{"id":172747,"date":"2021-06-16T11:08:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T09:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=172747"},"modified":"2025-07-01T21:04:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T04:04:00","slug":"how-to-change-the-background-on-microsoft-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/how-to-change-the-background-on-microsoft-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Add exciting effects when you change the Background on Microsoft Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of us have adjusted quite well to the new work-from-home norm. Even though the world is slowly shifting toward lighter restrictions, many people have found that working from home is a more efficient way to manage intense workloads without the usual office distractions. This is why utilities like Microsoft Teams will remain relevant with the all-important <strong>face-to-face communication<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"sc-card-program\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-program__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__img\" alt=\"Microsoft Teams\" src=\"https:\/\/images.sftcdn.net\/images\/t_app-logo-xl,f_auto\/p\/921d5807-59e5-432f-86e8-d89548d8e7d8\/2886829024\/microsoft-teams-logo.png\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-title\">\r\n        <span class=\"sc-card-program__title\">Microsoft Teams<\/span>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-program__button sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/microsoft-teams.en.softonic.com\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DOWNLOAD<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-rating\">\r\n        <svg class=\"rating-score__content\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 50 50\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 50 50\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path class=\"rating-score__background rating-score--good\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><path class=\"rating-score__value rating-score__value--0\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-dashoffset=\"0\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><text class=\"rating-score__number\" content=\"\" text-anchor=\"middle\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 1 25 31.0837)\" data-auto=\"app-user-score\"><\/text><\/svg>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <span class=\"sc-card-program__description\"><\/span>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__bigpic\" src=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-program__link track-link sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/microsoft-teams.en.softonic.com\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s one snag that shows its face when you use Microsoft Teams, though; the background of your side of the meeting. Not everyone has dedicated office space at home, and for those of us who don\u2019t, we don\u2019t want our employers, clients, or business contacts to have to look at a messy bedroom or living room while they\u2019re trying to communicate with us. In the article below, we\u2019ll show you<strong> how to change the background of your Microsoft Teams meeting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Microsoft Teams is improving for your sake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> There have been some slight improvements in Microsoft Teams, besides the background effects that you can add. <a href=\"https:\/\/microsoft-teams.en.softonic.com\/articles\/microsoft-teams-supports-apple-silicon-macsapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" title=\"Microsoft Teams now supports Apple Silicon Macs\">Microsoft Teams now supports Apple Silicon Macs<\/a>, which is excellent for Mac users. The developers of Microsoft Teams are also introducing machine learning for voice calls, making them better to use. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"sc-card-program\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-program__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__img\" alt=\"Microsoft Teams will use AI and machine learning\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/f_auto,t_article_cover_xl\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/06\/Microsoft-Teams-will-use-AI-and-machine-learning-to-improve-video-calls.jpg\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-title\">\r\n        <span class=\"sc-card-program__title\">Microsoft Teams will use AI and machine learning<\/span>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-program__button sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/microsoft-teams.en.softonic.com\/articles\/teams-ai-machine-learning-to-improve-video-calls\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">READ MORE<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-rating\">\r\n        <svg class=\"rating-score__content\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 50 50\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 50 50\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path class=\"rating-score__background rating-score--good\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><path class=\"rating-score__value rating-score__value--0\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-dashoffset=\"0\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><text class=\"rating-score__number\" content=\"\" text-anchor=\"middle\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 1 25 31.0837)\" data-auto=\"app-user-score\"><\/text><\/svg>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <span class=\"sc-card-program__description\"><\/span>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__bigpic\" src=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-program__link track-link sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/microsoft-teams.en.softonic.com\/articles\/teams-ai-machine-learning-to-improve-video-calls\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most exciting addition is <a href=\"https:\/\/microsoft-teams.en.softonic.com\/articles\/microsoft-teams-intelligent-translation-feature\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" title=\"intelligent translating in Microsoft Teams\">intelligent translating in Microsoft Teams<\/a> messages and meetings. You&#8217;ll <strong>receive a prompt<\/strong> during chats or meetings, asking if you&#8217;d like the text translated. It helps when you have client meetings in foreign languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Guide to changing the background effects of Microsoft Teams<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"howto_container schema-howto-acf-block\"><ol><li><div class=\"howto_item\"><h2>Change Background in Windows<\/h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2021\/06\/How-to-Change-the-Background-on-Microsoft-Teams-2.jpg\" alt=\"How to Change the Background on Microsoft Teams\" width=\"926\" height=\"459\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re <\/span><b>already in the meeting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, head to the Meeting Controls and choose More Actions. In Apply Background Effects, select Blur to blur the background. If you would prefer an image in the background, choose from among the available ones. To use your own image, choose Add New and pick a .JPG, .PNG, or .BMP file.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also set up your background <\/span><b>before the meeting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. While in the configurations, you can click on Background Filters to see your options. You\u2019ll see the range pop up on the right. Select the one you like, or choose to blur instead. There will also be an option to place one of your own images with Add New.