How to Change Your Discord Video Call Background

Discord can blur or replace what appears behind you on camera. You can set this before you join a call or change it while a call is running. This guide covers both methods, how to prepare a custom image, and what to try when the option is missing or the effect looks wrong.

Before you start

• Use the Discord desktop app. The background option may be missing in the browser version or on some phones and tablets, so rely on what your own install shows.
• Connect your webcam and give Discord camera permission in your operating system's privacy settings.
• Make sure the selected camera in Discord is the one you plan to use, especially if you have both a built-in and an external webcam.
• Update Discord. Older versions may not show the background settings.
• Custom uploaded backgrounds have been limited to Nitro subscribers. Blur and the built-in presets do not need a custom file.

The settings screen does not tell you whether the background effect is processed only on your device or with help from Discord's servers. It also does not say how long uploaded custom backgrounds are kept. If either matters to you, read Discord's current privacy and support documentation. Until Discord confirms otherwise, treat any image you upload as a file stored with your account.

Step-by-step instructions

Set a background before a call

• 1. Open User Settings with the gear icon next to your username.
• 2. Go to Voice & Video.
• 3. In the video section, check that the right camera is selected, then start the video preview.
• 4. Find the video background options and choose None, Blur, or one of the preset images.
• 5. If you have access to custom backgrounds, use the add or upload option and pick a file from your computer.
• 6. Close settings. Discord uses your choice the next time you turn on your camera.

Change the background during a call

• 1. In the call, find the camera button in the call controls.
• 2. Click the small arrow next to it to open the camera options.
• 3. Choose the video background option.
• 4. Pick a new background or Blur. Your video tile updates when the change takes effect.

Button labels and layout can differ between Discord versions and operating systems. If you can't find an item by name, look for the camera or video section in Voice & Video settings. You can undo any change by selecting None.

Prepare a custom background file

Match the image's aspect ratio to your camera's picture so Discord doesn't crop or stretch it. Many webcams produce a widescreen 16:9 image. Choose pixel dimensions at least as large as your camera's resolution so the background doesn't look soft. Avoid heavily compressed images, because blocky artifacts become more visible behind a moving person. Flatten any transparency before you upload, since transparent areas have no use as a backdrop. The upload dialog lists the accepted file formats and size limits, so check it there instead of assuming.

Check the output

The preview in Voice & Video settings shows your own local view. Others receive an encoded stream, and its resolution, frame rate and bitrate depend on their connection and your settings. Fine detail in the background can look softer to them than it does in your preview.

• Move your head, hands and shoulders and watch the edges. Hair, headphones and fast gestures are where the effect most often blends or flickers.
• Check that any text or logos in a custom image are readable and not cut off at the sides.
• Ask someone on a call how your video looks to them. Their view is the one that matters.
• If you record calls with separate software, that tool controls the recording format and quality. Discord's background setting does not.

Common problems and next steps

• No background option: update Discord, switch from the browser to the desktop app, and restart. If you turned off hardware acceleration in Discord's settings, try turning it back on. Some older computers may not support the feature at all.
• Camera is black or not detected: check camera permission in your operating system, close other apps that might be using the webcam, and confirm the selected camera in Voice & Video.
• You blend into the background or parts of you disappear: improve the lighting on your face, sit a little farther from a plain wall, and avoid clothing close to the wall's color.
• No option to upload your own image: custom uploads have required Nitro. Blur and the presets remain available without it.
• Video becomes choppy after enabling a background: close other demanding apps, or use blur or a still image instead of an animated one.
• You need more control: virtual camera software such as OBS can composite a background before the video reaches Discord. Select that virtual camera as your capture source in Voice & Video, and turn off Discord's own background so the two effects don't stack.