How to Change Your Video Call Background

Most video call apps let you blur your surroundings or replace them with an image before or during a call. Option names and menu locations differ between apps, versions and devices, so this guide describes the general process and what to check, not exact menu paths. When a step depends on your app, check that app's own help pages.

Before you start

Check whether your app applies the effect on your device or uses an online service. In many apps the effect runs locally before the video is sent, but this is not guaranteed. Your app's documentation or privacy notice should say where processing happens. Also check where a custom background image is stored. It may stay on your device, or it may be uploaded to your account. Confirm this before you use a personal photo.

• Update the video call app or your browser. Background effects often depend on the current version.
• Grant camera permission to the app or browser, in both the operating system and the app itself.
• Check that the selected camera is the one you want, especially if you have a built-in webcam and an external camera.
• If you plan to use your own image, check which file formats and image sizes your app accepts. Most call video is widescreen, so a landscape image with a matching aspect ratio usually needs less cropping.
• Set up even lighting on your face from the front or side. The app separates you from the background more reliably when you are well lit and stand out from what is behind you.

Step-by-step instructions

• 1. Open the app's camera or video settings, or the preview screen shown before you join a call. Many apps also let you change the background during a call from the video controls.
• 2. Look for an option called background, effects, virtual background or something similar.
• 3. Confirm that the video preview shows the correct camera. If it shows the wrong one, change the selected camera first.
• 4. Choose an effect: blur, one of the preset images, or your own image if the app supports uploads.
• 5. If you upload your own image, choose one with a similar aspect ratio to the video. Check how the app crops or scales it in the preview.
• 6. Move around, raise your hands and turn your head while watching the preview. This shows how well the edges hold.
• 7. Save or apply the setting if the app asks you to. To undo the change, go back to the same place and choose the option for no background effect.

The desktop app, the browser version and the mobile app of the same service can offer different background options. Some options appear only on supported hardware or browsers. If you use a work or school account, an administrator may have turned off custom backgrounds or all background effects.

Some webcam utilities and virtual camera tools can apply a background effect themselves. They then present the processed video as a separate capture source. In that case, choose the virtual camera as the selected camera in your call app. Turn off the app's own background effect so the two effects do not stack.

Check the output

Your self-view is the quickest check, but it may not show exactly what others see. Many apps mirror the self-view by default. Text in a background image can look reversed to you and still appear correctly to other people. Check your app's mirroring setting if this matters. For a more reliable check, ask someone in a short test call to describe what they see. You can also use a test or preview call if your app offers one.

• Edges: look for cut-off hair, ears, hands or shoulders, and for flickering when you move.
• Detail: calls use compression and a limited bitrate, so fine patterns and small text in a background image may look blurred or blocky to others.
• Smoothness: background effects need extra processing. If your video becomes choppy, compare the frame rate and responsiveness with the effect turned on and off.
• Transparency: do not assume transparent areas in an image will show your real room. Check how your app displays them.
• Recordings: whether the background appears in a recording depends on the app and how it records. Check a short recording before you rely on it.

Common problems and next steps

Background option is missing: update the app or browser and look on the pre-call preview screen as well as in settings. Try the desktop app if you are using a browser or mobile version. If you use a managed account, ask the administrator whether background effects are allowed.

Camera is black or not found: check camera permission in the operating system and the app. Close other apps that may be using the camera, and confirm the selected camera in the app's video settings.

Edges flicker or parts of you disappear: improve the lighting on your face and avoid a bright window behind you. Sit a little further from a cluttered or similarly coloured wall. A plain, contrasting backdrop usually helps the effect most.

Custom image is rejected or cropped badly: convert it to a file format your app accepts. Resize it to sensible pixel dimensions and crop it to the video's aspect ratio before uploading.

Background resets between calls: some apps store the choice per device or per account. Check whether there is an option to keep the effect for future calls, and set it on each device you use.

Privacy: a virtual background can fail for a moment and show part of your room, for example when you move quickly or the lighting changes. Do not rely on it to hide sensitive items. Move them out of view or physically cover them.