I want to blur the background with Zoom! An easy-to-understand explanation of the causes and solutions when you can't

Explains how to blur the background of Zoom and how to set the background image

How to set the background for Zoom

Zoom can easily change or blur the background. Know the procedure and reduce the anxiety that occurs in online meetings.

How to set in advance

You can change the Zoom background from your account settings before setting up the meeting room.

When you click the account icon on the home screen, the item "Settings" appears. If you click on this setting, you will see a section called "Background and Filters".

You can check how it looks from the other person's point of view like a test monitor by hovering over it. If you want your background to be your favorite image, choose any virtual background here.

When setting up on your smartphone, tap the "Settings" item from the home screen as well. Then select "Meetings" and scroll down to "Save virtual background for next time", so let's activate it here.

For the background, you can use the original image in Zoom, or you can set your favorite image from your own folder as the background.

How to set after the web conference starts

You can change the Zoom background even after the meeting room has started.

There is an item called "Stop Video" in the icon at the bottom of the meeting room screen, so click on it in the upper right. Then, the column "Select virtual background" will appear, so when you select it, the screen like the test monitor above will be launched again.

From here on, just select an arbitrary virtual background and apply it in the same way as when you set it up in advance, and you're done.

To change on your smartphone, after launching the meeting room, tap "Details" among the icons at the bottom. Then, there is a column called "Virtual background", so let's set it from here.

How to set background blur for Zoom

Zoom has a "blur" feature that camouflages the background. Blurring is recommended when the overtly virtual feel doesn't suit the meeting space, or when you want to hide the scene in a more natural way. The Blur feature allows you to hide your background by applying a frosted mosaic effect. Even if the room is cluttered, it will only appear vaguely to the other party.

How to blur the background of Zoom

From version 5.5.0 of Zoom, you can use a new function called "Blur" in addition to the virtual background. Using blur is almost the same as setting up the virtual background above. From the meeting room or home, go to the test monitor settings screen.

There is an image item called "Blur" when choosing a virtual background, so select it. Then you can add a blur effect to the background.

Alternative method when Blur function is not available

Blur function can be used on PC now. However, if you haven't updated it or your PC is old, you can't use it. Also, note that smartphones can only set virtual backgrounds, but cannot use the blur function.

If you really want to use a "bokeh style" background, first take a picture of your room or a suitable place and save it. Mosaic the saved photo with a photo editing app, then apply this image as a virtual background.

Then you can set your background to a blurred image. If you want to blur the background from your smartphone, please try setting it.

Why can't I blur the background of Zoom and how to deal with it?

What should I do if the background blur cannot be set on Zoom? We have summarized the main reasons why the background cannot be blurred.

Zoom version older than 5.5.0

The background blur function of Zoom was added after version 5.5.0. If the installed Zoom app is a version earlier than 5.5.0, it cannot be used because there is no background blur function in the first place.

If your version is earlier than 5.5.0, please follow the steps below to update.

1.Click the user icon on the top right of the app screen2.Click "Check for updates"3.When "Updates are available" is displayed, click "Update"

Once the update is complete and the display switches to "Keeping the latest", you should be able to use the background blur function.

The specs of your device are insufficient

If the background cannot be blurred even though the version of Zoom is 5.5. I have.

The specifications of various devices recommended for using Zoom's virtual background function are as follows.

[Windows]

Windows 10 (64-bit) Intel 6th generation i5 dual core or higher processor (2.0 GHz or higher) Intel CPU AMD Ryzen 5/7/9 or higher with HD620 graphics

[MacOS]

MacOS10.14 or higher 4th generation i7 quad core or higher processor 6th generation i5 dual core or higher processor

[iOS]

iPhone8/8+/XiPad Pro/5th/6th generation iPad 9.7

[Android] Android 8.0 or later

[Linux]

Dual-core 2Ghz or later processor (i5/i7 or AMD equivalent)

Details are also described in "Virtual Background System Requirements" on the Zoom support site.

Things to be aware of when setting the background in a business scene

In some online meetings, company executives and employees gather together, creating a virtual background. It is also possible that it is not suitable for TPO. We will introduce how to choose a background that suits the TPO in the business scene and how to protect privacy when delivering in the room.

How to choose a business-friendly background

When it comes to using Zoom for a meeting, it is a good idea to prepare a virtual background that is as simple as possible. Many of the preset backgrounds from the beginning have strong colors such as landscapes and forests.

Therefore, it is recommended to prepare a pure white image in advance and use it as your background. Also, using the blurring function introduced earlier to capture your own room will create a natural background that does not stand out.

How to protect your privacy

If you want to protect your privacy, use Zoom's virtual background feature. The more people in the meeting, the more unspecified number of people will be able to see your room. There have even been news stories about people being involved in crimes when their homes were identified from their balconies.

If you want to value your privacy, take measures such as hiding or blurring the background as much as possible.

Let's change the background of Zoom and have an online meeting

Zoom's virtual background and blur function can be easily set. Take advantage of the convenient features while taking care not to expose your privacy to the company during online meetings at home.