Fake webcam questions, answered
Everything people ask before and after installing CamLooper. Still stuck? Email [email protected].
Is CamLooper really free?
Yes. CamLooper is completely free fake webcam software — free to use, including commercially. Development is supported by unobtrusive in-app ads that never touch your video content.
What's the difference between a fake webcam and a virtual camera?
They're two names for the same idea: software that registers as a camera device and feeds it whatever video you choose. "Virtual camera" is the technical term, popularized by OBS; "fake webcam" is what most people call it. CamLooper is both — it creates a virtual camera on your system and fills it with a smoothly looping video file.
How is CamLooper different from just sharing my screen?
Screen sharing takes over your whole window and doesn't loop. CamLooper appears as a real webcam device, so it composes naturally next to other participants, works in speaker view, and can be used anywhere a webcam is expected.
Do I need OBS to use CamLooper?
No. CamLooper installs its own virtual camera driver and runs on its own — there's no OBS, no scene setup and no streaming pipeline to configure. If you already use OBS you can keep it; the two cameras appear as separate devices. See CamLooper as an OBS Virtual Camera alternative.
Which operating systems does CamLooper support?
Windows 10 and 11 and Linux are supported today, with installers for both on the download page. On Linux the virtual camera uses v4l2loopback — see the Linux setup guide. macOS is in progress.
Does it work on Apple Silicon Macs?
An Apple Silicon (aarch64) .dmg is in the release pipeline alongside the Intel build. Note: the macOS virtual-camera System Extension needs a signed & notarized build to load, which is what we're waiting on.
Privacy and safety
Do my videos get uploaded anywhere?
No. All processing runs locally on your computer using FFmpeg. Video files never leave your machine, there are no accounts, and there's no telemetry on the content you play.
Is a fake webcam safe to use — or against Zoom's rules?
The software itself is safe: a fake webcam simply registers as a camera device on your computer, using the same mechanism as OBS's virtual camera. Zoom, Teams and Discord all allow virtual cameras — they're widely used for overlays and pre-recorded content. What you play through it is your responsibility: be upfront with the people on your call, and don't use a fake webcam to impersonate someone or to get around identity checks such as proctored exams or KYC verification.
What CamLooper is not for
CamLooper is not a cheating tool. Don't use it for proctored exams, identity or KYC verification, job interviews, or to impersonate anyone. It exists so you can meet a camera-on requirement without broadcasting your home to a room of strangers. How you use CamLooper is your responsibility alone. Your school's rules, your employer's, your platform's terms of service and the law where you live all still apply.
Using it in meetings
How do I fake my webcam in Zoom?
Install CamLooper, drop in the video you want to play, and hit Start. Then in Zoom go to Settings → Video and pick "CamLooper Virtual Camera" as your camera. Zoom treats it like any other webcam, so your video loops right where your live feed would normally be. The same steps work in Teams, Google Meet, Discord and OBS — just select CamLooper in the app's camera settings. Full walkthrough: fake webcam for Zoom.
Can I use pre-recorded video in Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Start CamLooper first, then open Teams and choose "CamLooper Virtual Camera" under Settings → Devices → Camera. Teams only scans for cameras when it starts, so launch CamLooper before Teams. See virtual camera for Microsoft Teams.
Does CamLooper work with Google Meet in the browser?
Yes. Meet runs in the browser and reads the same system camera list, so CamLooper shows up alongside your real webcam. Pick it from the camera dropdown in Meet's settings, or from the pre-join screen. Details: virtual camera for Google Meet.
Can I still use my real webcam at the same time?
Yes. CamLooper adds a camera device rather than replacing one, so your built-in webcam stays available. You can switch between them mid-call from your meeting app's camera menu — though most apps only let one application hold the real webcam at a time.
Video and playback
What video formats can I loop?
Anything FFmpeg can decode, which covers MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM and AVI among others. For the smoothest result use a clip whose resolution and frame rate match what your meeting app expects — 1280×720 at 30fps is a safe default.
Does looping show a visible jump or seam?
That depends on the clip. CamLooper restarts playback seamlessly, but the cut is only invisible if the last frame of your video roughly matches the first — so record a few seconds of you sitting still at both ends, and the loop reads as continuous.
Why doesn't CamLooper appear in my meeting app's camera list?
Almost always because the app was already running when CamLooper started. Most meeting apps enumerate cameras once at launch, so quit the app completely and reopen it. If it still doesn't appear, our virtual camera not showing up guide walks through the remaining causes on Windows and Linux.
Install and support
How do I uninstall it?
Same as any other native app: Windows uses Add or remove programs, macOS is drag-to-Trash, and Linux uses your package manager (apt remove camlooper or dnf remove camlooper).
Where can I report a bug or request a feature?
Email [email protected] with a description and, if possible, a screen recording.
A note on responsible use
CamLooper exists so you can meet a camera-on requirement without broadcasting your home to a room of strangers. It is not a tool for proctored exams, identity verification, or impersonating anyone.
How you use CamLooper is your responsibility alone. Your school's rules, your employer's, your platform's terms of service and the law where you live all still apply.