DroidCam on a Mac: what works and how to set it up

DroidCam does not offer a macOS client. Its website lists desktop clients for Windows and Linux only. What it offers Mac owners is the DroidCam OBS plugin, which adds your Android phone as a camera source inside OBS Studio, a free video production program. To get that picture into Zoom or another meeting app you then switch on OBS's virtual camera. It works, but it is three programs deep. If all you want is a phone camera in a meeting, there are shorter routes, listed further down.

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.

Is there a DroidCam client for macOS?

Not on DroidCam's own site. The DroidCam home page describes three steps: get the app on the phone, "install the DroidCam Client on your computer", and link the two. Under "Get the PC Client" it lists a Linux client and a Windows client, with the note "Supports Windows 10 and 11". No Mac client appears there.

Directly below, the page says: "Using OBS? Then get the Droidcam plugin for direct obs integration on all platforms – no need for a separate client." The DroidCam OBS page lists the plugin for Linux, Windows, and macOS, and says of the Mac version: "All DroidCam releases support both Intel and Apple silicon."

So anyone searching for a DroidCam macOS client download should know that the maker does not publish one. Be wary of any other site offering a "DroidCam for Mac" installer.

How do I set up DroidCam with OBS on a Mac?

These steps follow DroidCam's OBS page and its usage page.

1. Install OBS Studio on the Mac and open it once. Note the version number, which DroidCam says is in the title bar of the OBS window.
2. On the phone, install the DroidCam app from Google Play.
3. On the DroidCam OBS page, choose macOS and download the plugin release that matches your OBS version. The page lists separate downloads, for example "DroidCam for OBS v32.2+" and "DroidCam for OBS v30.2-v31.1".
4. Run the installer. DroidCam's instruction: "During installation, ensure the «Install Location» is set to your Home folder."
5. Restart OBS Studio. Add a DroidCam source to your scene.
6. In the source's properties, select Use WiFi and enter the WiFi IP shown in the phone app. DroidCam says: "Your phone and computer must be connected to the same network/router."
7. Click Activate.

One Mac-specific step is easy to miss. DroidCam says to make sure OBS may use the local network: open System Settings, select Privacy & Security, then Local Network, and check that OBS is allowed.

Can it use a USB cable on a Mac?

Yes, according to the usage page, but it asks more of you than Wi-Fi does. For an Android phone you must unlock Developer Options and turn on USB Debugging, then connect the cable and click Refresh Device List in the DroidCam source. For Macs it says "No extra drivers are required". If the phone is not found, DroidCam suggests changing the phone's USB mode from file transfer to charging or PTP.

USB debugging is a developer setting. If you turn it on only for this, consider turning it off again when you are done.

How do I get the DroidCam picture into Zoom?

OBS is where the picture lands. To pass it on, OBS has a feature called the virtual camera. The OBS Virtual Camera Guide says it "allows you to share your OBS Studio scene with any applications that can make use of a webcam, such as Zoom, Skype, Discord". You click Start Virtual Camera in the Controls dock of OBS, then choose OBS's virtual camera from the camera menu in the meeting app.

That means OBS has to stay open for the whole call, with the DroidCam source active inside it.

What is free and what is paid in DroidCam?

The home page promises "Free unlimited usage at standard definition with core features". The usage page adds: "You can try HD video, but will need to purchase the pro upgrade to remove watermarks." The site says the OBS route supports up to 4K video. Prices are shown in the phone app, so check there.

DroidCam's help pages also give two pieces of advice worth repeating. Keep the phone "at 100% battery and connected to power, to avoid any battery usage and extra heat". And: "Do not enable audio, if you don't need it. This uses extra CPU."

What if I only want a camera in Zoom?

Then OBS is more machinery than you need. These options create a camera on the Mac directly.

With The Relay, the phone's camera and microphone appear on the Mac as a camera and a microphone that apps such as Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime can select from their own menus. There is no OBS in between. The same app syncs the clipboard, moves files, and shows the phone's notifications, texts, and calls on the Mac. It costs $19.99, paid once, and needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later.

Be clear about when DroidCam is still the better choice. If you already produce video in OBS, the DroidCam plugin puts the phone straight into your scenes, over Wi-Fi or USB, and its makers say it handles up to 4K. The Relay is not built for that, has no USB mode, and is not free. We have not tested DroidCam or measured any of these options, so try your chosen route on a practice call.

Questions people ask

Can I download DroidCam for Mac?

You can download the DroidCam OBS plugin for macOS from droidcam.app. There is no standalone DroidCam client for macOS on that site, only for Windows and Linux.

Does the DroidCam OBS plugin work on Apple silicon Macs?

DroidCam's OBS page says all its macOS releases "support both Intel and Apple silicon". Pick the download that matches your OBS Studio version.

Why can OBS not find my phone?

DroidCam's checklist: the phone and the Mac must be on the same network, the WiFi IP in the source must match the one in the phone app, and on a Mac OBS must be allowed under Privacy & Security, then Local Network. It also notes that VPN software and firewalls on work or school networks can block the connection.

Is DroidCam free on a Mac?

The app is free at standard definition, by DroidCam's description. HD carries a watermark until you buy the pro upgrade. OBS Studio itself is free.