How to Blur Your Background in Microsoft Teams

Before you start

Background blur in Microsoft Teams is applied by the Teams app on your device. It uses your device camera feed, so camera permission must already be granted to Teams. No extra service, plugin, or download is required for the built-in blur option. Check that your selected camera is connected, enabled, and not used exclusively by another application. Close other video tools that may be holding the camera before you open a Teams meeting.

The blur effect is processed locally during the meeting and can affect performance on older or low-resource devices. A well-lit face and a stable camera position make the effect look cleaner, especially around hair and chair edges. The blur is a video preview effect, not a change to the original camera capture file.

Step-by-step instructions

You can turn on background blur before the meeting starts or while the call is already active. The option appears as part of the video and background controls, and the wording can differ slightly between Teams versions.

Turn on blur before a meeting

In the meeting setup screen, turn on your camera first. Then use the background settings or effects control shown near the camera preview. Select Blur, and confirm the preview changes behind you. Join the meeting with the camera on to keep the blurred background active.

Turn on blur during a meeting

Move the pointer over the meeting window to reveal the meeting controls. Open the video or more actions control, then choose Background effects or Apply background effects. Select Blur and then apply or preview it. On some versions, the control is labeled Change background or Show background effects, but the blur option is in the same list of background choices.

The setting stays available while your camera is on. If the camera is off, start video again before reapplying blur.

Check the output

After selecting blur, look at the self-preview. The area behind you should appear softened while your face and body remain visible. Move slightly from side to side and watch whether the background remains diffused without large flickering edges around your shoulders or head. If the preview does not change, the selected camera may not be active or your version of Teams may not be showing the effect.

Blur does not change the call resolution, frame rate, file format, or recording format settings by itself. On limited hardware, you may notice lower frame rate or more heat because video processing is active. Closing unused applications can help keep the call smooth, but no separate resolution change is required.

Common problems and next steps

The blur option is missing or grayed out

Confirm that the camera is on and that Teams has camera permission in your system settings. If another program is using the camera, close it and select the camera again in Teams. On managed or older devices, your organization may limit background effects. Updating Teams or restarting the app can restore the control when the camera itself is working.

Blur looks uneven or parts of you disappear

Improve lighting on your face and reduce strong backlight. Move farther from the wall or busy objects behind you. Keep the camera at roughly eye level and avoid fast movement. These corrections help the effect separate you from the background more cleanly, without changing the camera resolution.

The video is slow after blur is applied

Because the effect uses processing power, close unnecessary apps and browser tabs. Use a supported camera driver and keep the laptop powered or charged during long calls. Turning off blur restores the normal live camera view and is the fastest way to compare performance.

Turn blur off

Open the same background effects control and select None or remove the background effect. The change is reversible at any time during the meeting and does not alter saved photos, recordings, or the camera file format.