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Backdrop 0.2.1

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@OGZamasu OGZamasu released this 29 Oct 16:38
v0.2.1
a088d51

What's fixed

  • The virtual camera can now be installed from the download. 0.1.0 and 0.2.0 shipped the camera extension under a file name macOS rejects, so Backdrop Camera could not be set up from those versions. If you tried one of them and the camera never appeared, this is why. Install this version instead.
  • Backdrop recovers on its own when video stops. If the camera feed errors or goes quiet, it restarts it. If the camera extension restarts or stops taking frames, it reconnects. It tells macOS it is live video, so a menu bar app that isn't in front doesn't get throttled. And when frames stall briefly, other apps see the last picture for a couple of seconds instead of a "Backdrop is off" card at the first hiccup.
  • Diagnostics that stick around. Camera and connection events are now kept in the system log, so a problem can be traced after the fact.

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: 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-0.2.1.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. In particular, the first-time install of this downloadable build hasn't yet been tried on a clean Mac; the fix was confirmed by installing and updating the same extension, named the same way, from a development build. 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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