How to Change Background on Zoom (Computer and Phone)

Nobody on a client call needs to see your laundry pile. A virtual background hides it, or swaps it for something that suits your brand: a plain colour, your logo, an office that doesn't exist. It also helps when you're working from a kitchen table and the room behind you changes by the hour.

Zoom lets you change it before or during a call, on a computer or phone. Here are the routes from Zoom's help pages, plus the reasons the option sometimes vanishes.

Changing your Zoom background on a Windows or Mac computer

Zoom's help describes setting a background from the app settings, so it's ready before anyone joins:

1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop app and click your profile picture.
2. Click Settings.
3. Open the Video & effects tab.
4. Under Backgrounds, click one of the existing backgrounds.

The same area has a few other options, according to Zoom: click None to remove a background, click Blur to soften what's behind you, click Add to upload an image or video from your computer, or click Create to have Zoom's AI make a background from your ideas.

Changing your Zoom background during a meeting

Already in the call and just noticed the mess? In the meeting controls, click the up arrow next to Video. Zoom's participant controls list this menu as the place to change cameras, blur your background or adjust video effects, and from there you can reach the background choices without leaving the meeting.

Changing the Zoom background on an iPhone or Android phone

1. Open the Zoom mobile app and tap your profile picture in the top-left corner.
2. Tap Settings, then Video & effects.
3. Under Appearance, pick a virtual background or upload your own image.

Zoom's mobile help adds a choice worth noticing. Under Keep virtual background for, you can pick All meetings or Current meeting only. If you choose Current meeting only, you'll need to switch the background on again each time you join, which catches people out when it seems to have 'forgotten' their setting.

Choosing a Zoom background that suits your business

A background is part of your brand, so treat it like one. A few rules I'd follow:

• Keep it calm. Busy patterns pull the eye away from your face.
• Use your brand colours or a soft version of your logo, not a full-screen advert.
• Check it in the preview, because edges can flicker around hair and shoulders.
• If you use a photo of a room, pick one that looks like somewhere you could plausibly work.
• Blur is the safest choice when you don't have time to be clever.

Zoom says users on supported devices can use videos as backgrounds when the 'Allow use of videos as virtual backgrounds' option is on. I'd save moving backgrounds for informal calls, because they distract in sales conversations.

Making your Zoom background look natural on camera

A background only looks convincing when the camera can tell where you end and it begins. Sit facing a window or a lamp rather than with the light behind you, because a bright window turns you into a flickering outline. Wear a colour that differs from the background, and keep your hands from darting across your face when you talk. If you're on a basic laptop camera, raise it to eye level with a stack of books, which also makes you look more engaged.

I'd also test the background on a quick solo call before an important meeting. Open a meeting on your own, flick between a couple of options, and pick the one where your edges look steadiest. Two minutes there saves an awkward moment in front of a new client.

Why the Zoom background option is missing or greyed out

When you can't change your background, work through these:

1. Look for a grayed-out option. Zoom's help says that means the setting was locked at group or account level.
2. Ask your Zoom admin. They can turn Virtual background off for the whole account or a group and lock it.
3. Check the Backgrounds area for your own upload: if you've just been given new default backgrounds by an admin, Zoom says you need to sign out and back in to see them.
4. Make sure you're opening Video & effects, not another settings tab.
5. Update the app, then try again.

Business teams often hit this when an admin sets one company background for everyone. If that's your situation, ask whether you're allowed to upload your own.

Zoom background rules for team accounts

Account owners and admins have extra controls. According to Zoom, they can manage default backgrounds if they're on a Pro, Business, Education or Enterprise plan, and AI-generated backgrounds have their own setting that depends on Virtual background being on. Admins can't upload video backgrounds at this time, according to the same page.

If you hold calls where you'll show a recording or share slides afterwards, my guide on finding your webinar recording after a Zoom call is worth keeping handy. And if AI tools join your meetings, read what to know before you turn an AI note-taker on.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change my background on Zoom?

Open Zoom settings, choose Video & effects and click a background under Backgrounds. You can also pick Blur, click None to remove one, or click Add to upload your own image or video.

Can I change my Zoom background during a call?

Yes. Click the up arrow next to Video in the meeting controls to reach video effects, including your background.

Why can't I change my background on Zoom?

If the option is grayed out, Zoom says it's been locked at group or account level. Ask your Zoom admin, who can also turn virtual backgrounds off.

Does Zoom remember my background?

On mobile you choose Keep virtual background for All meetings or Current meeting only. If you pick the second, you must enable it again every time you join.

Can I use a video as my Zoom background?

Zoom says users on supported devices can, as long as the option to allow videos as virtual backgrounds is enabled.