Virtual Backgrounds

Virtual backgrounds let you replace or blur your video background. This is useful for privacy, professionalism, or just adding some fun to your meetings.

Setting Up Before Joining

You can select your virtual background before joining a meeting:

On the pre-join screen, click the Effects button
Preview your camera with different background options
Select your preferred background (none, blur, or image)
Click Apply to save your choice
Join the meeting with your background already active

Setting your background before joining ensures you're ready from the moment you enter the meeting.

Background Options

Option	Description
None	Show your real background
Blur	Blur your background while keeping you in focus
Image	Replace your background with an image

Applying a Virtual Background

Click the arrow next to the Camera button in the meeting toolbar

Select Virtual Background or Choose Background

Select an option:

None to show your real background
Blur to blur the background
An image to replace the background

The background changes in your video preview and for other participants

Background Blur

Blur keeps you in focus while obscuring your surroundings:

Good for:

Hiding a messy room
Privacy without a specific background
Reducing distractions

Tips:

Works best with good lighting
Stay relatively still for best effect
Some movement at edges is normal

Image Backgrounds

Replace your background with an image:

Available images:

Pre-set backgrounds provided by the platform
Custom images (if enabled)

Tips for custom images:

Use high-resolution images (at least 1920x1080)
Avoid busy patterns that distract
Choose images appropriate for the meeting context

Custom backgrounds

The ability to upload custom background images depends on your organization's settings. Contact your admin if you need custom backgrounds enabled.

Requirements

Virtual backgrounds work best with:

Hardware:

Modern computer or device
Dedicated or integrated GPU helps
Adequate RAM (4GB+ recommended)

Environment:

Good, even lighting on your face
Contrast between you and your background
Solid-color clothing (avoid green if using green screen)

Connection:

Stable internet connection
Virtual backgrounds use additional processing

Troubleshooting

Background not applying

Check that your camera is on
Ensure virtual backgrounds are enabled for your meeting
Try a different background option
Restart the meeting if issues persist

Edges look choppy

Improve your lighting
Increase contrast with your actual background
Try blur instead of an image
Reduce movement during calls

Performance issues

Virtual backgrounds use CPU/GPU resources
Try blur instead of images (less intensive)
Close other resource-heavy applications
Consider upgrading hardware for frequent use

Best Practices

Test before important meetings: Apply your background before the meeting starts to ensure it looks right.

Consider your context: Use professional backgrounds for work meetings, casual ones for informal calls.

Good lighting is key: Virtual backgrounds work much better with proper lighting.

Minimize movement: Quick movements can cause edge artifacts.

Basic Controls — Camera and other controls
Meeting Interface — Interface overview