How to Change Your WhatsApp Video Call Background on Samsung

There are two ways to change what appears behind you in a WhatsApp video call on a Samsung Galaxy phone. Newer versions of WhatsApp include their own call effects with background options. Separately, many Galaxy models have a system feature called Video call effects that can blur or replace the background in supported apps. Which options you see depends on your WhatsApp version, your phone model and its One UI version.

Before you start

• Update WhatsApp from the app store you installed it from, since call effects are only available in newer versions.
• Update your phone software in Settings > Software update, because Samsung's Video call effects depend on the model and One UI version.
• Make sure WhatsApp has camera permission, otherwise video calls and effects will not work.
• Use the front camera as the selected camera; background effects are designed around a person facing the screen.
• Sit in even, front-facing lighting with some distance between you and the wall. Background separation works better when you stand out clearly from your surroundings.

Whether these effects are processed entirely on your phone or involve any online service is not something to assume. If that matters to you, check the current privacy information from WhatsApp and Samsung. Also keep in mind that a replaced or blurred background is not a guaranteed privacy screen: parts of the room can show around your edges, especially when you move.

Step-by-step instructions

Option 1: Use WhatsApp's built-in call effects

• 1. Start or answer a WhatsApp video call.
• 2. Look for the effects icon on your own video preview or among the call controls. Its exact look and position can change between app versions.
• 3. Open the background options and choose a blur or one of the available backgrounds.
• 4. To return to your real surroundings, select the option with no effect applied.

If you do not see any effects icon after updating, the feature may not have reached your app version or account yet. In that case, try Samsung's system option below.

Option 2: Use Samsung Video call effects

• 1. Open Settings and go to Advanced features > Video call effects. If the name or location differs on your phone, type video call effects into the Settings search bar.
• 2. Turn the feature on and check its list of supported apps. It only applies to the apps listed there, so confirm WhatsApp is included.
• 3. Choose a background style, such as blur, a solid color or an image from your Gallery. Available styles vary by model.
• 4. Start a WhatsApp video call with the front camera. On supported models, a floating button may appear during the call so you can switch effects.
• 5. To undo the change, return to the same settings screen and turn Video call effects off.

Use one method at a time so you know which one is producing the result. If you use your own picture, pick one whose aspect ratio roughly matches a portrait phone video, because the image will be cropped to fit the frame. A picture with reasonably large pixel dimensions will look less soft than a small, heavily compressed one.

Check the output

Watch your self-view while turning your head, raising a hand and leaning slightly to the side. This shows how well the effect follows your outline. Because the self-view can be mirrored, ask the person on the other end whether the background looks right to them, especially if your image contains text.

What the other person sees is a compressed video stream. Its resolution and frame rate can change with connection quality, so background detail and the edges around you may look softer on their screen than in your preview. Hair, glasses, quick movements and low light are common causes of visible gaps or halos.

Common problems and next steps

• No effects option in a WhatsApp call: update the app and try again later, since new features can roll out gradually. Use Samsung Video call effects in the meantime.
• Video call effects missing from Settings: your Galaxy model or One UI version may not support it. Search Settings for the feature before concluding it is unavailable.
• WhatsApp not in Samsung's supported apps list: the system effects will not apply to WhatsApp calls, so rely on WhatsApp's own effects if your version has them.
• Effect not showing during the call: make sure you are using the front camera, then end and restart the call after changing settings.
• Background flickers or cuts off parts of you: add light in front of you, use a plainer background, move back from the wall and avoid sudden movements.
• Custom image looks cropped or blurry: choose a picture with a similar aspect ratio to your video frame and higher resolution.
• Camera is black or unavailable: open Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Permissions and allow Camera.

If neither method is available on your phone, the practical alternative is to change the scene itself: point the camera toward a plain wall or reposition the phone so less of the room is in view.