To add or change a Zoom background, open the Zoom desktop app, click your profile picture, and go to Settings › Video & effects › Virtual backgrounds. Pick one of Zoom’s backgrounds, or click the add (+) icon to upload your own picture or video. During a meeting, click the arrow next to Video and choose Video & effect settings to get to the same place.
This guide covers changing your background before and during a meeting on Windows, Mac and Linux, on iPhone, iPad and Android, and in the Zoom web app, plus blur, AI-generated backgrounds, green screens, image sizes, and fixes when the option is missing. Steps follow Zoom’s Changing your virtual background image article, checked October 1, 2026.
Change Your Background Before a Meeting (Desktop)
- Open the Zoom Workplace desktop app and sign in.
- Click your profile picture in the top-right corner, then Settings.
- Select Video & effects, then the Virtual backgrounds tab. Result: your camera preview appears with background choices below it.
- Click a background to use it. Choose None to remove it or Blur to blur your real background.
- To use your own, click the add icon and choose an image or video, then pick the file. If Zoom asks, click Download to get the package for backgrounds without a green screen. Result: the preview shows you in front of the new background.
- If you sit in front of a real green screen, turn on I have a green screen.
Zoom notes that if the Virtual backgrounds tab is missing after it’s been enabled on the web portal, signing out of the desktop app and back in usually brings it back.
Change It During a Meeting
- Click the arrow (^) next to the Video button in the meeting controls.
- Select Video & effect settings. Result: the Video & effects panel opens beside the meeting.
- Open Virtual backgrounds and choose or upload one. Result: the change appears live for everyone if your video is on.
On a Phone or Tablet
- During a meeting (iPhone, iPad and Android): tap More › Settings › Virtual backgrounds, then choose one or tap + to add a picture. Tap the close icon when you’re done.
- Before a meeting (iPhone and iPad): tap your profile picture, then Settings › Video & effects, and under Appearance tap Background & effects. Zoom says this applies to the iOS app version 6.5.0 and later.
Zoom’s mobile instructions cover image backgrounds only; for video backgrounds, use the desktop app.
In the Zoom Web App
- Join or start a meeting in the Zoom web app.
- Click the up arrow next to Start Video or Stop Video.
- Click Choose Background, then pick an image or click the add icon to upload one. Result: the background applies when you close the window.
If you can’t add an image in the web app, Zoom says your account admin needs to turn the feature on.
Create a Background With AI
In the desktop app’s Virtual backgrounds settings, click Generate next to Create AI virtual background, describe what you want, and click Generate. Click Try again for a different result, or pick an artistic style. Availability can depend on your account type and admin settings.
Picture and Video Tips
- Zoom accepts 24-bit PNG or JPG images up to 15 MB, and MP4 or MOV videos from 480 × 360 to 1920 × 1080 pixels.
- Crop images to your camera’s aspect ratio. For a 16:9 camera, Zoom suggests 1280 × 720 or 1920 × 1080; if you’re unsure, use at least 1280 × 720.
- For royalty-free images, Zoom points to Pexels, Unsplash and Pixabay.
- Even lighting on you and some of the wall behind you gives cleaner edges without a green screen.
If You Don’t See Virtual Backgrounds
- Your computer may not meet the requirements. Backgrounds without a green screen and video backgrounds need more processing power. Try Blur instead.
- The setting may be off. On a work or school account, the admin may have turned it off. On your own account, check Settings in the Zoom web portal.
- Sign out and back in to the desktop app after turning it on.
- Update Zoom to the latest version.
- Black bars on the sides? Zoom suggests turning on HD video in Video settings.
- The background covers your face? With a green screen, click your video to pick the exact screen color, and avoid clothes that match it.
Camera not showing up at all? See how to turn on the camera on a Windows 11 laptop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can other people see my real background?
Briefly, sometimes. Edges can flicker when you move quickly or the lighting is uneven. A green screen or blur hides more reliably.
How do I remove a background I uploaded?
In Virtual backgrounds, hover over the image and click the X that appears.
Do virtual backgrounds work in Zoom Rooms?
Yes. Zoom says virtual backgrounds can also be used in a Zoom Room, set up by the room’s admin.
New to Zoom meetings? See how to start a Zoom meeting.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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