How To Blur Background in Teams in 3 Ways
Microsoft Teams is one of the best collaborative tools, and it is even suitable for the current work-from-home reality. Being tidy in your appearance is necessary when participating in virtual meetings, conducting an interview, or discussing with the team.
One way to achieve this is by learning how to blur background in Teams during your video calls. Blurring the background is essential for keeping your image focused while hiding any distractions behind your back at the same time.
- In this article you will learn:
- How to blur background in Microsoft Teams for Desktop, Mobile and Web
- Microsoft Teams compatibility option for blur effect
- Troubleshooting Microsoft Teams background blur missing or disabled
How To Blur Background in Microsoft Teams for Desktop:
Open Microsoft Teams App: Boot the Microsoft Teams app on your desktop.
Join a Meeting or Start a Call: Start a conference call or join a meeting in progress by selecting the option you need.
1. Navigate to Background Options: In the meeting controls or toolbar, locate the background settings or effects option. This icon typically resembles a camera or three dots.
2. Select Background Effects: Click on the background filters option to access the available background customisation features.
3. Choose Background Blur: Among the available background filters, look for the option to blur your background. Click on it to enable the background blur effect.
4. Confirm and Apply: After selecting the blur effect, confirm your choice and press the Apply and turn on video button. The background blur should now be active during your meeting or call.
Compatibility Warning:
Please note that the availability of background blur features in the Microsoft Teams desktop version may depend on your device’s hardware specifications and software compatibility:
- Hardware Requirements: Your device should have AVX2 support. Check Microsoft’s official documentation for more details.
- Software Updates: It is important to keep the Microsoft Teams app updated to its latest version to use forthcoming features and ensure compatibility with background blur.
Before turning on background blur, make sure your device adheres to the requirements and that Microsoft Teams has supported the feature in your app version to prevent any interference with compatibility. Check out this article to know more about how to change background in Teams.
Additionally, if you encounter any limitations with the desktop application, consider using the mobile or web versions of Microsoft Teams.
How To Blur Background on Microsoft Teams for Mobile:
1. Open the Microsoft Teams App on your mobile device and Join a Meeting or Start a Call by selecting the appropriate option.
2. While in the meeting or call, at the center of your screen click on he Change background.
3. Locate the “Blur” look for the option to blur your background. Select it to apply the blur effect.
Now you can see your camera background has changed to blur effect immediately. Following is the process of changing blur effect on Microsoft Teams.
Depending on device capabilities and app versions, blur Teams background options may be limited or unavailable on specific mobile devices.
How to Blur Background in Teams for Web:
- Open Microsoft Teams in your preferred web browser and navigate to the Microsoft Teams website.
- Join an ongoing meeting or initiate a new call as needed.
- Locate your screen’s meeting controls or settings menu like more button shown in the image during the meeting or call.
- Find the option for background effects.
- Choose to blur option among the available background effects. Choose it to enable background blur.
- Confirm your selection to apply the blur effect to your video background.
Microsoft Teams’ Background blur features may not fully support all web browsers and operating systems. Some browsers or devices may have limited compatibility with background customisation options.
Get creative with Teams background images and learn how to set custom Teams background images.
Troubleshooting Microsoft Teams Background Blur Missing or Disabled
- Check Hardware Requirements: Your device should have AVX2 support. Check Microsoft’s official documentation for more details.
- Re-log into Teams: Sometimes, re-logging into the Teams application can resolve issues related to background blur.
- Use Desktop Clients: If you use the web version, try switching to the desktop client.
- Update and Repair Teams: Make sure your Microsoft Teams app is up-to-date. Try repairing Teams through “Settings”> “Apps”> “Microsoft Teams”> “Advanced options”> “Repair.”
- Clear Cache and Update Visual C++ Redistributable: Clear browsing data in settings. Update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for compatibility.
- Contact Your Admin: If issues persist, contact your team admin or IT department for assistance.
Once you have tried these steps, the background blur option should hopefully reappear. Happy virtual meetings!
Why Blur Background in Microsoft Teams?
The capability to blur your background in Microsoft Teams significantly improves your video conferencing performance. Here’s why it’s important:
- Privacy and Security: Making your personal background less identifiable safeguards your privacy and prevents you from revealing sensitive information that might emerge in the background.
- Professionalism: An unclear background can encourage a more professional and attentive appearance in meetings, eliminating diversions and ensuring the main focus is on yourself and the chat.
- Consistency: Building regular backgrounds can help you maintain a consistent and professional appearance for your team, especially when holding meetings with a large number of participants.
- Customisation: Settings that blur your background allow you to personalise your video conferencing experience and create a more relevant space.
The Benefits of Blurring Background in Teams
In addition to the reasons mentioned above, blurring your background in Microsoft Teams offers several specific benefits, including:
- Reduced Distractions: Eliminating distractions from the backdrop can improve both your focus and that of the attendees during your meeting.
- Improved Video Quality: Engaging in background blur can enhance video quality by lessening the noise and chaos that might interfere with the visual.
- Enhanced Engagement: A better organised and cleaner background may boost engagement and professionalism in meetings.
- Increased Confidence: Being conscious that your background isn’t obvious can boost your confidence and make video conferences feel like home.
Conclusion
The Teams blur background feature balances professionalism and privacy, enhancing your virtual meeting experience. By concealing distractions behind you, you can maintain focus on the conversation while presenting yourself in a polished manner.
Simple steps to blur your background ensure seamless participation in meetings, interviews, or team discussions. Remember to troubleshoot issues promptly, leveraging hardware requirements and software updates to optimise your Teams experience.
With background blur, you can project confidence and professionalism, creating a conducive virtual environment for effective communication and collaboration.