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With social distancing and remote working models on the rise, video conferencing has become a staple in our corporate lives. However, the shift to virtual meetings has also narrowed the gap between personal and professional settings, making it hard to maintain a neat appearance. Whether it's a messy room or family members moving around, distractions can take away the focus from your conferences.
This is where the Zoom blur background feature comes in, letting you maintain professionalism and privacy. By blurring background distractions, it helps you keep the focus on yourself, rather than what’s happening behind you. But how to blur background in Zoom for a cleaner, more polished meeting experience? This blog will give you all your answers.
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How to Blur Background in Zoom: In a Nutshell
If you’re thinking about how to blur background in Zoom, the answer is simple. Just sign in to the Zoom app to host a meeting or join a meeting if you have the ID and passcode. Then, follow these steps:
- Click on the screen to access the meeting controls.
- Slide towards the right and tap More (the circle with three horizontal dots).
- Select “Background & effects” from the popup menu.
- Tap “Blur” to make your background appear blurred.
Why Blur Background on Zoom?
As we continue to adopt remote work and virtual communication methods, the way we present ourselves has become super important. After all, you won’t want to hop on a conference with your CEO if your background doesn’t look clean and professional. First impressions do matter, but in corporate settings, all impressions matter just as much too.
Maintaining Privacy
A work-from-home setup doesn’t equate to having no boundaries between personal and professional lives. You might have your dad’s trophies, family photos, or calendar appointments in the background that you’d rather keep private. The “blurring background Zoom” feature hands you much-needed privacy, ensuring your personal life and hobbies remain confidential.
Reducing Distractions
Many of us share our living spaces with family members or roommates. During a video call, it’s not uncommon for someone to walk by or enter the room, diverting attention from the speaker. These movements are camouflaged when you blur the background, making them less noticeable and distracting. This is super important in corporate settings where the attendees need to stay focused at all times.
Enhancing Professionalism
In corporate offices and professional conferences, appearances matter. When you’re in a Zoom meeting with clients or potential employers, a cluttered background can detract the attention from the message you’re trying to convey. Blurring the background helps maintain a professional and polished appearance, regardless of what’s in the surroundings.
System Requirements for Using the Zoom Blur Background
The Zoom blur background is a free feature, and you don’t need to be a paid member to access it. However, your device has to be compatible with the “blurring” process. To ensure the Zoom blur background feature runs smoothly, your system needs to meet the following requirements:
- A quad-core processor or higher.
- Zoom mobile app (iOS or Android): version 5.6.6 or higher.
- Zoom desktop client (Windows, macOS, Linus): version 5.5.0 or higher.
Note: If you’re accessing Zoom through a business account, make sure the admin has “virtual backgrounds” enabled for all users. Otherwise, you won’t be able to access backgrounds.
How to Blur Background in Zoom: A Step-by-Step Guide
There may be different situations that leave you thinking: how to blur background in Zoom? You may have plenty of time before the meeting to create a professional-looking setting. But for last-minute calls, you may feel the need to blur your background once you’re in the conference. Here are the instructions to prepare you for both of these instances.
Before a Meeting
If you have some time before your meeting starts, it’s best to set up your background blur in advance. Here’s how to do it:
- Launch the Zoom application and click “Sign In”.
- Click on your profile picture (or initial) in the top right corner.
- Tap on “Settings,” and a list of meeting controls will open.
- Go to the “Background & Effects” tab and scroll down.
- Click on “Blur” in the virtual backgrounds section.
During a Meeting
Sometimes, you only realize your background needs to be blurred after a conference has started. Whether it’s an unexpected distraction or a roommate on the table, here’s how to blur background in Zoom while in meeting:
- Click on the small ‘^’ arrow next to the “Start Video” button from the toolbar.
- From the list of options, click on “Blur My Background”.
On Android/iPhone
On Android/iOS, it’s just as easy to blur your Zoom background, making your meeting appear clean and professional. Here’s how to do it:
- Tap on the screen to access the control settings.
- Slide towards the right and then tap on the “More” button.
- Click on “Backgrounds & Effects” from the list.
- Choose “Blur” to apply a blurred background to your meeting.
Maximize Your Reach with AI
Supercharge your business' social media presence with Framedrop's AI-powered video highlights
Troubleshooting: Why Is My Zoom Background Blur Not Working
When you’re learning how to blur background in Zoom, there are times when the Zoom background blur feature might not work as expected. If you’re facing any issues, here are some reasons why it might not be working and ways to resolve them:
1. Check Your Zoom Version
One of the most common reasons the blur background feature isn’t working is because of an outdated version of Zoom. So, double-check and update your app if it is available.
2. Verify System Requirements
Check if your device meets the minimum system requirements to support the blur background feature. If you have a lower processor than intel i5, you won’t be able to blur your background. In this case, use a different device.
3. Check for Background Applications
There may be other applications using your camera that may conflict with Zoom’s virtual background features. Close any such applications, including Skype, Teams, or any webcam software.
4. Restart Zoom or Your Device
Sometimes, temporary glitches can prevent the blur feature from working properly. So, restart the Zoom application and try again. If the issue persists, restart your computer or mobile device and check if the blur feature works.
5. Reinstall Zoom
If all else fails, there may be corrupted files inside the application itself, preventing Zoom from working properly. In this case, uninstall Zoom from your device and then reinstall it.
