Set a neutral physical-camera baseline
Place the camera at eye level, use soft front light, and verify focus and exposure before applying beauty controls. Software cannot fully repair poor source video.
Platform Setup Hub · Windows & Mac
How to Use a Beauty Filter in Discord, OBS, and Teams
Create a restrained appearance preset in CiCi Cam, then select its virtual camera in each compatible desktop app. Discord documents camera selection and video backgrounds, OBS accepts camera devices as Video Capture Device sources, and Teams already offers Soft focus and Adjust brightness. This hub shows the shared workflow and sends platform-specific searches to the detailed OBS, Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet guides.
Use one desktop beauty feed, then select it per app
The shared setup is physical webcam → CiCi Cam processing → CiCi Cam virtual camera → Discord, OBS, Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet. The destination app still controls camera permission, device selection, preview, and any native effects. Use this hub for the common signal path and Discord steps; use the dedicated owner page when the query is specifically about OBS, Teams, Zoom, or Meet.
Last reviewed:
Why the default setup falls short
Native appearance controls differ by platform
Discord documents desktop video backgrounds, Teams includes Soft focus and brightness adjustment, and OBS provides general source filters rather than a dedicated skin or makeup workflow. Check native controls before adding another layer.
The input and output directions are easy to confuse
Adding CiCi Cam to OBS makes it an input source. Starting OBS Virtual Camera sends an OBS scene outward to another app. These are different routes and may be used separately or in sequence.
Desktop virtual cameras do not solve mobile setup
CiCi Cam runs on Windows and Mac. Selecting its desktop camera output in Discord does not add that device to the Discord mobile app, so mobile searches need a different device-native workflow.
How the setup works
- 1
Build and test one restrained preset
Open CiCi Cam on Windows or Mac, select the physical webcam, and adjust skin, facial lighting, makeup, face shape, and color. Confirm the preview before opening the destination app, and keep the physical webcam available as a fallback.
- 2
Use a beauty filter in Discord
In the Discord desktop app, open User Settings → Voice & Video → Video, choose CiCi Cam from the Camera dropdown, and run the camera preview. If it is missing, fully quit and reopen Discord and check operating-system camera permission.
- 3
Use a beauty filter in OBS
In Sources, select + → Video Capture Device, create or select a source, and choose CiCi Cam in Device. Match resolution and frame rate to the output. This brings CiCi Cam into OBS; Start Virtual Camera is a separate control that sends the composed OBS scene outward.
- 4
Use a beauty filter in Microsoft Teams
In the Teams desktop app, open Settings and more → Settings → Devices, then choose CiCi Cam under Camera and inspect the preview. Teams already includes Soft focus and Adjust brightness, so disable or reduce them while testing CiCi Cam to avoid double processing.
See it in your workflow
Setup visuals and product previews
What CiCi Cam includes
One reusable desktop preset
Tune the appearance once in CiCi Cam, then select its camera output in each compatible Windows or Mac application.
Clear platform ownership
Use this page for the shared workflow and Discord setup; follow the dedicated OBS, Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet pages for deeper platform intent.
Native controls remain optional
Discord backgrounds and Teams Soft focus or brightness can still be used, but test one processing layer at a time.
Permissions and restart order included
The guide covers stale device lists, camera access, another app holding the webcam, and the difference between desktop and mobile.
Beauty-filter setup by platform
Each row shows the current native option, where to select CiCi Cam, and the detailed guide that owns platform-specific questions.
| Platform | Native option | CiCi Cam setup | Detailed guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discord desktop | Video backgrounds are documented; no dedicated skin or makeup control is documented | User Settings → Voice & Video → Video → Camera | This hub owns Discord camera-filter setup; the desktop route does not apply to Discord mobile |
| OBS Studio | General source filters and plugin support; no native skin or makeup workflow | Sources → + → Video Capture Device → Device | Use the Beauty Filter for OBS guide for plugin, free, download, source-order, and streaming intent |
| Microsoft Teams | Soft focus and Adjust brightness | Settings and more → Settings → Devices → Camera | Use the Microsoft Teams beauty-filter guide for native-vs-virtual-camera decisions |
| Zoom | Touch up my appearance, low-light adjustment, and eligible effects | Settings → Video & effects → Camera | Use the Zoom beauty-filter guide for current controls and setup |
| Google Meet | Portrait touch-up and, on eligible editions, AI-powered Makeup | Pre-join device menu or Settings → Video → Camera | Use the Google Meet beauty-filter guide for availability, extensions, and permissions |
Menus, native effects, account eligibility, and administrator policy can change. Recheck the linked official documentation and the final preview in the exact client you use.
A reliable cross-app beauty-filter workflow
Keep the signal path simple and let each platform-specific page own the details that can change independently.
Use one primary appearance layer
Build a restrained CiCi Cam preset, then turn off native smoothing, lighting, or filters during the first test. Add one native control only if it solves a separate problem.
Test each destination preview
Discord, OBS, and Teams may crop, mirror, scale, or process the feed differently. Confirm the final preview and make a short recording or test call where available.
Keep a physical-camera fallback
Before an important meeting or stream, verify that both CiCi Cam and the physical webcam appear in the device list so you can switch if a virtual-camera component is blocked.
Fix beauty-filter setup problems
Most issues come from a stale camera list, missing permission, another app holding the physical webcam, or confusing an OBS input with its virtual output.
The destination app cannot see CiCi Cam
Confirm the CiCi Cam preview, quit the destination completely, reopen it, and check system camera permission. Browser clients may also need site permission.
OBS shows a black or frozen source
Open the Video Capture Device properties, confirm CiCi Cam is selected, return Resolution/FPS Type to Device Default, and close other apps that may hold the physical camera.
The image is too smooth or too bright
Disable Discord backgrounds, Teams Soft focus or brightness, and any OBS source filters. Establish a neutral CiCi Cam image, then add one layer at a time.
You selected OBS Virtual Camera by mistake
For beauty inside OBS, select CiCi Cam as a Video Capture Device input. Start OBS Virtual Camera only when another application should receive the composed OBS scene.
Detailed beauty-filter setup guides
Beauty filter for OBS
Covers source setup, plugin and free intent, scene order, recording, streaming, and troubleshooting.
Beauty filter for Microsoft Teams
Compare Soft focus and brightness with a desktop virtual-camera workflow.
Beauty filter for Zoom
Use Zoom's current appearance settings or select a reusable virtual camera.
Beauty filter for Google Meet
Compare Portrait touch-up, eligible Makeup, extensions, and a virtual camera.
Review notes and primary sources
Discord camera selection and backgrounds, OBS Video Capture Device and Virtual Camera directions, Teams native video controls, and the current Zoom and Google Meet paths were checked against official documentation. CiCi Cam is described as a Windows and Mac desktop virtual camera, not a mobile Discord filter or OBS plugin.
Frequently asked questions
Discord officially documents video backgrounds and camera selection, but not a dedicated skin-smoothing or makeup control. On Windows or Mac, a compatible virtual camera can provide an already-processed feed. Background availability and uploaded-background access can vary by client or plan.
Try CiCi Cam free
Install on Windows or Mac, build your preset, and use it in every video app.
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