Overview
If you want to change what appears behind you in a video conference, you can either blur your background or replace it entirely.
Notes:
- Blurring or replacing your background might not prevent sensitive information from being visible to other meeting participants.
- Background effects won't be availalbe to you if you're using Teams through virtual desktop infrastructue (VDI).
- If you don't see Show background effects as an option in th emenu, the feature might not be available on your device yet.
How do I use this technology?
Change your background before a meeting starts
- While you're setting up your video, and audio preferences as you're joining a meeting, click the Background effects button. It's just to the right of the Turn camera on switch.
- If the Background effects switch is disabled, you'll need to turn on your video camera first, by clicking the Turn camera on switch to the left.
- The available background options will display on the right.
![Microsoft Teams Join Meeting Background Settings highlighted](https://service.alaska.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=1bb1ce0c-2c81-43e8-b85b-efbb0cf80d77.png)
- Choose Blur to blur your background. You'll aappear nice and clear while everything behind you is subtly concealed.
- Alternativy, you can also replace your background by selecting on of the images provided.
- After selecting your Background effect, click Join Now.
![Microsoft Teams Meeting Join Now button highlighted](https://service.alaska.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=ed2d32ab-5f32-4adf-bd90-27abacef7850.png)
Change your background during a meeting
To alter your background after you've already joined a meeting, do the following:
- Go to your meeting controls.
![Microsoft Teams Meeting Controls highlighted](https://service.alaska.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=4a2a65c9-531a-42fa-9c6d-e64a833cf0b1.png)
- Click More actions (...)
![Microsoft Teams Meeting More Actions button highlighted](https://service.alaska.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=3b010c3b-89bb-466f-bc59-452437355fe6.png)
- Click Show background effects.
![Microsoft Teams Video Conferencing Show Background Effects button highlighted](https://service.alaska.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=7117541a-9721-4e33-bce6-9968eebfbc03.png)
- The available background options will display on the right.
- Choose Blur to blur your background. You'll aappear nice and clear while everything behind you is subtly concealed.
- Alternativy, you can also replace your background by selecting on of the images provided.
- Click Apply.
- If your video camera is currently turned off the button will say Apply and turn on video.
![Microsoft Team Meeting Apply and turn on video button highlighted](https://service.alaska.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=94794309-efd4-441e-8c6f-066f2655a016.png)
Is there any additional information I should know about?
For additional assistance contact the IT Services Technical Support Center via phone at (907) 786-4646, toll-free at (877) 633-3888, email us at uaa.techsupport@alaska.edu, or visit the Services section to open a support ticket.