Zoom is a great video conferencing tool for us in education. From hosting online classes to conducting webinars and organizing virtual meetups, Zoom is absolutely a reliable platform to do the job in the best way possible. Over the years, and especially since the outbreak of the pandemic Zoom has introduced a wide variety of interesting features making it one of the best free video conferencing tools out there. One of these features is the background blur.

How to blur Background in Zoom?

Background blur is part of the virtual background effects available in Zoom. The background blur functionality, as its name indicates, does just that: blurs the background of your video masking anything or anyone behind you during a video call.

Why blur background in Zoom?

There are numerous reasons why you would want to blur your background: the kiddie in the other room makes frequent (probably rapturous) visits, you are not content with showing the background of your physical space or your cluttered office, privacy concerns over showing surroundings, taking a video call in less ideal or professional situation (e.g., in a coffee shop), or simply you do not like any of Zoom’s virtual backgrounds. Now with a single click you can enable the blur functionality and mask your Zoom background.



How to enable blur background in Zoom?

When you turn on the background blur effect in Zoom’s settings, your Zoom calls  will hereafter display a blurred background. 


1. Here is how to enable blur background before a meeting
These instructions are for users on Windows, macOS and Linux:

Launch Zoom applicationSign in to your Zoom accountClick on your profile picture at the top right cornerSelect SettingsClick on Background & EffectsChoose Blur

2. Here is how to enable blur background during a meeting :

Open themeeting windowClick on the up arrow ⌃button next to the Start Video  / Stop Video  button.Select Blur My Background.


Blur background on Zoom Android and iOS app:

Here is how to enable blur background before a meeting on Zoom Android and iOS app:Log in to your Zoom app accountDuring a Zoom meeting, click on … More in the controlsSelect Virtual BackgroundClick Blur

Blur background tips

For blur background to work properly you need make sure you have an updated version of Zoom. For best practice, always make sure you have the latest Zoom version. You can view which version you and whether you need an update or not by clicking on your profile picture, selecting Settings, and clicking on Check for updates.
Check out Zoom guide to learn more more about blur background.

This post originally appeared in Educational Technology and Mobile Learning ( www.educatorstechnology.com ).