How To Change Background On Microsoft Teams
Knowing how to change the background on Microsoft Teams is one of the most important things to learn if you use this platform for meetings.
We all know what it’s like to have a background that you need to hide. Maybe you’re in a busy coffee shop that will cause a distraction or maybe your house is particularly messy. Whatever the case, you can change your background to help you look more professional.
You can also create your own background, which is a great way to represent your brand during meetings.
Table of contents
- How To Change Background On Microsoft Teams
- How To Change Your Teams Meeting Background On Mobile
- How To Add Your Own Background
- Things to Note About Changing Your Background On Microsoft Teams
- Conclusion
How To Change Background on Microsoft Teams
Changing your background during a virtual meeting can help you look more professional. Here’s how to change background on Microsoft Teams.
How To Change Your Background On Microsoft Teams Before Your Meeting
It’s certainly not ideal to join a meeting with a busy background, only to change your background five minutes into the meeting. The best approach is to join the meeting with the background of your choice.
Follow these steps to change your background on Microsoft Teams before joining a meeting:
- When you set up your video and audio preferences before joining a meeting, select the Background filters button. You can find this button below the video preview image.
- Now a selection of background options will display on the right-hand side of your screen. Choose the background that works best for you.
*Note: If you aren’t sure which to choose, opting to blur your background is always a good move. This keeps your image in good focus, with your background blurred. It’s not distracting, but it hides whatever is behind you.
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Now your chosen background will appear whenever you join a call or meeting in the future.
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If you want to remove your background choice, then select the button to turn off background effects. This is the button that depicts a circle with a diagonal line through it.
How To Change Your Background On Microsoft Teams In Your Meeting
In many cases, you will join a meeting and only then find that your background is too distracting. Here are the steps you can take to change your background in Microsoft Teams while you are in a meeting:
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Navigate to your meeting controls panel in the meeting and select More actions (the three little dots).
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Select Show background effects.
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Now you will be presented with a choice of background options that you can pick from. Again, blurring your background is often the most practical in a meeting.
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You can select Preview once you have chosen your background. This lets you see what the background will look like before you apply it. Nobody else in the meeting will see this.
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When you are happy with your background, select Apply. Now your new background is in action.
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When you want to remove your background, select the button to turn off background effects. This is the button that depicts a circle with a diagonal line through it.
How To Change Your Teams Meeting Background On Mobile
Changing your Microsoft Teams background on a mobile device follows the same general process. This won’t change whether you are on an Android or iOS device.
How To Change Background On Microsoft Teams Before A Meeting (Mobile)
Follow these five simple steps for all mobile devices
- Select the Settings button while you are getting ready for the meeting.
- Tap on Background effects.
- A range of background options will appear below your image. Select the option you like the most.
- Press Done.
- Select the No background option (circle with a diagonal line going through it) button to turn off your background.
How To Change Background On Microsoft Teams During A Meeting (Mobile)
Here’s how to change your background while you’re in a meeting on your mobile device:
- Go to your meeting controls buttons and tap on More options (the three dots).
- Tap on the Background effects button.
- Choose the background you like.
- Tap Done. Now your background has been changed.
- Select the No background option (circle with a diagonal line going through it) button to turn off your background.
How To Add Your Own Background
If you don’t want to use the generic Microsoft Teams backgrounds, you can always upload your own. This is can be a great way to customize your meetings with your brand colors or logo.
Start by creating your own background image. Save this in a .JPG, .PNG, or .BMP file on your device. Then, when changing your background, navigate to the background effects options and then select Add new.
Now you can choose the background image file from your device and use this as your background. The file will save into your selected background options, so you can use it again if you ever need to change to a custom background.
Things to Note About Changing Your Background On Microsoft Teams
Linux users aren’t able to access the background changing feature on Microsoft Teams. If you’re using Microsoft teams through optimized virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) then you won’t be able to access background effects either.
Some devices don’t have the option to change background effects. You will know this if you do not see the Background filters option in your menu.
It’s always best to test out backgrounds before using them in important meetings. In some cases, parts of a user’s face or hair might get distorted or blurred in the background. If you struggle to find a background that works, using the blur feature is generally the most effective.
Conclusion
Background filters are one of the best features of Microsoft Teams. The great thing is that there are so many different background options that you can choose from. This can make meetings fun, or it can help you to look more professional if your actual background needs to be hidden.
Follow the strategies listed above, and you will be able to change your background on any kind of device. This can help you take your Teams meetings to a whole new level.