Virtual Camera Doesn't Show Up In Apps

Troubleshooting when virtual cam doesn't show up as expected.

Glen Aspeslagh avatar
Written by Glen Aspeslagh
Updated over a week ago

Ecamm Live's Virtual Camera feature is a great way to send the output of Ecamm Live to other apps on your Mac. The other app will list it as a webcam called Ecamm Live Virtual Camera. Here are some steps to try if it's not showing up.

Zoom

Ensure that you have the latest version of Zoom, as some earlier versions did not work with virtual cameras.

Skype

Ensure that you have the latest version of Skype, as earlier versions did not work with virtual cameras. Also try quitting an re-opening Skype.

Microsoft Teams

Ensure that you have the latest version of Teams, as earlier versions did not work with virtual cameras. Also try quitting an re-opening Teams.

Chrome

Virtual cams work great in Chrome. However, Chrome may not always refresh its list of cameras. After turning on Ecamm Live's Virtual Camera feature, quit Chrome, (choose Quit Chrome from the Chrome menu up at the top of the screen beside the  menu) and then re-open it.

Also, ensure that you have the latest version of Chrome.

Ensure that Virtual Cam Is Installed and Turned On

Turn on Virtual Camera in Ecamm Live's Output menu. If it's not installed yet, it will prompt you to install.

Quit and Reopen Video Apps

If you've just installed Virtual Cam for the first time, you'll need to quit the app that you want to use it with and re-open it.

Check Background Items Permissions (macOS Ventura and above only)

Restart The Mac

If Virtual Cam is still not showing up, and you've just installed it, restart the Mac. Then, open Ecamm Live, ensure Virtual Cam is turned on, and then open your other app.

Ensure That Apps Are Up To Date

Ensure that you have the latest version of the app that you're using with Virtual Cam. Some older version of Zoom and Chrome do not work with Virtual Cam, but the latest version is compatible.

Some Apps Just Don't Work With Virtual Cams (Sorry!) 

Note that some Mac apps do not load third-party plugins due to Apple security restrictions. When an app has not enabled virtual cameras, they will not show up in the app's camera list. Apps that currently do not load virtual cameras include:

  • Safari

  • FaceTime

  • PhotoBooth

  • iMovie

As an alternative to Safari, use Chrome or Firefox.

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