Microsoft Teams is a popular video conferencing tool that allows users to connect with colleagues and clients around the world. While Teams is a great way to stay connected, it can be distracting to have your messy living room or office in the background of your video calls. That’s where background effects come in.
Microsoft Teams allows you to blur your background, replace it with a pre-made image, or even upload your own custom background. This can help you maintain a professional appearance, even if you’re not working in a traditional office setting.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to change your Microsoft Teams background on both desktop and mobile devices. We’ll also provide some tips for choosing the right background for your needs.
What is Microsoft Teams’ background?
As the name implies, backdrops in Microsoft Teams are possibilities for replacing specific backgrounds while on a call. Teams recognize certain users on a screen and overlay a background over them to hide their surroundings. The overlay is intelligently adjusted as the user moves. All of this is accomplished without the use of a green screen of any kind.
A few choices for backdrops are as follows:
- Blur the background to keep it out of focus yet unaltered.
- Replace the background with a picture accessible directly from Microsoft Teams, such as images or backdrops, with a professional appearance.
- Upload a unique image for the team’s backdrop.
How to Change Microsoft Teams Background
Before starting or joining a meeting, users can add backgrounds. It can also be done during a call. Depending on when you change your backdrop and what device you’re using, there will be somewhat different steps.
#1. How to Change Your Microsoft Teams Background Before a Call
You can take a few easy actions to alter your background before the call starts. Change your settings as follows at the beginning of a meeting on the “Joining” screen:
- Toggle the background settings control (found between the audio and video control buttons) and choose “Background settings”
- Ensure that your video is on.
- Select a Background or Add One of Your Own.
From there, you can start the meeting, and your background will remain changed to your chosen option until you do so again. With Microsoft Teams bespoke backgrounds, a greenscreen or anything comparable is not required. The highly trained, intelligent model will automatically separate you from your backdrop.
Remember that you can “blur” your background, but doing so does not produce an appealing image.
#2. How to Change Your Microsoft Teams Background During a Call
Microsoft Teams also lets you switch to a different, more polished background during an ongoing meeting session. In such circumstances, changing the background in Microsoft Teams is explained by the following steps:
The options to blur your background, choose a picture, or upload a new one are the same whether you change it before or during a call.
Begin/Join a Meeting
Turn on the video and audio switches from underneath the preview window, navigate to the meeting with the box using the technique described in the previous section, and click Join Now.
While a meeting is still in progress, select More Actions from the Meeting box’s top-right corner, then select Apply Background Effects from the menu that appears.
Change the Background
Choose the image you wish to use as your new backdrop by clicking on it in the backdrop settings window on the right, and then click Apply at the bottom to save the changes.
#3. How to Add a Background of Your Own
You can always upload your background if you don’t want to use the default Microsoft Teams background. This is a terrific way to include your brand’s colors or emblem in meetings.
Make your own background image to start. On your device, save this as a.JPG, PNG, or.BMP file. Navigate to the background effects settings when altering your backdrop, and click Add New.
The backdrop image file from your device is now available for selection, and you can use it as your background. If you ever need to switch to a custom backdrop, you can utilize the file again because it will be saved to your chosen background selections.
How to Change Your Microsoft Teams Background Variation During Calls (Mobile)
The procedures are slightly different if you join a meeting using a mobile device and want to change your background. You can change your background before or during a meeting, just like in a desktop or web meeting, although the procedures will vary significantly.
Start by setting up the call as usual, then take the following actions to change your background before or during the meeting:
#1. Start a New Team Meeting on Mobile
Open Microsoft Teams on your smartphone (the iPhone X is being used as an example). Make sure the Chat option is chosen from the main screen’s bottom, then tap the Instant Meeting (Camcorder) symbol in the window’s top right corner and pick Start Meeting from the Instant Meeting box that appears.
#2. Access the Background Selection Screen
When the meeting begins, tap the More Actions icon at the bottom of the screen. When the choices box appears, tap Background Effects.
#3. Swap out the Background
Select an image to use as the background by tapping it on the Select Background screen. You can also tap the plus tile to upload and use a custom image as an alternative. To save the changes after choosing a background, touch Done in the top-right corner of the screen.
How to Change Your Microsoft Teams Background on a Laptop Before a Meeting
You can use a virtual background in Teams before you start a meeting or join one. Using this method, you can prevent the other participants from becoming distracted by your room’s potentially unprofessional and unattractive walls and décor. You can follow the steps listed below to learn how to change the background on Microsoft Teams:
#1. Get Ready for a Team Meeting
Open Microsoft Teams on your laptop (the example uses a Windows 10 computer). Make sure the Chat option is chosen in the left-hand menu, then click the New Meeting (Camcorder) button in the Chat pane’s upper right corner and select Start Meeting.
#2. Launch the Background Settings Window
If the video and audio switches on the Meeting with the Box aren’t already turned on, do so before selecting the Background Effects icon from the preview window.
#3. Change the Background
Select the image you wish to use as the meeting’s background by clicking on it in the Background Settings pane on the right. Then, click Join Now from under the preview window to start or join the meeting with the new background.
How do I Upload a Custom Background In Microsoft Teams?
#1. Go to the Background Settings Pane
Open Microsoft Teams on your PC, activate the Video and Audio switches using the earlier-described procedure, and then launch the Background Settings pane to prepare for a meeting.
#2. Adding and Using a Custom Background
Click Select your chosen computer image from the list of options under Add New in the Background settings window, then upload it to Teams as a custom background. Next, select Join Now to join or begin a new meeting from the bottom of the preview screen.
How to Delete a Background that was Uploaded
Locate the custom image you uploaded, click the More icon in the top-right corner of the tile, and then click Remove to remove the custom backdrop.
How Do I Change My Background on Teams Without Being in a Meeting?
Turn on the toggle switch for the camera. Click the “Background Filters” option in the video meeting preview. A quick tip: To access the appearance settings in a video conversation, open the More (three-dotted) button and choose the “Apply background effects” option.
Why are the Change Background Options not Showing Up in Teams?
Ensure you use desktop software and not a web browser if you don’t see background filters. Background settings are displayed on the right panel. Meanwhile, to hide your surroundings, you can blur your background. From the options presented, pick an image.
Why You Should Change Your Microsoft Teams Background
There are a few reasons why you might want to change your Microsoft Teams background:
- To maintain a professional appearance: If you’re working from home or a public place, you may not want your colleagues or clients to see your messy surroundings. Changing your background to a neutral image or a virtual office can help you to look more professional.
- To protect your privacy: If you’re concerned about your privacy, you can blur your background or replace it with an image that doesn’t reveal any personal information.
- To be more creative: You can use background effects to add some personality to your video calls. For example, you could use a beach background to make it look like you’re on vacation, or a holiday background to celebrate a special occasion.
Conclusion
Backgrounds are a fantastic way to personalize a Microsoft Teams conference and provide meeting participants with an additional measure of privacy.
One of Microsoft Teams’ finest features is background filters. The fact that there are so many various background selections to pick from is fantastic. Meetings can be made more enjoyable this way, or if you need to hide your true identity, it can make you appear more professional.
- How to Delete Background in Photoshop: Fast & Easy Methods
- How to Remove Microsoft Account From Windows 10: Full Guide
- HOW TO CHANGE CHROME BACKGROUND: Quick & Easy Steps
- Do You Have To Pay For Snapchat: What You Should Know
- How to Get YouTube to Play in the Background: Free Tips
References
