Webcam Keeper
Your webcam, the way you set it. For macOS.
Webcam Keeper is a free menu bar app for Mac. It turns off a USB webcam's autofocus, holds focus, exposure, white balance and the usual image controls at the values you choose, and puts them back whenever an app starts using the camera, after your Mac wakes, and when the camera is plugged in.
Need help? Email webcam.keeper@pm.me. If a camera is misbehaving, please include its diagnostics (see below).
Getting started
- Open Webcam Keeper. It has no Dock icon or window: look for the camera icon in the menu bar at the top right of your screen.
- Plug in your USB webcam. It shows up in the panel straight away.
- Adjust the controls. Changes save as you make them. Turn off Auto next to Focus to stop the camera hunting for focus.
- Turn on Open at login so your settings are kept after a restart.
If you can't see the camera icon, your menu bar may be full, especially on a Mac with a
notch. Quit another menu bar app, or hold ⌘ and drag icons to make room.
Opening Webcam Keeper again from Applications shows a reminder window.
Profiles
Each camera has a profile. Default holds the camera at its own factory
settings. Change anything while on Default and Webcam Keeper saves your settings as a new
profile. Use the … button next to the profile to make a new one, rename it,
reset it to the camera's defaults or delete it.
Profiles belong to a camera model, since different models have different controls. Two cameras of the same model can use different profiles, as long as they report serial numbers; most do.
Which cameras work
Webcam Keeper works with USB webcams that follow the standard USB Video Class (UVC), which is nearly all of them. It has been tested with Dell and Verbatim webcams.
These don't work, because macOS doesn't let apps adjust them:
- the built-in FaceTime camera on a MacBook, iMac or Studio Display
- iPhone Continuity Camera
- virtual cameras, such as OBS or camera effects apps
Some webcams only offer some controls. A control that doesn't appear in the panel isn't offered by that camera.
Common questions
My settings change back when a call starts
Many webcams reset parts of their state when an app starts using them. Webcam Keeper re-applies your settings when that happens, and again a few seconds later. Check that Keep these settings applied is on. If another app also controls the camera, such as Logi Options+ or another webcam settings app, quit it, as the two will fight over the settings.
Moving from Webcam Settings
Choose More › Import from Webcam Settings… and pick the file it opens to. Each of your saved profiles comes across with its name. Then quit Webcam Settings and turn off its Launch at Login, so only one app controls the camera.
Can Webcam Keeper see my video?
No. It watches whether the camera is in use, so it knows when to re-apply your settings, but it never opens the video stream. See the privacy policy.
Sending diagnostics
- Plug in the camera and click the Webcam Keeper icon in the menu bar.
- Choose More › Copy Diagnostics.
- Paste into an email to webcam.keeper@pm.me, with a few words about what goes wrong.
The report lists your Mac model and macOS version, and for each camera its name, USB IDs, serial number, the controls it offers and their values. Nothing is sent automatically.