How to Change Your Microsoft Teams Video Call Background

Microsoft Teams lets you blur what is behind you or replace it with an image, either before you join a meeting or while you are in one. This guide covers both routes, explains what affects the result, and lists the usual reasons the option is missing or looks wrong. Teams changes its interface between versions, so the labels below may differ slightly in your app.

Before you start

• A working camera that Teams can use. If the preview is black, check the camera permission for Teams in your operating system or browser settings first.
• The correct selected camera. If your computer has more than one capture source, such as a built-in webcam and a USB camera, confirm which one Teams is using in its device settings.
• An account and organization that allow background effects. Administrators can turn off background effects or block custom image uploads, so a missing option may be a policy rather than a fault.
• A supported app or browser. Background effects depend on the Teams version, the device and, for the web version, the browser. Older hardware may not offer them at all.
• An image file, if you want a custom background. Prepare it before the meeting so you are not resizing pictures while others wait.

Teams applies the effect inside its own app on your device; it does not require a separate background service. How uploaded images are stored, and whether they appear on your other devices, depends on your Teams version and organization settings. If the picture contains anything sensitive, check your organization's policy before uploading it rather than assuming it stays only on your computer.

Step-by-step instructions

Set a background before joining a meeting

• 1. Open the meeting from your calendar or the invitation and select Join, but do not join yet.
• 2. On the pre-join screen, make sure the camera is turned on so you can see your preview.
• 3. Open the background or effects option shown under or beside the preview. Depending on the version it may be labelled Background filters, Effects or Effects and avatars.
• 4. Choose Blur, one of the built-in images, or the option to add your own image.
• 5. Check the preview, then select Join now. The background stays active when the meeting starts.

Change the background during a meeting

• 1. In the meeting controls, open the menu next to the camera button or the More actions menu.
• 2. Choose the background or video effects option.
• 3. Select a new background. Teams usually offers a preview before you apply it, so you can see the result without others seeing it first.
• 4. Select Apply, or the equivalent button in your version. To undo it, return to the same panel and choose None or No effect.

Add your own image

In the background panel, choose the option to add a new image and pick a file from your computer. Use a common file format such as JPG or PNG and check the current Teams guidance for accepted formats and size limits. A landscape image with the same aspect ratio as your video, typically 16:9, avoids awkward cropping. Choose pixel dimensions large enough for a full HD frame so the image is not stretched. Transparency in a PNG is not useful here, because the background fills the whole frame behind you. Heavily compressed images can show blocky areas once Teams scales them.

Mobile and web versions

On phones and tablets the option is normally under the More menu during a call, or on the screen shown before joining. In the web version, availability depends on the browser and may be more limited than in the desktop app. If you do not see the option in one place, try the desktop app before assuming it is blocked.

Check the output

• Look at your own preview and move your head and hands. The edges around your hair, shoulders and fingers show how well the effect separates you from the room.
• Check that text in the image reads correctly. Teams may show your own preview mirrored while others see it normally, so a reversed logo in your preview is not necessarily what others see.
• If possible, ask a colleague how it looks on their screen, or join a test meeting from a second device. What others receive also depends on your connection, because Teams adjusts resolution, frame rate and bitrate to available bandwidth.
• Remember that the effect is visual only. It does not change your microphone audio and does not guarantee that nothing behind you is ever visible, especially when you move quickly.

Common problems and next steps

The background option is missing

Update Teams and restart it, then look again on the pre-join screen. If the option is still missing, your device may not meet the requirements for background effects, or your organization may have disabled them. Ask your IT administrator which applies, because there is no setting you can change yourself to override a policy.

You can blur but cannot upload an image

This usually means custom uploads are restricted while built-in effects are allowed. Use one of the provided images, or ask your administrator whether approved company backgrounds are available.

Edges flicker or parts of you disappear

Better lighting is the most effective fix. Light your face from the front, avoid a bright window behind you, and keep some distance between yourself and the wall. A plain, uncluttered real background also helps the effect find your outline. Closing other demanding apps can help if the effect slows down your video.

The camera preview is black or shows the wrong camera

Check the selected camera in the Teams device settings, close other apps that may be using the camera, and confirm the camera permission for Teams in your system or browser privacy settings. Background effects cannot appear until the camera itself works.

The custom image looks blurry or cropped

Replace it with a larger landscape image that matches the frame shape, and avoid files that were heavily compressed or saved repeatedly. Remember that the recording format and encoding of a meeting recording, if one is made, can reduce detail further.