How to Change Your Background in a Teams Meeting

Download Article

Customize your virtual meeting background on Teams

Co-authored by Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: December 22, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Before a Meeting
|
• During a Meeting
|
• Custom Backgrounds
|
• The "Decorate" Feature
|
• Video
|
• Q&A

|Show more |Show less

Microsoft Teams is a great tool for online video meetings. However, sometimes, you need your camera on—but someone is standing close by, your room is a mess, or you just don't want others to see your house. If you need to join a meeting with video, you can use a virtual background to help hide your surroundings. In the handy guide below, we’ll show you how to change your Microsoft Teams background, whether you’re about to join a meeting or already in one!

Ways to Change Your Background in Microsoft Teams

• Before a meeting: Select the meeting from your Teams calendar and click Join → Background filters. Choose an image, then select Join now.
• During a meeting: With your camera off, navigate to … More → Video effects and settings. Select an image, then click Apply and turn on video.
• To use a custom image, select + Add new and choose an image to upload instead of clicking on one of Teams’s available default images.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Changing Your Background in Teams Before a Meeting

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Navigate to your Teams calendar and select a meeting. Open Teams and click over to the Calendar tab. Find the meeting you want to join and click on it, then click the Join button. When you do this, a pre-join screen will open (so, in other words, you won’t actually enter the meeting yet).
2. 
   2
   Turn on your camera and select “Background filters.” From the pre-join screen, make sure that your video is toggled on via the switch next to the camera icon. Once your camera is on, you can click on the Background filters option, and a side window with background image options will open.

   • If your camera is turned off, you won’t be able to select Background filters (it’ll be greyed out).
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   Choose a background image (or add a new one). Click on the background image you want to use from the list of options provided. Once you click the one you want, a small white check mark will appear in the corner of the image to indicate that it has been selected.

   • Otherwise, if you have a custom image, you can click the + Add new option at the top of the list and upload the image yourself.
   • You can also choose to blur your background from here; just select Standard blur instead of one of the images.
4. 
   4
   Click “Join now” to launch the meeting. When you select the Join now option, you’ll officially enter the meeting—with your newly-selected background already in place!
Advertisement

Section 2 of 4:

Changing Your Background in Teams During a Meeting

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Join your meeting with your camera off. There's an option to switch your camera on as you join the meeting, but if there is a glitch, the virtual background might take some time to show up, which can reveal your surroundings. It's better to join the meeting first before turning your video on.
2. 
   2
   Click the … More icon. In the meeting toolbar—the panel that's on top of your Microsoft Teams tab—you'll see three dots with More below; this is the “More actions” icon. Click on the icon, and it’ll open a drop-down menu.
3. 
   3
   Select the "Video effects and settings" option. This will open a sub-page on the side of your meeting tab.
4. 
   4
   Select the background that you'd like to use. Teams will have a few default backgrounds to choose from; take a look at your options and click on the one you want to use.

   Tip: If you don't like any of the backgrounds or want a specific photo, you'll find an option at the top of the backgrounds that says "+ Add new". Click on it and insert a picture or background that you've saved on your device earlier.
5. 
   5
   Click the Preview option to review your choice. Preview your video to make sure the background you’ve chosen is the right one. Others in the meeting won't be able to see what you've previewed just yet.
6. 
   6
   Select “Apply and turn on video” to enable the new background. Since your video is currently off, you’ll see the option to Apply and turn on video at the bottom of the screen. Just select that option, and you should be all set! Make sure you do select it; otherwise, your background won’t be seen.
Advertisement

Section 3 of 4:

Adding a Custom Background to Microsoft Teams

Download Article

1. 
   Find a background image in JPG, PNG, or BMP format. The size of your custom background image should be 1920 x 1080 pixels to fit the screen in Teams properly. Beyond that, it’s up to you what kind of image you want to use—although generally, it’s a good idea to pick something that isn’t too bright or busy and cluttered.

   • Follow the instructions above (either before or during a meeting) to add your custom background. When you arrive at the menu to choose background images, select + Add new instead of picking from the options available.

Section 4 of 4:

Using the Teams “Decorate” Feature

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Select the … More icon during a meeting. Microsoft Teams also has a “Decorate” feature that uses AI to generate background options that are intended to blend with your actual space—but you can’t use it unless you have a Teams Premium license. If you do have this license and want to use the Decorate feature, you can access it through the same video effects menu as the other backgrounds.

   • When you select … More, a drop-down menu will appear.
2. 
   2
   Open the “Video effects and settings” menu. You’ll see Video effects and settings in the drop-down menu. On the video effects screen, you should see the Decorate option; select it to continue, then select Start.

   • Your camera will turn off while you generate the new background.
3. 
   3
   Choose a theme, then click “Generate.” The Decorate feature will give you a choice of themes (clean up, fancy, and so on). Choose one; then, when you’re ready, select Generate to preview the AI-created options. If you want more choices after that, you can click Generate more at the bottom of the screen.
4. 
   4
   Pick a background and restart your video. Select the background you want to use, and a small white check mark will appear in the corner of the image. Then, just select Apply and turn on video to return to the meeting with your video enabled and your new background in place!
Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

• Question

  How to take a "My Little Pony" background effect?

  

  Brooke

  Community Answer

  In "background settings", you'll find an option that says "+ Add New". Click on that, insert an image from your device, and then use the effect!

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 3 Helpful 6
• Question

  In three dots I have no option to apply background effects, what can I do?

  

  Brooke

  Community Answer

  Your device, or the Teams app is probably not updated. Make sure that it's done.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 7 Helpful 9
• Question

  How do I get to the screen at the start of this article? Do not presume I am joining a meeting. Presume that I plan ahead and want to have background and lighting worked out in advance.

  

  Brooke

  Community Answer

  Before you join a meeting, the preview image shown in the first step is identical to the one you'd see before you join. To have the background ready in advance, click "background filters" and choose what you'd like.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 42 Helpful 5

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!