5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

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How to Add a Custom Background Image in

Microsoft Teams < https://allthings.how/how-to-set-
a-custom-background-image-in-microsoft-teams/>
Add your own custom images to background effects in Microsoft Teams

By Shivam Malani < https://allthings.how/author/shivam2302/> April 18, 2020

Microsoft Teams has begun rolling out the Background Effects feature to
select users of the software. It’s gradually rolling out and should reach
everyone soon enough. The feature lets users change the background image
in Video Chats on Teams < https://allthings.how/how-to-video-chat-in-
microsoft-teams/> much like the famous ‘Virtual Background’ feature in
Zoom.

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

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As of now, Background Effects in Microsoft Teams <

https://allthings.how/background-effects-microsoft-teams/> are limited to
a few pre-defined images only, and the software giant has promised <
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/roadmap?
filters=&searchterms=62890> the ability to add custom images as
backgrounds at some point in May 2020. But until then, you can manually add
images to the ‘AppData’ folder of Microsoft Teams on your Windows PC.

CONTENTS

• Add Your Own Custom Image as Background

• Setting a Background from Pre-defined Images

Add Your Own Custom Image as Background

Microsoft has left the room open for advanced users to use custom
background images in Teams Video calls by letting users manually place their
custom images in the ‘Uploads’ folder under Microsoft Teams ‘Backgrounds’
folder where the app stores its internal data in the system.

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

To easily access ‘Uploads’ folder in Teams for adding your own images, first,
right-click on the Start button and select ‘Run’ from the available options to
open the ‘Run’ command window.

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Then, copy/paste the folder address mentioned below in the ‘Run’ window and
hit Enter or click OK.

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Teams\Backgrounds\Uploads

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

Mac users can go to the following directory to add custom images:

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

This will open the ‘Backgrounds’ folder inside the Microsoft Teams AppData
folder on your PC.

Put any image you want to set as a background image in your Microsoft
Teams meetings to this folder. You can add as many custom images as you

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

click on the ‘Background Effects’ button. You should see all your custom
background images available to select in the ‘Background Settings’ screen.

Your custom background image will be added to the bottom of the list of
images on the Background settings screen.

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

wish.

After you have manually added custom background images to Microsoft

Teams, close the app if it was open, and ‘Quit’ from the Taskbar tray as well to
completely close it.

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Now, open the Microsoft Teams app again on your PC. Start a video chat <
https://allthings.how/how-to-video-chat-in-microsoft-teams/> or meeting,

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

Setting a Background from Pre-defined Images

Microsoft has bundled some great images as backgrounds for your Teams
meetings. If adding you custom images as backgrounds seems like a daunting
task, we suggest you use the backgrounds bundled by Microsoft in the app.

To change your background in a Teams meeting, first, click on the ‘More

actions’ button (the one with a three-dot icon) on the controls bar.

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

Then, select ‘Show background effects’ from the available options in the
menu.

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

After selecting a background image, click on the ‘Preview’ button below the list
of images on the background settings panel. If it doesn’t work, try clicking it
again to get a live preview of your face against the background you selected.

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

You can select and change backgrounds while ‘Preview’ is on to quickly find
the best background for the meeting.

Note: While you’re previewing, Microsoft Teams will block your video
feed to other members in the meeting. Members will only see your
profile picture while you’re setting a suitable background for yourself.

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

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A ‘Background settings’ panel will show on the right side of the Microsoft
Teams app. Scroll through the available images and select the one you would
like to set as the background. The selected image will be highlighted with a
purple border and a tick-mark on the top-right corner of the image.

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

Once you’ve set up a background, click on the ‘Apply and turn on video’ button
to get back to the meeting with your camera on and a background image
applied to hide the messy background you may have in reality.

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

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Background Effects in Microsoft Teams is only gradually rolling out to the

users on the Teams Desktop client. You’ll need Microsoft Teams Version
1.3.00.8663 or above to get the ‘Background Effects’ feature.

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

💡 READ: How to Update Microsoft Teams Desktop app <

https://allthings.how/how-to-update-microsoft-teams-app/>

See more tips

What is Background Effects in Microsoft

Teams and How to Use It <
https://allthings.how/background-effects-
microsoft-teams/>

<
https://allthings.how/backgroun
d-effects-microsoft-teams/>

Best Background Images for

Microsoft Teams, Zoom,
Google Meet, and WebEx <
https://allthings.how/downloa
d-the-best-backgrounds-for-
microsoft-teams-zoom-
google-meet-and-webex/> < https://allthings.how/download-the-
best-backgrounds-for-microsoft-teams-
zoom-google-meet-and-webex/>

Microsoft Teams Meeting

How To: Join, Create,
Schedule, Change

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

Background, Share Screen,

and More Tips <
https://allthings.how/micro
soft-teams-meeting-how-
to-join-create-schedule-
change-background-share-
screen-and-more-tips/> < https://allthings.how/microsoft-teams-
meeting-how-to-join-create-schedule-
change-background-share-screen-and-
more-tips/>

How to Blur Background in

Microsoft Teams <
https://allthings.how/how-to-blur-
background-in-video-calls-in-
microsoft-teams/>

< https://allthings.how/how-to-blur-
background-in-video-calls-in-
microsoft-teams/>

Download SpongeBob
Background for Microsoft Teams
and Zoom <
https://allthings.how/download-
spongebob-background-for-
microsoft-teams-and-zoom/>
< https://allthings.how/download-
spongebob-background-for-microsoft-
teams-and-zoom/>

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5/29/2020 How to Add a Custom Background Image in Microsoft Teams - All Things How

How to Use Google Meet

Visual Effects Extension to
Set a Virtual Background <
https://allthings.how/chang
e-and-set-a-virtual-
background-image-in-
google-meet-using-visual- < https://allthings.how/change-and-set-a-
effects-extension-for- virtual-background-image-in-google-meet-
chrome/> using-visual-effects-extension-for-chrome/>

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