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Backdrop 0.2.0

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@OGZamasu OGZamasu released this 29 Oct 16:07
v0.2.0
18617b5

⚠️ The virtual camera can't be set up from this version. Please download 0.2.1 instead.

This release packaged its camera extension under a file name macOS rejects, so Backdrop Camera won't install. That was confirmed when updating an already-installed camera, and a first-time install uses the same check. 0.2.1 fixes it.

What's new

  • 3D Maze: the old Windows maze screensaver, behind you. A first-person walk through red-brick corridors with a tiled floor and torchlight. It pauses to turn at junctions, about-faces at dead ends, prefers corridors it hasn't walked yet, and builds a fresh maze every few minutes. Pick it from the menu bar grid, next to 3D Pipes.

Install

  1. Unzip it and drag Backdrop.app into Applications. It has to live there for macOS to accept its camera extension.
  2. Open it. Click the menu bar icon, then Set Up Backdrop Camera, and approve it in System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions › Camera Extensions.
  3. Turn the camera on, then choose Backdrop Camera in your video app.

Upgrading from 0.1.0: replace the app in Applications and open it. It updates its own camera extension when it starts.

Requires macOS 15.1 or later on Apple silicon. AI backgrounds need Apple Intelligence.

Verify

Signed with a Developer ID certificate and notarized by Apple. To check the download:

shasum -a 256 -c Backdrop-0.2.0.zip.sha256

Early release

Developed and tested on a single Apple silicon Mac running macOS 27. The engine has automated tests, but the virtual camera has had limited real-world testing, so expect rough edges. Known gaps:

  • There's no Intel build.
  • The camera is switched on and off by hand (menu bar or ⌃⌥B). It doesn't start by itself when another app opens Backdrop Camera.
  • Backdrop Camera deliberately advertises 60 fps so macOS doesn't layer its own Background effect over the result. If that effect is on for Backdrop's own camera input, the app warns you.

Bug reports are welcome as issues.

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