Stuck? Let’s
unstick it.
Most first-time snags are one of a handful of things — nearly always the meeting app just needs a restart to notice the new camera. Here are the quick fixes.
Getting it running.
“AwayCam Camera” doesn’t show up in Zoom, Meet, or Teams
Almost always this is because the meeting app read its camera list when it launched, before AwayCam’s camera existed. Fully quit the meeting app (⌘Q — not just close the window) and reopen it, then pick “AwayCam Camera” in its camera settings. For Google Meet or any browser tab, quit the whole browser and reopen. If it’s still missing, open AwayCam ▸ Settings ▸ Virtual Camera and confirm the status says “Installed” — if not, click Install / Update Virtual Camera.
macOS is asking me to allow a system extension
That’s expected and it’s a one-time step — AwayCam’s virtual camera is a macOS system extension, and macOS always asks you to approve one. Open System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click Allow for AwayCam. The app watches for this automatically and finishes installing the moment you approve. If you dismissed the prompt, AwayCam ▸ Settings ▸ Virtual Camera has an “Open Privacy & Security settings” button.
The app won’t open, or macOS says it can’t be verified
The download is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so it should open like any normal Mac app — no “unidentified developer” warning. If Gatekeeper does complain (usually a stale quarantine flag from how the file was transferred), right-click the app in Applications and choose Open, or go to System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security and click “Open Anyway.”
Do I need a paid Apple Developer account?
No. The download just works — install it like any other Mac app. You only need your own Apple signature if you were compiling the app yourself, which isn’t part of the normal download.
I bought Pro — how do I activate my license key?
Your key arrives by email right after checkout. In AwayCam, open the Upgrade screen, paste it into “Already bought? Paste your license key,” and click Redeem — Pro unlocks instantly, no restart or account needed. Keep the email: the key isn’t tied to one Mac, so you can reuse it after a reinstall. Full activation guide →
The “Open in AwayCam” button in my license email does nothing
That button uses an awaycam:// link, which macOS only routes once AwayCam has been launched at least once (that’s when the system registers the link type). Open AwayCam from Applications, then click the button again — it should come forward with your key filled in. If it still doesn’t, pasting the key into the Upgrade screen always works.
Live, Away, and back.
How do I switch back to my real camera?
Click Live in the menu-bar menu or the main window — you’re back on your real feed instantly. You can also use the global hotkey (⌥⌘L by default), or the F13 panic key which flips Live↔Away from any app. Nothing about going Away is one-way.
My loop looks frozen, like a still photo
A good Away Loop is meant to be subtle — small, natural movement — so at a glance it can look almost still, which is the point. If it truly isn’t moving, the clip may not have played back: reopen AwayCam and check the loop in the gallery (a missing or corrupt clip shows an explicit “Clip missing” tile). Re-recording a fresh few seconds fixes it. Recording with a little visible motion (a slow blink, a small shift) also reads more naturally.
Does my loop keep playing if AwayCam quits mid-meeting?
Yes — if “Keep my Away loop running after I quit” is on (Settings ▸ Controls), the camera extension keeps replaying your loop even after the app closes, so a crash or accidental ⌘Q doesn’t expose you. With it off, quitting drops the feed to the neutral “Camera paused” card instead. Either way, your real camera never comes back on by itself.
Can people tell it’s a loop?
Not if it’s recorded well — that’s the whole point. Pro adds the small human imperfections of a real call (subtle lighting drift, occasional connection hitches, timing jitter) and Variety rotates through several of your loops so the apparent repeat period stretches from seconds to minutes. And AwayCam won’t let you get caught the wrong way: Pro’s Speaking safeguard warns you the instant you talk while Away.
When the automatic bits need a nudge.
Auto-Return isn’t switching me back to Live when I sit down
Auto-Return uses on-device face detection, so it needs camera access and your face reasonably in frame and lit. It’s a Pro feature — confirm it’s enabled in Settings ▸ Automation, and that AwayCam has camera permission (Settings ▸ Status shows this). Detection runs entirely on your Mac with Apple’s Vision framework; no images ever leave your device.
The Speaking safeguard didn’t warn me
It needs microphone permission to sense that you’re talking (it only ever reads the mic’s audio level — it never records or transmits audio). Grant mic access, and make sure the safeguard is enabled in Settings ▸ Automation. It’s a Pro feature.
Auto-Away isn’t switching me to my loop when I step away
Auto-Away watches for keyboard/mouse idle time, so first check the idle threshold in Settings ▸ Automation — it won’t fire until you’ve been away that long. It also deliberately stands down after it (or you) just returned to Live, so it never fights a decision you made seconds ago. It’s a Pro feature and needs an active loop recorded.
The short version.
Is my camera feed being uploaded anywhere?
No. Your camera, audio, and loops are never transmitted — AwayCam’s only network use is checking for its own signed updates. Everything is recorded, stored, and played back entirely on your Mac, and you can verify it with a network monitor or the downloadable Privacy Receipt — see the privacy page for the full audit.
Still stuck?
Open AwayCam ▸ Status ▸ Export Diagnostics for a local-only report (app state + recent logs, no camera footage — nothing is sent anywhere automatically), then email it to us and we'll dig in.