How to Blur Your Microsoft Teams Background: Desktop & Mobile

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Blur your background in Microsoft Teams for video calls or meetings

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: November 18, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Before a Meeting (Desktop)
|
• Before a Meeting (Mobile)
|
• During a Meeting (Desktop)
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• During a Meeting (Mobile)
|
• Troubleshooting
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

A blurred background on Teams looks classy and it can be a way to disguise a less-than-ideal backdrop during an important meeting. But how exactly do you blur your Teams background? In this article, we'll cover how to blur your Teams background on both desktop and mobile devices, both before and during a meeting. We also go over some troubleshooting tips if you're experiencing issues with blurring your Teams background.

Blurring Your Teams Background

• Before a meeting, click Video effects on desktop or Background effects on mobile, then choose the blur option.
• During a meeting, click or tap •••, then click Video effects and settings on desktop or Background effects on mobile. Then, choose a blur option.
• If the blur option isn't working, try switching your camera to your USB webcam.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Before a Meeting (Desktop)

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1. 
   1
   Join a meeting. Before you join a meeting, you'll be able to change your video and camera settings. To join a meeting, go to your calendar and select a meeting, then click Join.
2. 
   2
   Click Video effects in the pre-join screen. This option will have an icon of a person in a rectangle with a sparkle in the corner.
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3. 
   3
   Click the arrow next to the blur option. It's under the "Backgrounds" header, directly to the right of the None option.
4. 
   4
   Choose Standard blur or Portrait blur. Standard blur is a stronger blur intended to obscure your background, while Portrait blur gives your video a soft, depth-of-field effect. You can preview the blur type before you join the meeting, and you can switch between them if you decide you prefer one over the other.
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Section 2 of 5:

Before a Meeting (Mobile)

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1. 
   1
   Join a meeting. Before you join a meeting, you'll be able to change your video and camera settings. To join a meeting, go to your calendar and tap a meeting, then click Join.
2. 
   2
   Tap Background effects on the pre-join screen. This option will have an icon of a person with a background behind them.
3. 
   3
   Tap the Blur effect. This effect is at the top of the list, next to the None option.
4. 
   4
   Tap Done. This will apply the video effect. You'll be able to preview what your video looks like before you actually join the meeting.
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Section 3 of 5:

During a Meeting (Desktop)

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1. 
   1
   Click the ••• button. You should see it close to the red Leave button. This will open a dropdown menu with a variety of options.
2. 
   2
   Click Video effects and settings. This option has an icon of a person in a rectangle with a sparkle in the corner.
3. 
   3
   Choose Video effects. This will open the settings menu, allowing you to change the appearance of your Teams video.
4. 
   4
   Choose Standard blur or Portrait blur. Standard blur is a stronger blur intended to obscure your background, while Portrait blur gives your video a soft, depth-of-field effect.
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Section 4 of 5:

During a Meeting (Mobile)

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1. 
   1
   Tap the ••• button. This button is located in your meeting controls, near the buttons for your camera and microphone.
2. 
   2
   Click Background effects. This option has an icon of a person with a background behind them.
3. 
   3
   Tap the Blur effect. This effect is at the top of the list, next to the None option.
4. 
   4
   Tap Done. This will apply the video effect immediately. This setting will persist in all future calls and meetings, unless you change it.
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Section 5 of 5:

Troubleshooting

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1. 
   1
   Why can't I blur my background in Teams anymore? If you're encountering a bug where Teams gives you the option to blur your background but choosing that option doesn't actually blur anything, you're not alone. According to a thread on the Microsoft forums, this issue can be fixed by switching the camera in your Teams settings to your USB webcam. If your settings say that you're already using your USB webcam, switch to your integrated camera (if you're on a laptop) or another camera, then swap back to your USB webcam.
2. 
   2
   Why can't I change my background on my Android device? To change the background on your Android device, you'll need to have the following:

   • The latest version of the Teams mobile app for Android
   • Android version 10 or later
   • One of the following GPUs:
     • Qualcomm Adreno 610 or later
     • Arm Mali-G71 or later
     • Arm Mali-T720 or later
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