Are you struggling with getting your OBS browser source to display correctly? You’re not alone.
Many content creators encounter this frustrating problem while trying to stream or record their content.
In this blog, we’ll explore various troubleshooting steps and proven methods to fix OBS browser source not showing, so you can get back to creating without any interruptions.
How To Fix OBS Browser Source Not Showing?
To fix the OBS browser source not showing you can disable browser source hardware acceleration, update OBS to the latest version, and check for interactivity issues. Additionally, you can run OBS as administrator, and disable hardware acceleration in web browser.
1. Disable Browser Source Hardware Acceleration
When OBS Browser Source is not showing, it may be due to hardware acceleration being enabled, which can sometimes interfere with the display of browser sources.
Disabling hardware acceleration may resolve this issue by allowing OBS to process the source without relying on the GPU.
- Open OBS and go to ‘Settings‘.
- Navigate to the ‘Advanced‘ tab.
- Scroll down to find the ‘Sources‘ section.
- Uncheck the option ‘Enable browser source hardware acceleration‘.
- Click ‘OK‘ to save the changes and restart OBS to see if the browser source appears.
2. Update OBS To The Latest Version
Sometimes the issue with OBS Browser Source not displaying can be due to using an outdated version of OBS.
Updating to the latest version ensures you have all the latest fixes and features, which may resolve the browser source visibility problem.
- Go to the OBS website or check the OBS application for updates.
- Download and install the latest version of OBS Studio.
- Restart OBS and check if the browser source is now showing.
3. Check For Interactivity Issues
In some cases, the browser source might not show because of interactivity issues, especially if it requires user interaction like login pop-ups.
Ensuring the source is set to interact properly can help display the content.
- Right-click on the browser source in OBS.
- Select ‘Interact‘ from the context menu.
- Attempt to interact with the source as needed, like logging in if a login pop-up should appear.
4. Run OBS As Administrator
Running OBS as administrator can solve issues with the browser source not showing, as it gives the program higher privileges that can be necessary for certain features to work correctly.
This can be particularly important when OBS needs to interact with other software or system components that require administrative access.
- Locate the OBS shortcut on your desktop or start menu.
- Right-click on the OBS icon.
- Select ‘Run as administrator‘ from the context menu.
- If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click ‘Yes‘ to allow OBS to run with administrative privileges.
- Check to see if the browser source is now visible in OBS.
5. Disable Hardware Acceleration In Web Browser
Disabling hardware acceleration in your web browser can help fix the issue of OBS Browser Source not showing because it prevents the browser from using the GPU for rendering.
This can be beneficial if your GPU drivers or hardware are causing conflicts with OBS.
Google Chrome:
- Open Chrome and click the three dots in the upper-right corner.
- Click “Settings.“
- Scroll down and click “Advanced.“
- Find “Use hardware acceleration when available” and toggle it off.
- Relaunch Chrome.
Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Firefox and click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the upper-right corner.
- Click “Settings.“
- Scroll down to the “Performance” section.
- Uncheck “Use recommended performance settings.“
- Uncheck “Use hardware acceleration when available.“
Microsoft Edge:
- Open Edge and click the three dots in the upper-right corner.
- Click “Settings.“
- Click “System” on the left sidebar.
- Toggle off “Use hardware acceleration when available.“
- Restart Edge.
6. Uninstall And Reinstall OBS
Reinstalling OBS can resolve issues with the browser source not showing by replacing any corrupted program files and ensuring that all components of the software are up-to-date.
This can be a comprehensive solution if other troubleshooting steps have not resolved the issue.
- Close OBS if it’s open.
- Go to ‘Control Panel‘ > ‘Programs‘ > ‘Programs and Features‘.
- Select OBS Studio and click ‘Uninstall‘.
- Optionally, back up your settings by copying the ‘%appdata%\obs-studio‘ folder to another location.
- Download the latest version of OBS from the official website.
- Install OBS by running the downloaded installer.
- If you backed up your settings, copy them back to the ‘%appdata%\obs-studio‘ folder.
- Run OBS and check if the browser source issue is resolved.
7. Contact OBS Support
If you’ve tried all available troubleshooting steps and still encounter issues with the OBS Browser Source not showing, contacting support may be the next appropriate step.
Reaching out to the OBS support team can provide you with expert advice and more personalized assistance.
They can help identify if the problem is due to a software bug, a compatibility issue, or a unique system configuration that isn’t covered by general troubleshooting guides.