The standard workplace has evolved over the years. Today, internet connections, cloud-based software, and unique tools allow employees to operate from anywhere – including their own homes. In fact, 35% of job holders in the US can now work from home full-time. 

However, not everyone working remotely has the most professional office set-up in place. People working from a cluttered coffee shop, a messy spare room, or a hectic living room might not want to show their surroundings to the people they’re connecting with. This is why video conferencing tools like Zoom introduced the option to “blur” your background.  

The background blur feature removes all of the defining elements from what’s going on around a user during a video call, allowing for greater privacy. It can also be an excellent way to make a call seem more professional by getting rid of the exterior mess. 

Here’s how to blur the background in Zoom. 

Pre-Requisites for Enabling Zoom Background Blur 

Background blurring is often recommended by Zoom as a solution when a standard physical background or virtual background isn’t suitable for a user’s need. The solution doesn’t replace your background with anything but simply obscures what’s going on behind the user.  

Free and premium users of Zoom can both access the background blur option, provided they have the most up-to-date version of Zoom’s desktop or mobile app. Desktop clients also need to meet the requirements of the “Images only without a green screen” part of Zoom.  

Notably, background blur is a component of the virtual background option offered by Zoom and uses the same technology. This means virtual backgrounds must be enabled by an administrator. An admin can enable virtual backgrounds within the Account Management section of Zoom, under “Meeting”, then “Virtual Background”. Here, admins can also allow users to set virtual backgrounds and upload custom backgrounds in some cases. 

How to Blur the Background in Zoom Before a Call 

Often, the easiest way to blur a background and maintain privacy during a call is to get the feature set up before a meeting starts. Here’s how to blur the background in Zoom before a call on various devices.  

MacOS, Windows and Linux: 

Start by signing into the Zoom desktop client and clicking on the profile picture, followed by the “Settings tab”. Select “Backgrounds and Filters”. Select “Virtual Backgrounds”, then choose the “Blur” option. Users can preview what the background will look like when blurred. Additionally, selecting this option saves the feature for the next meeting or call.  

Android and iOS devices: 

Enabling the blurred background mode on a meeting taken from a mobile device is similar to using the setting on a desktop. To access the feature, users need to log into their mobile app for Zoom, and click on the “More” option when setting up a meeting. Tap either “Virtual background” on Android or “Background and Effects” on iOS, and select the “Blur” option.  

How to Use Background Blur on Zoom During a Call 

Zoom users involved in a meeting can also choose to blur their background at any time during the call. This may be a good option if people in your home start moving around behind you during a meeting, or when you notice the background is messy.  

Simply join a Zoom meeting to begin, then look at the bottom left of the screen. Click on the up arrow next to the “Start Video” and “Stop Video” options, and select “Blur my Background”. Zoom will continue to blur a user’s background until the setting is switched off.  

Users can disable blurred backgrounds by going back to Zoom, clicking on their profile, and picture, then selecting “Settings” followed by “Backgrounds and Effects”. Select “None” to remove the blur.  

What if Background Blur isn’t Working? 

If the Background Blur option isn’t available on an instance of the Zoom app, the easiest fix may simply be to update the client. Zoom also recommends logging out of the account and back in again to refresh the settings of the Virtual Backgrounds option doesn’t appear in the settings.  

Users can check for updates to the Zoom client by visiting their profile picture and clicking the “Check for Updates” option. If updating doesn’t work, it’s worth checking the system requirements laid out by Zoom here. An older version of a computer or operating system might struggle to use the virtual background settings in Zoom.  

Notably, when clicking the blurred background option, some users may find it takes a while for the feature to load, similar to another virtual background. If the blurred or virtual background in a meeting takes too long to load, users can restart the meeting to speed it up.  

Tips for Using Background Blur on Zoom 

The blur option for backgrounds in Zoom is a popular choice for people who want to preserve their privacy. However, it may not seem like the most professional option in some meetings, as blurred colours and shapes can be more distracting than a simple virtual image. 

Users may want to experiment with using the blurred background and virtual background options before they start a meeting in Zoom to ensure the service loads quickly. Other quick tips to ensure the background blur solution works effectively for meetings include: 

  • Check camera focus to help Zoom detect the shape of your body or face 
  • Clean the camera lens to remove any distracting dirt or smudges 
  • Make sure there’s significant contrast between you and your background 

Users can easily switch from a blurred background to a virtual background approved by their administrator using the same “Virtual Background” tab. The virtual background feature even allows users to create small videos to use as their background for a more realistic experience.  

 

 

 



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