How to Change Backgrounds in Microsoft Teams (And Use Cool Backgrounds)

Microsoft Teams contains several useful features that make it easier and more fun to use. One of these features is the ability to change backgrounds in Teams. Well, you don’t have to reveal your environment or family history when making a video call in Teams. Working from home can bring with it challenges like pets, family members, and other things you don’t want others to notice. You can also add cool backgrounds to the teams and we’ll tell you how in this post.

Using a custom background for a video call in Teams will make your view unique and attractive. Without further ado, let’s take a look at how to set a background in Teams and I will also be sharing sources for creating and retrieving custom backgrounds.

Let’s start.

How to change backgrounds in Microsoft Teams

There are two things you can do with your experience. For starters, you can blur your background, which will defocus your environment and focus on your prospects. The other uses a virtual background. Currently, the feature is not available on the web and mobile app. Only Windows and macOS desktop clients are supported at this time.

Open the app and sign in or make a video call. Click the three-dot menu icon which will indicate More Actions when you hover over it and select Background Effects.

The first option is the fuzzy one, but by scrolling more, you will find many other options, including desks, parties, Minecraft, and a few others. The choices are limited. That said, I have compiled a list of sources where you will find cool backgrounds for Microsoft teams (see the next section).

Click the Preview button to see what it looks like before applying it, so that other attendees can notice it as well.

Pro tip: Turn off your video before joining a meeting to prevent anyone from viewing your real background. Selecting and applying a new background may take a few seconds. Click the video icon to turn off the video. Some laptops like ThinkPad also come with a physical webcam trigger.

How to add custom backgrounds to teams

You can download the coolest backgrounds, but how do you use them? Unlike Zoom, there is no direct way to upload these background images to Microsoft Teams. Fortunately, there is a smart workaround that you can follow.

Windows users will need to access the folder structure below to save your downloaded or customized background images.

%APPDATA%MicrosoftTeamsBackgroundsUploads

Mac users will need to follow this folder structure to place the background images.

~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams/Backgrounds

Note: You may need to set a background before creating the necessary folders. This solution is for people who cannot access the above folder structure. Set the background, then try again.

Let’s see some sources for recovering cool custom backgrounds.

1. WallpaperHub

WallpaperHub offers a number of wallpapers from different image hosting sites. You will find a collection of backgrounds for Microsoft teams divided into different categories like the showroom, the grumpy cat, Tiger King, Star Wars, Pixar, etc.

Most of you will not have to look elsewhere because their collection is quite large. They also got a number of these backgrounds from the official Twitter handles of these franchises.

Visit WalllpaperHub

2. Context of the teams

An entire site dedicated to collecting and presenting some of the best Microsoft Teams backgrounds on the web. I found some really cool graffiti images, home and office designs, MCU and DCEU images, and even old but iconic and fun cartoon characters.

Because these are free sources of background images for teams, there will be some overlap. But, you will also find new categories and images here. Remember, fans of these apps and franchises are working hard to create new horizons all the time.

Visit the team background

3. NASA

NASA offers a collection of backgrounds for Zoom and Teams video conferencing applications. These are high quality images of our solar system and some galaxies from afar.

There is a handy search bar at the top to filter the background images.

Visit NASA

4. BBC Earth

So as not to be left behind, the BBC made things crazy with the release of a few HD images of Mother Nature.

The shots contain both terrestrial and marine life in their natural habitat. Nature and pet lovers will surely love the background images of these Microsoft teams.

Visit BBC Earth

5. Canva

Canva is a great cloud-based image editor that we use all the time at GT. They host a huge collection of templates, elements and background images for all occasions. Below is a link to the virtual background templates for teams.

You can change the keyword Teams to Zoom to find even more images. The images are perfect, but you can use the Canva editor to add or remove items as you wish.

Visit Canva

Subtle changes

Now that you know how to change the background image in Microsoft Teams, apply it in your Teams account. Although I have shared some resources to download virtual background images of all kinds, you can tap on stock-free image hosting sites to search for more photos. Alternatively, you can create a custom image and share it with the world.