This is a great tool for all of us stuck working from our spare rooms and kitchen tables. Teams will automatically super impose your live video image over a custom background.
In a Teams meeting, click the three dots in your menu bar to open more options
Select Apply background effects
Use the preview function to select the option of your choice, then hit apply when you’re ready to go. Not seeing one you like? Select “add new” to upload an option from your computer.
The new background will remain in place until you change it again.
We’ve noticed a few quirks to keep in mind for important calls.
- First, the system is good, but it’s not perfect. If you are wearing a shirt that’s a similar color to the background—a white shirt and white wall, for example–it may have a hard time distinguishing the difference.
- You may also notice a gap in areas like the space between a headset and the top or your head.
- Finally, the overlays can get a little blurry at the edges if you move a lot, so it can look distorted if you’re someone who talks with your hands. Still, a handy tool for virtual meetings.
Sharon Weaver is a Microsoft Office 365, Process Improvement, and Productivity Expert. Sharon’s background in Business Analysis, Project Management, and Agile combined with her Developmental Psychology degree and Six Sigma Black Belt blend perfectly with her love of helping and training people to make her a well-rounded consultant and coach. Solving both process and technical problems, Sharon has the ability to understand her client’s pain points and develop a plan to not only build the needed solutions, but to drive change, adoption, and education in a way not typically seen from technical consultants. Sharon speaks professionally at local, national, and global events and teaches subjects such as Office 365, Business Analysis, Six Sigma, Leadership, and other continuing education courses publicly as an adjunct instructor and privately for corporations. When she’s not working, Sharon is likely reading self-improvement books or on a cruise out of the country with no access to communication.
Reference:
Weaver, S. (2020). How do I change my Teams background? Available at: https://sharoneweaver.wpcomstaging.com/2020/09/23/how-do-i-change-my-teams-background/ [Accessed: 24th November 2020].
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