How to use the Virtual Background feature in Zoom

In this article, we are looking at how to use the Virtual Background feature in the Zoom Conferencing video calling software.

If you're making video calls or conference calls, there can be some drawbacks with messy backgrounds. You might be working in your bedroom or your lounge, but you want to look a little more professional.

Well, the way around this is using Zoom, using the virtual background feature which is simple to set up and I'm going to show you how.

You can watch the video which will walk you through the whole process from start to finish or follow the step by step guide set out below.

Let’s take a look at how to access and use the virtual backgrounds in Zoom Conferencing video calling software.

There's a couple of ways to get into your settings to change the virtual background.

Firstly, I'll just show you how you can quickly switch the feature on during a meeting.

Go down to the bottom left hand corner and I click the little arrow. The pop-up menu shows text that says video settings.

You will now have launched a pop-up panel where you can adjust your settings. You can see text that says virtual background. If you've never used this feature before it may ask you to include this feature and load the included backgrounds, it takes two seconds and then you can use that feature.

You can now choose from some different backgrounds by simply selecting them.

My background is reasonably well lit, but it has a lot of things in the background. It tends to work better on light backgrounds, or a well-lit room. If it's dark it doesn't work very well at all. It doesn't separate you from the background very efficiently and if there's also lots of objects, it doesn't work very well either. If you can sit with you're back to a wall that is reasonably plain works well

If you've got a green screen behind you can use this feature by selecting that option. It works by colour selection. This feature uses the green colour channel to separate. Just make sure you're not wearing any green clothing.

You can experiment with the different backgrounds already installed but you can just click this plus button (icon) which allows you to navigate your computer where you can add some video or add images.

You can set up this feature without actually being in a meeting. Before your meeting open your panel as if you’re going to set up or schedule a meeting. Click the little cog at the top right corner, and this is how you get into your settings again and you can access your virtual backgrounds. So you can set that up in advance of your meeting and be prepared and ready to go.

And that's it. Now play around, have fun and enjoy it.