To use real-time face swap on Zoom, start the face swap in LiveFaceSwap Desktop, then select LiveFaceSwap Camera as your camera in the Zoom desktop app.
The video path is:
Physical camera → LiveFaceSwap Desktop → LiveFaceSwap Camera → Zoom
LiveFaceSwap Camera carries the processed video, not your microphone audio. Select your microphone separately in the meeting app.
Before you start
You need:
- a Windows 11 computer with LiveFaceSwap Desktop installed;
- a working physical camera;
- a reference portrait;
- the Zoom desktop app;
- a stable internet connection for the cloud AI session.
If LiveFaceSwap Desktop is not ready yet, complete the LiveFaceSwap Desktop setup guide first.
1. Start the face swap in LiveFaceSwap Desktop
Open LiveFaceSwap Desktop, then:
- Select your physical camera.
- Add or choose a reference portrait.
- Select the face swap effect and model you want to use.
- Start the session.
- Wait for the processed video to appear under AI output.
Do not continue until the Desktop preview is updating correctly. This confirms that the camera input and AI session are working before you test the virtual-camera connection.
2. Select LiveFaceSwap Camera in Zoom
Open the desktop app and go to:
Settings → Video & effects → Camera
Open the camera menu and select:
LiveFaceSwap Camera
The meeting preview should now show the same processed video you see under AI output in LiveFaceSwap Desktop.
You can also switch cameras during a meeting from the arrow next to Start Video or Stop Video. Choose LiveFaceSwap Camera under Select a Camera.
If you select the physical webcam instead, the meeting will receive the original camera feed rather than the face-swapped result.
3. Select and test your microphone
LiveFaceSwap Camera is a video device. It does not carry microphone audio.
Open:
Settings → Audio
Select the microphone and speaker you normally use. A typical setup is:
- Camera:
LiveFaceSwap Camera - Microphone: your laptop, USB, headset, or audio-interface microphone
- Speaker: your headphones or speakers
Use the built-in Test microphone and Test speaker controls before joining a call. For a fuller explanation of separate video and audio paths, see the virtual camera and audio routing guide.
4. Verify the complete workflow
Before an important meeting, start or join a test meeting and confirm that:
- the Desktop AI output continues to update;
- the meeting preview shows the processed feed rather than the physical camera;
- head movement and expressions continue to update;
- the selected microphone plays back correctly in the audio test;
- stopping and starting video does not switch back to another camera.
Once these checks pass, the workflow is ready to use.
LiveFaceSwap Camera does not appear in Zoom
Work through the device chain in order:
- Fully quit the app.
- Open LiveFaceSwap Desktop and confirm that AI output works.
- Reopen it and check the camera menu again.
- Confirm that Windows allows desktop apps to access camera devices.
- In a meeting, open the arrow next to Start Video or Stop Video and check Select a Camera.
The app may need to refresh its camera list after a virtual camera becomes available. Restarting it is more useful than repeatedly changing unrelated video settings.
If the device is still missing, follow the LiveFaceSwap virtual camera troubleshooting order before reinstalling anything.
Zoom can select the camera, but the preview is black
First look at AI output in LiveFaceSwap Desktop:
- AI output is also black or frozen: Fix the physical camera or AI session before troubleshooting the meeting app.
- AI output works, but the meeting preview is black: Keep Desktop running, reselect
LiveFaceSwap Camera, then restart Zoom. - The meeting shows the original webcam: Select
LiveFaceSwap Camera, not the physical camera.
Also close any unnecessary app that may be competing for the physical camera. Test one stage at a time instead of changing several settings together.
Why does the Zoom preview look mirrored?
Zoom's Mirror my video preview setting flips only the preview you see. It does not necessarily mean other participants receive a mirrored feed.
If text or logos look reversed, check the Desktop output first and then the mirror setting. Avoid flipping the video in multiple apps, because two horizontal flips can cancel each other out.
Zoom documents its current camera, HD, original-ratio, and mirror controls in the Zoom Workplace settings guide.
What if the video is delayed or the call is unstable?
Cloud AI processing adds work to the video path, while microphone audio goes directly to the meeting app. If you notice delay or instability:
- use a stable network connection;
- close apps that are using the camera or consuming significant system resources;
- test with Zoom HD disabled if CPU or bandwidth is limited;
- keep LiveFaceSwap Desktop open and confirm that AI output remains stable.
For precise audio-delay control or a composed scene with titles, slides, or multiple sources, route LiveFaceSwap Camera through OBS and then send the OBS scene to Zoom. The virtual camera and audio routing guide explains when that extra step is useful.
Do you need OBS for Zoom?
No. Select LiveFaceSwap Camera directly in Zoom when you only need the processed camera feed.
Use OBS in the middle only when you also need scene composition, screen capture, graphics, multiple sources, or audio timing controls. For that workflow, start with the LiveFaceSwap OBS guide.