Blur the Background in Zoom

The blur background feature can be set up before you start a Zoom call. On Zoom’s desktop app, you can click the Settings icon below your profile picture to get started. In the left sidebar, select Background & Effects.

Click the Virtual Background tab and select Blur. This will blur your background and you should be able to see a preview of the effect in the video preview pane above the Virtual Backgrounds tab. If everything went well, you should be in focus and a blurred image should be behind you.

Alternatively, you can choose a different virtual background such as San Francisco, Grass, or Earth. These are pre-installed and you can easily access them without any more steps. You also have the option of using a custom background image in Zoom.

In the same Virtual Backgrounds tab in Zoom settings, click the + icon on the right side, above the scroll bar. Now you can select either Add Image or Add Video, and choose a custom background for all future meetings.

It’s also worth noting that you can set up a blurred background or a virtual background even after starting a Zoom meeting. To test this out, you can open Zoom and click the New Meeting option. Once the meeting has begun, click the up arrow icon next to the Start Video button. Select Blur My Background to add a simple blur effect. You can also select the Choose Virtual Background option and add an image or a video background to your video call.

If you are using the Zoom mobile app, you can blur the background after starting a new meeting. On Apple devices such as iPhones or iPads, start a new Zoom meeting and tap the More button in the bottom-right corner. Select Backgrounds & Effects and tap Blur to blur your background.

You can also select other virtual backgrounds on this page or tap the + button to add a custom background via your mobile device.

On Android smartphones, you can start a new Zoom meeting and press the More button in the bottom-right corner. Then select Virtual Background and choose Blur. You can also pick one of Zoom’s default backgrounds or use the + button to add custom backgrounds.

If the effect doesn’t apply immediately, you can press the Stop Video button and tap Start Video to make it work.

Once you’ve exited a Zoom meeting on Android or iOS devices, you can tap the More button in the bottom-right corner of the app’s home screen and go to Meetings. Hit Keep Virtual Background For and select All meetings to retain your Zoom virtual background in all future meetings.