The Virtual Background feature allows you to display an image or video as your background during a Zoom Meeting. This feature works best with a physical green screen and uniform lighting to allow Zoom to detect the difference between you and your background.
You can upload your own images or videos as a virtual background, or use nothing and just blur the background instead. You can also use Virtual Background in a Zoom Room.
Recommended setup
- To achieve the best virtual background effect, Zoom recommends using a solid color background, preferably green. Recommended physical green screens from Webaround or Amazon.
- Higher quality cameras result in a better virtual background.
- Use uniform lighting and color.
- Do not wear clothing that is the same color as the virtual background.
Background image
- There are no size restrictions when adding your own virtual backgrounds, but we recommend cropping the image to match the aspect ratio of your camera before uploading it. Example: If your camera is set to 16:9, an image of 1280 by 720 pixels or 1920 by 1080 pixels would work well.
- If you’re not sure about your camera aspect ratio, use a background image with a minimum resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels.
- Browse some of the virtual backgrounds Zoom has collected, or use these sources for other royalty-free images: Pexels, Unsplash, Pixabay.
Background video
- A video (MP4 or MOV file) with a minimum resolution of 480 by 360 pixels (360p) and a maximum resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p).
Enabling Virtual Background
Note: Users must sign out of the Zoom desktop client and sign back in for Virtual Backgrounds to take effect.
Account
To enable the Virtual Background feature for all users in the account:
- Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator with permission to edit account settings.
- In the navigation menu, click Account Management then Account Settings.
- In the Meeting tab, navigate to the Virtual Backgroundoption (under the In Meeting (Advanced) section) and verify that the setting is enabled.
Note: If the setting is disabled, click the toggle to enable it. If a verification dialog displays, choose Turn On to verify the change. - (Optional) If you want to make this setting mandatory for all users in your account, click the lock icon, and then click Lock to confirm the setting.
- (Optional) Check Allow use of videos for virtual backgrounds then Save to confirm the change, to grant your users access to video virtual backgrounds.
- (Optional) Check Allow users to upload custom backgrounds then Save to confirm the change, to grant your users access to upload their own virtual backgrounds in addition to the backgrounds currently uploaded.
- (Optional) Click Manage virtual background to upload default background images available for users.
- Note: Users must have client/app version 5.1.1 or higher to see the background images you upload.
- (Optional) Check Require users to always use virtual background then Save to confirm the change.
