back to the bit.

1. Open Mirage at least once.
2. Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > Camera Extensions.
3. Enable the Mirage camera extension and approve any macOS prompt.
4. Quit and reopen your call app, then check its camera list again. For a browser call, quit and reopen the browser too.

Keep Mirage running. If it still doesn’t appear, restart your Mac and check that your call app and macOS are up to date. On a managed work or school Mac, your administrator may need to allow camera extensions.

Open System Settings > Privacy & Security. Under Camera, enable Mirage. Under Microphone, enable Mirage if you want live captions. Quit and reopen Mirage after changing permissions.

Your call app or browser also needs camera permission. For browser calls, check the site’s camera permission as well. The site you are reading now never asks for camera or microphone access.

Check that your call app selected Mirage Camera, rather than your Mac’s built-in camera. Keep Mirage open and make sure reactions aren’t paused. Try a gesture in the Mirage preview first, then check the call’s self-view. If the call app adds its own effects, try turning those off while checking the Mirage output.

In a meeting, open the arrow beside Start Video / Stop Video and choose Mirage Camera from the camera list. You can also select it in Zoom’s video settings. Turn your video on and keep Mirage running.

Zoom’s camera troubleshooting guide

Before joining or during a meeting, open More options > Settings > Video. Under Camera, choose Mirage Camera. Allow camera access for Meet in your browser if prompted.

Google Meet’s video settings guide

Open FaceTime on your Mac. In the menu bar, open Video and choose Mirage Camera as the camera. Keep Mirage running during your call. If the camera is missing, approve the extension and restart FaceTime.

Apple’s FaceTime camera guide

Open Settings and more > Settings > Devices. Under the camera or video settings, select Mirage Camera. You can also choose your camera in the meeting’s device settings before turning video on.

Microsoft’s device settings guide

Open User Settings with the cog beside your name, then go to Voice & Video. In the video or camera settings, select Mirage Camera. Preview your video, then enable your camera in the call.

Discord’s video calls guide

Add or edit a Video Capture Device source in your scene and choose Mirage Camera as its device. Keep Mirage running. Your effects and captions arrive as part of that camera feed.

Switch that gesture off in Mirage or lower its sensitivity. Keep your hands in frame when you want a reaction, and try adjusting your camera angle or lighting if recognition feels inconsistent.

For an immediate timeout, press Control + Option + 0 from any app to pause reactions. Use Control + Option + 1…9 to quick-fire your assigned reactions.

1. Check that you’re using macOS 26 or later.
2. Enable live captions in Mirage.
3. Allow the initial Apple speech-model download to finish. This needs an internet connection once; speech recognition then runs on your Mac.
4. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and allow Mirage.
5. Check that the microphone selected in Mirage is receiving your voice, then try talking in its preview.

The caption font changes the look. Your voice changes the delivery: whispers stay small, louder speech grows, and shouting brings the all-caps slam.

Drop your image or GIF into Mirage as a custom reaction and assign a gesture. Make sure you have permission to use the file. Custom files stay in the app’s own folder on your Mac.

No. Effects and captions are already part of your Mirage Camera feed. Other people see them through your normal call app without installing Mirage.

You can play with everything inside the app, including all gestures, reactions, caption fonts and your custom memes. Mirage Free also includes 15 minutes of live use in calls every month. Pro removes that live-use time limit.

Mirage Pro is $34.99/year or $4.99/month in USD. Eligible new subscribers get a 7-day free trial. After the trial, your selected plan is billed automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends. Local pricing and taxes may vary; check Apple’s purchase screen before confirming.

Yearly works out to about $2.92/month, billed as one yearly payment. Read the full subscription terms.

Open the App Store on your Mac, open your account settings and find Subscriptions. Select Mirage to manage your plan or cancel it. Apple’s screen shows your current billing and renewal details.

Cancel at least 24 hours before the current billing period or free trial ends to avoid the next charge. Deleting the app does not cancel your subscription. Apple handles billing and refund requests.

Apple’s subscription cancellation instructions

Check that the App Store is signed in to the Apple Account used for the purchase, then check that Mirage is active in that account’s subscriptions. Quit and reopen Mirage. If access still hasn’t updated, contact us with your macOS version and Mirage version. Don’t send payment-card details.