VideoMonk

Support

Updated 24 August 2026 · Version 1.0

Write to [email protected] and a person will answer. Most of what people ask about is below.

Requirements

  • macOS 26 or later. VideoMonk uses the Liquid Glass interface introduced in macOS 26 and will not launch on earlier systems.
  • A video source macOS recognises as a camera — the built-in FaceTime camera, a USB or UVC capture card, an HDMI-to-USB adapter, Continuity Camera, or Desk View.
  • Camera access for a picture, and microphone access if you want to hear the audio.

Permissions

On first launch macOS asks for the camera and the microphone. If you decline, the status capsule reads NO ACCESS and the source panel offers a shortcut to the right settings page. You can also change it yourself in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera (and Microphone), then switch back to VideoMonk.

Camera access is required — without it there is nothing to show. Microphone access only affects audio: refuse it and the picture still works, but the audio input list stays empty.

Common questions

The source list is empty

Press ⌘R to refresh, or open the source panel with ⌘I and use the refresh button there. If it is still empty: check the cable and any external power the device needs, and try a different port or a powered hub — capture hardware is often a fussy bus citizen. Some HDMI-to-USB adapters only register once there is a signal on their input, so turn on the machine you are capturing first. Continuity Camera and Desk View need an iPhone nearby, unlocked, on the same Apple Account, with Continuity Camera enabled on the phone.

The device is listed but there is no picture

A status of NO SIGNAL means the device is connected but is not sending frames. Try another resolution or frame rate — some capture cards only deliver certain combinations, and a card fed a mode it cannot handle simply goes quiet. Reseat the input cable, and quit any other app that may be holding the device: a few claim a camera exclusively and will not share it.

The resolution or frame rate I want is not in the list

The list is not a menu of what a device ought to support — it is what the device reports to macOS. If a combination is not there, the hardware did not offer it. Two entries with the same resolution are not a duplicate: the same size can arrive under different codecs, and they behave differently. A few devices also report a shorter list until their input has a signal, so it is worth refreshing after the source is live.

There is no sound

Open the source panel with ⌘I and check that an audio input is selected — the picture and the sound are chosen separately, and a capture card usually presents its audio as its own input. Then check the volume slider and that mute (⌘M) is off. If the level meter moves but you hear nothing, the problem is downstream: check the Mac's own output device and volume. If the audio input list is empty, microphone access is off.

Where do stills and recordings go?

Stills to ~/Pictures/VideoMonk, recordings to ~/Movies/VideoMonk, named by date and time. The notification that appears after each save has a Reveal button, and the source panel has shortcuts straight to both folders. Stills are lossless PNG by default; JPEG is a setting in the same panel.

Some controls are dimmed while recording

That is deliberate. Source, resolution and frame rate are held for the duration of a take, because changing them mid-recording would corrupt the file. Stop the recording (⇧⌘R) and they come back.

The controls vanished

The bar hides three seconds after the pointer stops. Move the mouse and it returns; clicking the picture toggles it, and ⌥⌘C pins the decision.

Can it show a screen, a network stream, or an NDI source?

No. VideoMonk monitors devices that macOS presents as cameras. It has no network access at all, so there is nothing for it to receive a stream over.

Can I change the interface language?

Yes — English and Russian, in the source panel. Automatic follows your system language and falls back to English. The change takes effect after a restart, and VideoMonk offers to relaunch itself.

Does it send anything anywhere?

No. There are no accounts, no analytics, no ads, no third-party SDKs and no network connections. See the privacy policy.

Will it run on macOS 15 or earlier?

No, and it is not a check that can be lifted — the interface is built on APIs that only exist in macOS 26.

Reporting a problem

Email [email protected]. It helps a great deal if you include:

  • Your macOS version and Mac model.
  • The device, as it appears in the source panel — the vendor and product line underneath the name is the useful part.
  • The resolution and frame rate you selected.
  • What the status capsule says: LIVE, NO SIGNAL, NO SOURCE, NO ACCESS, or ERROR.
  • Whether the same device works in another app, and which.