. Set one of them up first and confirm the phone appears in another app, such as Photo Booth.

Then, in OBS:

1. Find the Sources dock at the bottom of the main window. OBS's Quick Start Guide says to "click on the + symbol to add a source of your choice".
2. Choose Video Capture Device. OBS's Video Capture Sources page marks this source as available on macOS and says it adds "a variety of video devices, including but not limited to webcams and capture cards".
3. Follow OBS's one-line instruction: "simply add the Source, open the properties and select your device from the Device drop down list." Pick the phone.
4. Resize and position the picture in the preview.

If the Device list is empty or the picture is black, check permissions. OBS's macOS Permissions Guide says to click the OBS Studio menu, then Review App Permissions, and "Enable Camera to capture your webcam and capture cards". The same screen has "Enable Microphone to capture your mic and audio devices", which you need if the phone is also your microphone.

Route 2: how does the DroidCam OBS plugin work on a Mac?

DroidCam has no Mac client, but its OBS plugin is offered for macOS and, by its own description, supports "both Intel and Apple silicon". With it, OBS talks to the phone app directly.

1. Install the DroidCam app on the phone.
2. From the DroidCam OBS page, download the macOS plugin that matches your OBS version and install it. DroidCam says to make sure the install location "is set to your Home folder".
3. Restart OBS and add a DroidCam source from the same + menu.
4. In its properties, select Use WiFi and type in the WiFi IP that the phone app displays, then click Activate. DroidCam's usage page says the phone and computer "must be connected to the same network/router".
5. If nothing connects, DroidCam says to open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Local Network, and allow OBS.

The plugin also connects over USB. For Android that requires turning on USB Debugging in the phone's Developer Options, per the usage page. DroidCam says the plugin offers "up to 4K video capability", is free at standard definition, and watermarks HD until you buy the pro upgrade. The longer walk-through is in DroidCam on a Mac.

Which route should I pick?

Where does The Relay fit with OBS?

The Relay makes the phone's camera and microphone appear on the Mac as a camera and a microphone, wirelessly over your local network. Because they are presented as ordinary devices, the camera belongs in a Video Capture Device source. We name Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime as apps that can select them. OBS is not on that list, so add the source and check the picture before you plan a stream around it. There is a refund window; see the terms.

Be honest with yourself about what you need. The Relay is a general tool for an Android phone and a Mac: clipboard, files, notifications, texts, calls, links, and the webcam, for $19.99 paid once. It has no USB mode and no production controls. If OBS is the centre of your work, the DroidCam plugin or Camo is the more fitting tool. The Relay earns its place when the phone camera is one of several things you want working between the phone and the Mac.

We have not measured picture quality or delay for any of these.

How do I send the OBS picture on to a meeting app?

OBS's Virtual Camera Guide says the virtual camera lets you "share your OBS Studio scene with any applications that can make use of a webcam, such as Zoom, Skype, Discord". Click Start Virtual Camera in the Controls dock, then select OBS's virtual camera in the meeting app. The gear icon beside it lets you send the whole program output, one scene, or one source.

Questions people ask

Does OBS on a Mac recognise an Android phone plugged in by USB?

Only if the phone presents itself as a camera. With Android's USB webcam mode selected on the phone, it should appear in the Device list of a Video Capture Device source. Without that mode, a plugged-in phone is not a camera, and you need Camo, the DroidCam plugin, or a wireless option.

Can I use more than one phone in OBS?

DroidCam's usage page says: "To use multiple phones, just add another DroidCam source to your scene." For other routes, check the maker's documentation.

Should I capture the phone's audio in OBS too?

DroidCam advises against it unless you need it: "Do not enable audio, if you don't need it. This uses extra CPU." A separate microphone is the usual choice for streaming.

Why is the phone not in OBS's Device list?

Confirm the phone shows as a camera in another Mac app first. Then check OBS's camera permission under OBS Studio, Review App Permissions, and restart OBS so it rescans devices.