Zoom Background Blur or Background Image: Which to Choose?
Now that you’ve learned how to blur background in Zoom, you’d be glad to know that Zoom also has a background image feature. Instead of turning everything beside you into unrecognizable blobs, you can put up an image that resonates with your interests. But before doing that, here are the pros and cons of both options.
Background Blur
Pros
- Keeps the attention on the speaker
- Conceals personal background items
Cons
- Limited customization options
- May not work well on older devices
Background Image
Pros
- Allows for professional or personal branding (company colors or logo)
- Can switch between different backgrounds as per meeting context
Cons
- May require more internet bandwidth
- Needs good lighting and contrast to avoid looking washed out
While a background image is great for showing creativity, it might not be ideal for all professional settings. If simplicity and privacy are your priorities, stick with the blur. Besides, adding a background image requires high processing power, so you might not have a smooth call experience (if the internet quality is bad). It might also create an unnatural effect at times.
How to Change Background in Zoom Before Meeting
If you’re looking for something more than a static blur, adding a virtual background is a great idea. To do this before your Zoom meeting begins, follow these steps:
- Sign in to Zoom and tap on your profile picture in the top right.
- Tap on “Settings” from the list that appears.
- Choose “Background & Effects” and pick a background.
- If you want to add your own image, click on the small ‘+’ icon.
- Then, tap on “Add Image” and choose the photo you want to use.
How to Change Background in Zoom While in Meeting
Changing background in Zoom during a meeting is a great way to add a bit of fun to your call or improve your professional appearance. Let’s look at the method to do this:
- Create a new meeting or join one (if you have the meeting ID).
- Click the small ‘^’ arrow next to the “Stop Video” button.
- Select “Adjust background & effects” from the list of options.
- Choose the photo from the built-in library or tap the ‘+’ icon to add yours.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to blur background on Zoom using the instructions outlined in this guide will level up your video conferencing experience. Besides giving you a professional appearance, the blur background feature also helps maintain the privacy of your personal life. This means you can have corporate sessions even when you’re at the coffee shop or in a shared room.
But why stop at just enhancing your video calls? If you’re a content creator or streamer, you know how time-consuming it can be to sift through hours of footage to find the best snippets. That’s where Framedrop comes in.
This next-gen AI-powered tool helps you convert long-form Zoom interviews into engaging short-form content in no time. So, turn your team’s Zoom sessions or your client interviews into viral reels and shorts with Framedrop today!
Maximize Your Reach with AI
Supercharge your business' social media presence with Framedrop's AI-powered video highlights
FAQ
Your Zoom might not have the blur background option due to several reasons:
- Outdated Zoom Version: The blur background feature is only available in Zoom versions 5.5.0 or later. Make sure your Zoom app is updated to the latest version.
- Device Compatibility: The blur background feature requires specific hardware capabilities. Ensure your device meets the system requirements. This feature is generally available on computers with certain processors and on newer mobile devices.
- Account Settings: The blur background option might be disabled by your account settings or by your organization’s Zoom administrator. Check your account settings or contact your administrator.
- Operating System: Ensure your operating system is compatible. The blur background feature works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and certain versions of iOS and Android.
To enable the blur background effect in Zoom, follow these steps:
- Update Zoom: Ensure you have Zoom version 5.5.0 or later.some text
- Go to Zoom's website or app store, download the latest version, and install it.
- Start or Join a Meeting:some text
- Open Zoom and either start or join a meeting.
- Access Video Settings:some text
- Click the upward arrow next to the "Start Video" button in the meeting controls.
- Select "Choose Virtual Background."
- Select Blur Option:some text
- In the Virtual Background tab, select the "Blur" option.
- If you don’t see the blur option, ensure your video is turned on and your Zoom app is updated.
If your virtual background is not available on Zoom, it could be due to the following reasons:
- Outdated Zoom Version: Virtual backgrounds are available in Zoom versions 4.6.0 or later. Make sure your Zoom app is updated.
- Device Requirements: Ensure your device meets the system requirements for virtual backgrounds. These typically include:some text
- Supported operating systems: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
- Minimum processor specifications and RAM.
- Account Settings: Virtual backgrounds may be disabled in your account settings or by your organization’s Zoom administrator. Check your account settings or contact your administrator.
- Background Image or Video Requirements: Make sure the images or videos you want to use meet Zoom’s requirements:some text
- Images: PNG, JPG, or JPEG format, with a minimum resolution of 640x360 pixels.
- Videos: MP4 or MOV format, with a minimum resolution of 480x360 pixels (360p).
- Hardware Acceleration: For some devices, hardware acceleration needs to be enabled for virtual backgrounds to work. Ensure that this setting is turned on in your device’s graphics settings.
By addressing these potential issues, you can ensure that the virtual background feature is available and functional in your Zoom meetings.
To disable blur background in Zoom, follow the same process you used to enable it. Tap on the screen to access meeting controls and click on the “More” option. Then, choose “Background & Effects” and click “None.”
Yes, it is free to blur your background on Zoom. The background blur feature is a part of Zoom’s standard plan and doesn’t require any subscription.
As of now, Zoom does not enable users to use the background image and the blur feature at a time. You can either apply a background image or blur your background, but not both simultaneously.