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><li><div class=\"howto_item\"><h2> Change Background on Mac<\/h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2021\/06\/How-to-Change-the-Background-on-Microsoft-Teams-3.jpg\" alt=\"How to Change the Background on Microsoft Teams\" width=\"512\" height=\"296\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On your macOS system, open the desktop client and <\/span><b>start a video call<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Click on the three-dot menu icon. Choose Show Background Effects. A sidebar will show different backgrounds. To try one, click Preview. If you like it, click Apply and turn video on. Or upload your own picture for an exclusive background.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are also options to <\/span><b>add some filters<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, you may not want the images you added to Microsoft Teams Backgrounds to remain there. If you want to remove it, you need to head to this location on your device:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">~\/Library\/Application Support\/Microsoft\/Teams\/Backgrounds\/Uploads<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll see there are two versions. The one with the \u201cthumb\u201d word in the extension is what makes it appear as an option on Backgrounds. If you only delete that file, it will vanish from the meeting app\u2019s options, but will still be on the system. You\u2019ll need to <\/span><b>delete both<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the standard file and the thumbnail.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><li><div class=\"howto_item\"><h2>Change Background on iPhone<\/h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2021\/06\/How-to-Change-the-Background-on-Microsoft-Teams-4.jpg\" alt=\"How to Change the Background on Microsoft Teams\" width=\"512\" height=\"287\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This method also applies to iPads or any device using the <\/span><b>iOS<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">operating system. During a <\/span><b>Microsoft Teams<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> meeting, look in the top left corner of your screen for <\/span><b>Video Effects<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Pick any of the available backgrounds you will see. Or you can upload your own image from your phone to have a unique background.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should note that if you <\/span><b>apply the background<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before the meeting, that same image will display for all future sessions. You can change it at any time or simply remove it if you don\u2019t want it to apply anymore. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><li><div class=\"howto_item\"><h2>Change Background on Android<\/h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2021\/06\/How-to-Change-the-Background-on-Microsoft-Teams.jpg\" alt=\"How to Edit Video in VLC Media Player\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From the Microsoft Teams mobile app, you can set up video and audio before joining a meeting on your <\/span><b>Android<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> phone. Turn video on. Select <\/span><b>Background Effects<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Choose your background. Use the <\/span><b>+<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to use an image from your phone. Select <\/span><b>Done <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and join the meeting. Many backgrounds work better if you hold your phone in landscape rather than portrait view.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the same way as iPhone, the background will become permanent for all Microsoft Teams meetings until you disable it. Remember to only add decent images from your phone from one of the compatible formats. It\u2019s best to do so <\/span><b>before a meeting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rather than during if possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ol><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t.howto_container {\n\t  margin: 0 auto;\n\t}\n\t.howto_container img {\n\t\theight: 100%;\n\t\tmargin-bottom: 30px;\n\t}\n\t\n\t\t  .howto_container h2 {\n\t\t\t  clear: none !important;\n\t\t  }\n\t\t  .howto_container ol {\n\t\t\t  list-style: none !important;\n\t\t  }\t\n\t.howto_container ol li::before {\n\t\tcolor: #ffffff !important;\n\t\tbackground:#0073aa !important;\n\t}\n<\/style>\n\n\t\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Change the Background in a Virtual Meeting?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might pay attention to what you\u2019re wearing, but the view of your home behind you could be cluttered, or someone could walk past and distract your colleagues. Make your <strong>background look interesting<\/strong> no matter where you are, especially if the meeting is formal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re a creative person, you don\u2019t need to settle for standard backgrounds, as you can create your own. There are many programs out there that let you design images or wallpapers, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/adobe-photoshop.en.softonic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Photoshop<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/wallpaper-engine.en.softonic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wallpaper Engine<\/a>. Once you are done with your new, unique backgrounds, you can upload them in any of the methods mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The only aspect you need to keep in mind is to keep to the formats accepted by Microsoft Teams. You don\u2019t want to waste hours designing something, and then you can\u2019t add it as a background to your meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"sc-card-starred-link\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-starred-link__img\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/image\/upload\/v1612861415\/1team1_tpjeaq.png\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-title\">\r\n        <p class=\"sc-card-starred-link__title\">How to Create a Team in Microsoft Teams<\/p>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__button\" href=\"https:\/\/microsoft-teams.en.softonic.com\/articles\/how-to-create-a-team-in-microsoft-teams-in-3-steps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\">MORE TIPS<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__link\" href=\"https:\/\/microsoft-teams.en.softonic.com\/articles\/how-to-create-a-team-in-microsoft-teams-in-3-steps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most of us have adjusted quite well to the new work-from-home norm. Even though the world is slowly shifting toward lighter restrictions, many people have found that working from home is a more efficient way to manage intense workloads without the usual office distractions. This is why utilities like Microsoft Teams will remain relevant with &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/how-to-change-the-background-on-microsoft-teams\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Add exciting effects when you change the Background on Microsoft Teams&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9205,"featured_media":197212,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wpcf-pageviews":0},"categories":[2518,2441],"tags":[2348],"usertag":[],"vertical":[],"content-category":[],"class_list":["post-172747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","category-how-to","tag-app-subdomain-redirectionmicrosoft-teams"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9205"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172747"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":324689,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172747\/revisions\/324689"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/197212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172747"},{"taxonomy":"usertag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/usertag?post=172747"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=172747"},{"taxonomy":"content-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-category?post=172747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}