Avoid double smoothing
If smoothing is already configured in CiCi Cam, start with Touch up my appearance disabled or set very low. Add it only after checking facial detail in the Zoom preview.
Adjust skin smoothing, facial lighting, makeup and face shape in CiCi Cam, then select its virtual camera in Zoom. Preview your look before the meeting and keep CiCi Cam open. For a quick adjustment inside Zoom only, its built-in Touch up my appearance may be enough.
Desktop Starter includes all features, with a daily usage time limit and watermark. Windows 10/11 x64 · macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon.
Compare the desktop app's effects, then select CiCi Cam in Zoom and check your final meeting preview.
Settings → Video & effects → Camera
Follow the Zoom setup →Start with Zoom's Touch up my appearance off or low to avoid applying smoothing twice.
Install CiCi Cam on Windows 10/11 x64 or macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon. Allow camera access and, on Mac, the camera extension. Restart Zoom after installation so it can discover the new camera.
Open CiCi Cam, choose your physical camera in the source dropdown. The app applies the beauty pipeline in real time and pushes the cleaned feed to the virtual camera output.
Use light smoothing and facial soft light first; add subtle eye, lip, or blush makeup; finish with a filter that matches your room lighting.
In Zoom desktop, open your profile menu, then Settings → Video & effects → Camera and choose CiCi Cam. Start with Touch up my appearance off or low, check the final preview and keep CiCi Cam open during your meeting.
Both approaches can improve a meeting preview. The practical difference is where the processing happens and whether the same result can be reused outside Zoom.
| Capability | Zoom built-in tools | CiCi Cam |
|---|---|---|
| Where the effect runs | Inside the Zoom desktop or mobile app | Before the feed reaches Zoom, through a system virtual camera |
| Appearance controls | Touch up my appearance provides adjustable soft focus; available effects depend on the Zoom client and account settings | Separate controls for skin, facial soft light, makeup, face shape, and color presets |
| Lighting correction | Adjust for low light is available in supported Zoom desktop clients | Face-focused soft light and color adjustments are saved with the CiCi Cam preset |
| Reuse in other apps | Zoom settings apply only in Zoom | The same virtual-camera output can be selected in other compatible camera apps |
| Best fit | A quick improvement needed only for Zoom | A more configurable look that must remain consistent across several apps |
Zoom administrators can control the availability of some video effects. Menu names and available effects can change between Zoom versions.
Use one primary appearance pipeline, verify it in Zoom's own preview, and add Zoom-specific effects only when they solve a separate problem.
If smoothing is already configured in CiCi Cam, start with Touch up my appearance disabled or set very low. Add it only after checking facial detail in the Zoom preview.
Use CiCi Cam for the camera image and Zoom for virtual backgrounds, framing, or meeting-specific effects. This makes it easier to identify which app caused an unwanted change.
For troubleshooting, begin at 1280 × 720 and 30 fps. Increase resolution only after the CiCi Cam and Zoom previews remain smooth on the actual computer and network.
Always judge the result under Zoom → Video & effects, not only in CiCi Cam. Zoom may add low-light adjustment, background processing, mirroring, or other presentation changes.
Most setup failures come from the wrong device being selected, another app holding the physical webcam, or two layers of effects being applied at once.
Quit Zoom completely, open CiCi Cam and confirm its preview is running, then reopen Zoom. Also check operating-system camera permissions and any company policy that restricts virtual cameras.
Open Zoom's Camera menu and select CiCi Cam instead of the physical webcam. The physical device should be the input in CiCi Cam; CiCi Cam should be the input in Zoom.
Close other camera apps and confirm only CiCi Cam is opening the physical webcam. Then verify that CiCi Cam's own preview is live before troubleshooting Zoom.
Temporarily disable Zoom's Touch up my appearance and Adjust for low light. Establish a neutral CiCi Cam feed first, then add one Zoom-specific adjustment at a time.
Built-in filters can depend on the Zoom version, device, region, and account settings. CiCi Cam uses the Camera selector, so a missing Video filters option is a separate issue from a missing virtual camera. On managed devices, check whether desktop software and virtual cameras are permitted.
A detailed look at what Zoom's native appearance control changes and when a virtual camera is useful.
Work through restart order, camera permissions, device selection, and application conflicts.
Fix camera position and physical lighting before relying on software correction.
Zoom feature names and the camera-selection path were checked against Zoom Support. CiCi Cam requirements and processing behavior are based on the current product specification; performance remains hardware-dependent.
Install on Windows or Mac, build your preset, and use it in every video app.
Download CiCi Cam Free