Live face swap on Mac
Wear another face on camera from any MacBook: the swap runs through Chrome, so there's nothing heavy to install.
Set it up in Mac
Let Chrome use the camera in macOS
Choose Apple menu → System Settings, click Privacy & Security in the sidebar, then Camera, and turn on Google Chrome. If it was off, quit and reopen Chrome afterwards.
Add Facecam and choose a face
Install the Facecam extension from the Chrome Web Store, sign in, choose Face swap under Your look and click a face, or upload a photo of the one you want.
Allow the call site
The first time a site such as Google Meet asks for your camera, Chrome shows a prompt at the top left. Allow it.
Select the camera in the call
Open the site's camera menu and choose “Facecam Virtual Camera”. The first start takes 20 to 30 seconds, sometimes up to a minute; until then the call shows your normal camera. Your MacBook's FaceTime HD camera light stays on: Facecam is reading it to make the swap.
If it doesn't work
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Every site says no camera was found | Google Chrome is switched off under Privacy & Security → Camera. Turn it on and restart Chrome. |
| The camera works in FaceTime but not in Chrome | macOS allows the camera app by app. FaceTime being allowed says nothing about Chrome; check Chrome's own switch. |
| An iPhone shows up as the camera instead of the built-in one | Macs can use a nearby iPhone as a webcam. Pick the camera you want as your real one in Chrome's camera setting (Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Camera). |
| The fans spin up | Close other video tabs. The swap itself runs on our servers; what your Mac does is send and show video. |
Mac apps and what to use instead
| You want the swap in… | On a Mac, do this |
|---|---|
| Google Meet | Pick “Facecam Virtual Camera” in Meet in Chrome |
| Zoom | Join from the browser instead of the Zoom app |
| Teams | Choose Continue on this browser on the invite |
| Discord | Open discord.com in Chrome, not the Discord app |
| A Mac app that has no web version | Route it through OBS Virtual Camera |
More about Mac
Why a Mac doesn't need a graphics card for this
Face swap apps you download do the AI work on your own machine, which is why most of them ask for a strong graphics card and are built for Windows first. Facecam sends your webcam video to its servers, swaps the face there and returns the frames to Chrome. A MacBook Air handles that the same way it handles a normal video call.
What we ran on a Mac
Our device check ran on an Apple silicon Mac: with Facecam loaded, the sites of Discord, Zoom, Teams, Webex and others each listed the Facecam camera and received video from it. It used a test camera, not a person, and didn't join real meetings; the Zoom page has our signed-in swap test.
Sources
- Apple: control access to the camera on Mac — support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mchlf6d108da (checked 2026-10-03)
- Google Chrome Help: use your camera and microphone — support.google.com/chrome/answer/2693767 (checked 2026-10-03)
Questions
Does it work on Intel Macs?
It should: nothing in it depends on the chip, because the swap isn't computed on your Mac. Our own run was on Apple silicon.
Can I use it in FaceTime?
No. FaceTime on a Mac is an app, and apps can't see a camera that lives in Chrome.
Does it work in Safari?
No. Facecam is a Chrome extension.
Does macOS show that the camera is in use?
Yes. The green camera light and the menu bar indicator stay on while Chrome reads your webcam, as with any video call.
Other platforms
- Face swap for ZoomFace swap for Zoom calls: join from your browser, pick Facecam Virtual Camera on the join screen, and wait for your new face.
- Face swap on DiscordFacecam's live face swap works in Discord video when you open discord.com in Chrome and choose the Facecam Virtual Camera.
- Face swap for Microsoft TeamsBe anyone in a Teams meeting: join in Chrome, choose Facecam Virtual Camera, and your new face is what the meeting sees.
- Face swap in OBSStream with another face in OBS: the swap runs in Chrome, and a browser source or a window capture brings it into your scene.
- How to Face Swap on a Video CallFace swap on a video call from Chrome: what to click, how long the swap takes to start, and what the other person sees.
Related
Face swap for ZoomFace swap for Zoom calls: join from your browser, pick Facecam Virtual Camera on the join screen, and wait for your new face.
Voice changer for MacA free voice changer for Mac in Chrome: pick a voice in the Facecam extension and choose Facecam Virtual Mic in Meet, discord.com or Zoom on the web.
Soundboard for MacA soundboard for your MacBook or iMac that plays into browser calls, with no audio driver to install. Free, no sign-up.
Webcam TestA free webcam test with no sign-up: see your camera's real resolution, frame rate and lighting in seconds. Your video never leaves your device.
