Zoom guide
Marta Kowalczyk writes about design and creative apps for Appcyclopedia, working on a MacBook Air, an iPhone 16 Pro and a Galaxy A55.
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Web
Short answer
Before a meeting, click your profile picture, then Settings, Video & effects and Virtual backgrounds, and choose Blur or an image. During a meeting, click the arrow next to Video, then Video & effect settings. On a phone, tap More, Settings, then Virtual backgrounds.
Blur is the safest choice: it hides the room without the cut-out edges a busy image can give, and works well without a green screen.
Below: the steps on a computer and a phone, uploading your own picture, and what to do when the option is missing.
How to set a virtual background in Zoom
To change your background on Zoom, open the virtual background settings. The first group covers a computer, before or during a meeting, the second covers a phone.
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On a computer
Open Settings, then Video & effects
Before a meeting, sign in to the Zoom desktop app, click your profile picture at the top right and choose Settings. Open the Video & effects tab, then Virtual backgrounds. Your camera preview appears.
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Choose Blur, an image, or None
Select Blur to soften the room behind you, a Zoom image or video to replace it, or None to switch it off. The preview shows the result straight away.
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Upload your own picture
Click the add icon and choose a PNG or JPG image up to 15 MB, ideally at least 1280 by 720 pixels. It appears with the others and can be used in any meeting.
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Change it during a meeting
In a meeting, click the arrow next to Video in the toolbar and choose Video & effect settings. Pick a background in the Virtual backgrounds section; it changes for everyone right away.
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On a phone
Tap More, Settings, then Virtual backgrounds
In a meeting on your phone, tap More, then Settings, then Virtual backgrounds. Choose Blur, an image, or tap + to use a photo from your phone. It applies at once; tap the close icon to go back.
A video interview from a shared flat: before the call, open Virtual backgrounds, choose Blur and check the preview. The laundry rack behind you disappears into a soft blur, and you look like you are in a quiet room.
Set the background before the meeting starts: you can check the preview in private instead of fiddling with it while everyone watches.
More about Zoom
Video meetings and calls, free for meetings of up to 40 minutes.
If Zoom will not change your background
- There is no Virtual backgrounds option
Your computer may not meet Zoom’s requirements, the app may be out of date, or the setting is off in your Zoom web portal. Update Zoom and turn on Virtual background in the portal’s settings.
- Parts of you disappear into the background
Zoom struggles with busy rooms and poor light. Use Blur, add light in front of you, or tick I have a green screen if you have a plain wall in one colour.
- Your uploaded image looks stretched
Use an image in the same shape as your camera, usually 16:9, such as 1920 by 1080 pixels.
Blur, image or green screen
Each option hides your room differently, and the right one depends on your space and device.
| Option | What people see | Works best when |
|---|---|---|
| Blur | You, with the room softly blurred | Almost always |
| An image | You, in front of a picture | Plain clothes, good light |
| A video | You, in front of a moving scene | Fast computers |
| Green screen | Clean edges around you | A plain wall in one bright colour |
Choose Blur for work calls: it hides the room without looking staged, and copes with movement better than a picture.
Getting a background that looks right
Zoom separates you from the room using the camera image, so light matters more than anything. Sit facing a window or lamp rather than with one behind you, keep still against a plain wall if you can, and avoid clothes the same colour as your background image.
What to do after setting your background
Zoom keeps your choice for every meeting, so you set it once. Check the preview before an important call, since lighting changes through the day.
Open Settings, Video & effects, Virtual backgrounds and choose Blur or an image. If you are presenting too, the guide to sharing your screen on Zoom covers the next step.
Zoom backgrounds: common questions
- Do I need a green screen?
- No. Most computers and phones can blur or replace the background without one. A green screen gives cleaner edges on older or slower devices.
- Can I use a video as my background?
- Yes, on a computer. Upload an MP4 or MOV file between 480x360 and 1920x1080 pixels.
- Will my background show in every meeting?
- Yes. Zoom remembers your choice and uses it in later meetings until you change it or choose None.
- Can other people see my real room?
- Not while the background works. If the effect slips, for example when you move quickly, a little of the room can show at the edges.
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Test log
Followed the steps? Tell us how it went on your device. Entries appear here after we check them.
- Worked Every step, start to finish · Elias Brandt and Daniel Okonkwo Team
I tested this
Steps performed and confirmed 2 days ago
When you need this
If you want to hide your room in a Zoom meeting, blur your background or choose a virtual one from Video & effects. It works before or during a meeting, on a computer or phone.
- Describes
- Zoom Workplace app for Windows and Mac · Zoom Workplace app for iPhone and Android
- Takes
- Under a minute
- Platforms
- Windows · macOS · iOS · Android · Web
- Published
- 21 October 2026
- Facts checked
- 10 October 2026
Steps repeated and verified by 
Elias Brandt and 
Daniel Okonkwo
on
- Elias Brandt: the Windows and web steps on a ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Windows 11 Pro) and the Android steps on a Galaxy S25 (Android 17).
- Daniel Okonkwo: the Mac steps on a MacBook Pro (macOS 27.0.1) and the iPhone steps on an iPhone 15 (iOS 27.0.1).
Limits quoted here come from Zoom’s documentation and were not tested.
Part of How to schedule and run an online meeting .
Zoom 