To change your background in Zoom on a computer, click your profile picture, open Settings > Video & effects > Backgrounds (called Virtual backgrounds in some Zoom guides), then choose a background or click Add to upload your own. On a supported Android phone, iPhone or iPad, open More > Settings > Virtual backgrounds during a meeting and select an image. You can also blur your surroundings instead of replacing them.
The short version
- On a computer: Choose an image under Settings > Video & effects > Backgrounds or Virtual backgrounds.
- On a phone: During a meeting, tap More > Settings > Virtual backgrounds.
- Your own picture: Use Add on desktop or + on mobile to upload an image.
- Back to normal: Select None in the background selector to remove Zoom’s active background.
| When or where | Control to use | Requirement or catch |
|---|---|---|
| Computer before a meeting | Settings > Video & effects > Backgrounds or Virtual backgrounds | Supported Windows, macOS or Linux hardware |
| Computer during a meeting | Video arrow > Video & effect settings > Virtual backgrounds | Supported hardware and virtual backgrounds enabled |
| Before joining someone else’s meeting | Virtual Background in Video Preview | Preview enabled on Windows, macOS, Android or iOS |
| Phone or tablet during a meeting | More > Settings > Virtual backgrounds | Supported Android phone, iPhone or iPad |
| iPhone or iPad outside a meeting | Backgrounds under Background & effects | Supported device with Zoom Workplace for iOS 6.5.0 or later |
| Web meeting | Choose Background beside the video control | Chrome OS or Chrome/Edge with at least four logical processor cores |
| Desktop blur | Blur in background settings | Image-background hardware requirements without a green screen |
| Mobile blur | Blur under More > Settings | Supported Android or iOS device |
| Physical green screen | Enable I have a green screen | Supported desktop computer and uniformly colored backdrop |
| Disabled virtual backgrounds | Virtual background in the web portal | Administrator locks can prevent changes |
| Return to your room | None in the background selector | System and virtual-camera effects need separate removal |
Choose a background on your computer
In Zoom Workplace for Windows, macOS or Linux, click your profile picture and open Settings. Select Video & effects, then the Backgrounds tab, which some Zoom guides call Virtual backgrounds. Click one of the supplied backgrounds to select it.
For a personal picture, click Add and choose an image from your computer. On supported Windows and macOS computers, you can also choose a video background. For Linux, use an image background.
You need hardware that supports Zoom’s virtual backgrounds as well as the app. If you need to install Zoom Workplace, get the appropriate app from the Zoom Download Center.
Change the background during or just before a meeting
During a desktop meeting, click the arrow beside Video, then select Video & effect settings > Virtual backgrounds. Choose a background, or click the add icon to upload one. Virtual backgrounds must be enabled, and your computer must meet the hardware requirements.
When joining someone else’s meeting on Windows, macOS, Android or iOS with video preview enabled, you can choose your background before entering. In Video Preview, select the Virtual Background icon at the top right on desktop or the top left on mobile. Choose your background, then select Join with Video.
To enable the desktop preview, click your profile picture and select Settings > Meetings & webinars > Join experience. Turn on Show video preview first. Zoom says hosts starting their own meetings do not receive this preview dialog, so choose your background in desktop settings or change it during the meeting.
Set a background on your phone or tablet
During a meeting in the Zoom mobile app on a supported Android phone, iPhone or iPad, tap More > Settings > Virtual backgrounds. Select a supplied image, or tap + and choose your own picture. Close the panel after making your selection.
On a supported iPhone or iPad running Zoom Workplace for iOS 6.5.0 or later, you can also choose the background outside a meeting. Tap your profile picture, then open Settings > Video & effects > Appearance > Background & effects > Backgrounds. Select an image or tap + to upload one.
If the background option is missing, check that your device supports virtual backgrounds and that the feature is enabled in your account. For a work or school account with locked settings, ask your Zoom administrator to check the background permissions.
Choose a background in a web meeting
After joining a meeting in the Zoom Web App, click the arrow beside Start Video or Stop Video. Select Choose Background, then choose an image. To upload your own, use the add icon in the background selector.
The web option requires Chrome OS or Chrome/Edge and at least four logical processor cores. If your browser setup does not meet those conditions, use the Zoom Workplace app on a device that meets its background requirements. If you can select backgrounds but cannot upload your own, your administrator may have restricted uploads; ask them to check that permission.
Blur your surroundings instead
On supported Windows, macOS and Linux computers, click your profile picture and select Settings > Video & effects > Backgrounds > Blur. During a meeting, click the Video arrow and turn on Blur my background. Desktop blur requires hardware that meets Zoom’s image-background requirements without a green screen.
On a supported Android phone, iPhone or iPad, tap More > Settings during a meeting and open the background options, which Zoom’s guides show as Virtual backgrounds or as Video & effects > Backgrounds. Select Blur to blur your surroundings.
To stop desktop blurring through the meeting shortcut, open the Video arrow and turn off Blur my background. On mobile, select None or choose another background.
Use a physical green screen
If you have a uniformly colored physical backdrop and a supported Windows, macOS or Linux computer, open the background selector, click a background image and enable I have a green screen. Click the color selector box, then click the backdrop’s color in your video. Your computer still needs to meet Zoom’s requirements for backgrounds with a green screen.
Enable missing backgrounds or return to your room
If virtual backgrounds are disabled in your personal Zoom settings, open the Zoom web portal and select your profile picture > Settings > Meeting > In Meeting (Advanced). Enable Virtual background and click Enable if a verification dialog appears, then return to the app’s background selector.
If the setting is locked by your administrator, ask them to check your account or group permissions. Administrators can also control custom uploads and require you to use a virtual background, so those restrictions may affect your choices.
To remove the active Zoom background on desktop or mobile, open the background selector and choose None. An operating-system background effect or a virtual-camera effect must be removed separately. If your video still looks altered after selecting None, remove the effect in the system control or camera app that supplies it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep a Zoom background for future meetings on mobile?
On a supported mobile device, tap your profile picture and open Settings > Video & effects > Appearance > Keep virtual background for. Choose All meetings to retain it, or Current meeting only to limit it to that meeting.
Can Zoom generate a background from an idea?
On an eligible desktop account with AI-generated backgrounds enabled, open the background selector and click the Generate tile. Enter your idea, then click Generate. Click Try again for another result; access depends on your plan and feature settings.
Which setting allows video backgrounds in Zoom?
In the Zoom web portal, open your profile picture > Settings > Meeting > In Meeting (Advanced). Under Virtual background, select Allow use of videos as virtual backgrounds, then click Save. If your administrator has locked the setting, ask them to check it; your desktop platform and hardware must also support video backgrounds.
Can you put shared content behind your video in Zoom?
Yes, on supported Windows, macOS and Linux desktop apps with screen-sharing presenter layouts enabled, click Share and select a screen or application. Under Presenter layout, choose As background, position your video, then click Share. During sharing, use the floating toolbar’s Layout icon to change the layout. This changes your shared presentation rather than your normal camera tile.