The information in this article will help you to change the background on Microsoft Teams with Background effects.
Microsoft Teams caught up with Zoom faster than you might think. With the latter being accused of exposing their users to the risk of hacker attacks and a lack of end-to-end encryption, Microsoft Teams have become a secure alternative.
The service offers end-to-end encryption, video and audio conferencing, screen sharing, and even live subtitles. The newest feature in trying to provide users with a viable alternative to zoom is adding custom backgrounds to your video.
Let’s take a closer look at the new Microsoft Teams feature called Background Effects, which lets you use a virtual background in a meeting. This function should theoretically be better than zoom if it is not equivalent.
What are Background Effects?
Background effects are third-party user backgrounds that can be applied to your video. These effects use Microsoft Teams built-in artificial intelligence to remove the background and replace it with your chosen background. This eliminates the hassle of going through embarrassing times when your friends or family might be in the back seat.
This makes it easier for everyone in the meeting to focus on the topic without being distracted by background events. This new feature builds on Microsoft’s existing background blurring feature in Teams, which ensures maximum compatibility regardless of the color of the wall behind you.
How do I Change the Background in Microsoft Teams?
Note: The initial provision of custom backgrounds for Microsoft Teams only works with desktop clients available for Windows and macOS. If you’ve already installed the desktop client, make sure you’ve updated to the latest version to use custom backgrounds and to be able to change the background on Microsoft Teams.
Step 1: Open the desktop client on your Windows or macOS system and start a video call or meeting with the person or group.
Step 2: After the meeting has started, click on the “3 dots” menu icon in the call bar at the bottom of the screen. It should be right in the middle of the call bar, the fourth option on the right or left.
Step 3: In the submenu that appears, select the option “Show Background Effects.”
Step 4: Now, there will be a sidebar on the left of your screen that contains all the resources that you can currently use with Microsoft Teams. Scroll down to find the one that best suits your needs and click “Preview” in the sidebar at the bottom.
Note: Clicking Preview will turn off video streaming and display a personal preview to test different backgrounds for yourself.
Step 5: A preview of your video feed is now available at the bottom of your screen’s right sidebar. This allows you to test different origins for your meeting to find the one that best suits your needs. When you’re happy with the background, click Apply, and Enable video.
Your background image should now be applied to your video feed.
Can I add a custom background to Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams currently doesn’t officially support third-party custom backgrounds. However, there is a workaround that you can use to use your custom backgrounds for Microsoft Teams meetings.
The first version of the Microsoft feature has around 20 different backgrounds which should be enough for most users. The company has indicated that this feature will be added in the coming weeks.
An update has been made to Microsoft Teams to ensure that the selected effect stays on when a background effect is applied until it is changed. The new background will persist for all future meetings until you change it again yourself.
Microsoft Teams Video Background
Currently, Microsoft Teams only supports static images as a custom background. Video backgrounds are not supported and were not included with background images in the first version.
There is no official news from Microsoft on video backgrounds yet, but the company plans to implement the ability to add custom images in the coming weeks. We expect Microsoft to add support for custom video backgrounds soon after this rollout ends.
How to Blur the Background in Microsoft Teams
Background blur is a pre-existing feature in Teams that was also available in previous versions. The service uses built-in artificial intelligence to actively blur the background of your video feed and help you maintain privacy during important meetings.
There are two ways to enable background blur in your video feed in Microsoft Teams. Let’s look at them.
Method 1: before your video call/meeting starts
It’s a pretty straightforward and easy method. After you start a video call or join a meeting in Microsoft Teams, the service prompts you to choose your video and audio settings before connecting with your fellow participants.
On this screen, simply toggle the switch at the bottom of your preview to enable background blur in your video stream. This should be the second switch from the left, as shown below.
Method 2: After your meeting/video call starts
Keyboard shortcuts
Once the meeting has started, you can use a simple keyboard shortcut to activate the background blur in your video stream. Just press “Ctrl + Shift + P” simultaneously, and the background blur will turn on automatically whether you are on a video call or in a meeting.
The conventional way
Step 1: Start a video call or meeting and click on the “3 dots” icon in the call bar at the bottom of the screen.
Step 2: Click on “Show background effects” in the submenu.
Step 3: The “Background Settings” menu is displayed on the right. It includes a list of custom backgrounds and a blur option.
Step 4: Click the “Blur” option (top right) to select it, then click “Preview” at the bottom of the right pane to preview your video. Select “Apply” to add the blurring effect to your video.
Microsoft Teams are now blurring the background of the video stream.
Which version of Microsoft Teams software do you need for background effects?
To get the latest background effects in Microsoft Teams, you need to update your desktop client to the latest version, Microsoft Teams Third Anniversary Edition. The update can be downloaded directly from the Microsoft website using this link. For Windows, the exact version is “v1.3.00.8663” to get background effects on your desktop client.
How to Force the Preservation of Background Effects
The update is not available to everyone because Microsoft makes the “Background Effects” feature available to its users on a selective basis. As of now, there is no way to enable it for your desktop client manually.
To get this functionality, you should keep your desktop client updated with the latest version from Microsoft with the Third Anniversary Edition. You should also check for updates regularly, as Microsoft plans to periodically update the app with new features over the coming weeks.
Why can’t I Change the money?
The ability to change the background in Microsoft Teams is currently being rolled out for public ring users. Initially, the feature only works in Microsoft Teams apps on Mac and Windows.
If you still can’t change the balance, make sure that the Microsoft Teams app on your computer is the latest version; otherwise, download the latest version. To do this, click on your profile picture at the top of the app and select “Check for updates”.
Why can’t I see the “Show Background Effects” option?
The new “Show Background Effects” feature is only available on Microsoft Teams desktop clients for Windows and macOS. Since this is a server-side update, it will take some time for the option to appear at the end. To make sure you’re getting the update, manually check and update your Microsoft Teams app on your Windows or Mac computer.