How to Set Custom Backgrounds in Microsoft Teams Meetings
Now that we are all working from home during these times of social distancing, the way we work and collaborate with our coworkers on a daily basis has changed. We find ourselves keeping in touch and meeting with each other in online, virtual meetings. There are many different virtual meeting platforms out there to choose from. One of the most popular choices being selected by many companies as their means to collaborate and get things done is Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Teams has many useful features that help to facilitate collaboration between coworkers. One of the most obvious choices for online/distance collaboration within Microsoft Teams is Meetings. Meetings in Teams allows us to communicate and collaborate in real time while also allowing us to see each other and get that face to face interaction. While it is great to be able to see each other when we can’t actually see each other, many of us are working out of home offices that meet the requirement of the word “office” strictly in the most basic sense in that there is place to set a laptop. Kitchen tables, living rooms, bedrooms, converted attic or basement spaces, the car in (or out of) the garage, or perhaps even a bathroom have all become de facto “offices” these days – anywhere where we can get a little escape from the kids, dog, cat, tv, or any of the myriad distractions present in our homes. Needless to say, it could be a bit distracting to your coworkers, or possibly even embarrassing to you, to participate in a video meeting when you are sitting amid the chaos of quarantined home life. Don’t fret though because Microsoft Teams now gives you the ability to alter your background to block out the unsightly chaos of life. The mountain of laundry, the exposed rafters and insulation, the bored/curious child, even the shower curtain are no longer issues in our virtual meeting world.
While the ability to blur your background has been available for some time now it is not always the neatest looking option depending on what it is trying to blur out. Using artificial intelligence, the new custom background option isolates you from the background behind you. It allows you to set a virtual background of your choosing that blocks out all the undesired real background you may find yourself sitting in front of. Currently, there is a pre-defined list of images that Microsoft has installed in Teams. There are several different themes including things like quiet office settings, peaceful outdoor settings, and Microsoft video game backdrops (such as Minecraft and Halo). These can all be accessed in the Background Settings menu within the Video Settings in Teams.
These pre-defined backgrounds are great at hiding the chaos but what if you want to have a more unique and/or fun background? Who wouldn’t want to meet with their coworkers while sitting in Fenway Park in front of the ‘Green Monstah’ or at your favorite vacation spot or on a desert island in the Caribbean or in the Simpson’s living room or on the bridge of an Imperial Star Destroyer? What good is technology if you can’ have a little fun with it, right? Yes, it’s true! You can add customized virtual backgrounds of your choosing in Teams. As of right now, there is no direct way to add your own custom backgrounds to the Teams Background Menu but there is a workaround. You just have to know where to save the image that you want to use. There is one particular folder, called Uploads, in the Microsoft Teams folder that will allow your custom images to be accessible in the Background Settings menu.
Rumor has it that an option that will make this a much simpler process will be coming from Microsoft in the not too distant future. However, in the meantime, why not have some fun in those Teams meetings? Please see the attached “How-To” document to learn how to customize your background. It will guide you through the process to set either a pre-defined Microsoft image or, if you are feeling more adventurous, a customized background of your very own. So, read up and add a little fun to your next Teams meeting!