Google Meet is a popular video conferencing platform that allows you to meet virtually with others. One useful feature in Google Meet is the ability to blur your background during video calls. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to use this feature.
Table of Contents
Why Blur Your Background
There are a few key reasons you may want to blur your background on Google Meet calls:
- Privacy – Blurring your background hides your surroundings and prevents others from seeing inside your home or workspace. This helps maintain privacy.
- Reduce Distractions – A messy or cluttered background can be distracting to others on the call. Blurring hides this.
- Look More Professional – Having a clean looking background helps you appear more professional and put together on video calls.
- Fun and Engaging – Google Meet offers the ability to replace your background with fun images. This can make video calls more engaging.
How to Blur Your Background Before Joining a Call
Blurring your background before joining a Google Meet call is easy. Just follow these steps:
- Step 1: Open Google Meet and click “New meeting” to start a call.
- Step 2: On the video preview screen before joining the call, look in the bottom right corner for a silhouette icon.
- Step 3: Click this icon and a menu will appear with background options.
- Step 4: Choose “Slightly blur” or “Blur your background” from the effects options.
- Step 5: Preview the blurred effect. Then join the meeting when ready.
The blur will stay enabled during your entire call.
How to Blur Your Background During a Call
If you forget to blur your background before joining a call, you can still enable the feature during an active Google Meet call:
- Step 1: Click the 3-dot menu in the bottom right corner of the call screen.
- Step 2: Select “Change background” from the pop-up menu.
- Step 3: Choose either the “Slight blur” or “Blur background” option.
- Step 4: The blur effect will be applied immediately.
Custom Virtual Backgrounds
In addition to blurring, Google Meet gives you the option to replace your background with an image. To do this:
- Step 1: Follow the steps above to open the background effects menu.
- Step 2: Click the “+” icon to upload a custom image from your computer.
- Step 3: Select and upload an image from your files.
- Step 4: Adjust the image position if needed.
- Step 5: Join the meeting with your virtual background enabled.
Some tips when selecting a custom virtual background:
- Choose an appropriate, professional image
- Make sure the image resolution is high quality
- Pick a background without too many details
Mobile App Blurring
The option to blur or replace your background is also available in the Google Meet mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.
To blur on a mobile device:
- Step 1: Open the Google Meet app and join or start a meeting.
- Step 2: Tap the star icon in the bottom menu bar to open effects.
- Step 3: Select either “Slightly blur” or “Blur background” options.
- Step 4: Tap “Done” to apply the change.
Tips for Best Blur Results
Follow these tips to get the best possible background blur results on your Google Meet video calls:
- Have proper lighting on your face, but background lighting turned off
- Use a high quality webcam for crisper video
- Adjust your webcam height to eye-level
- Remain relatively still without excessive movement
- Place yourself closer to a plain wall for better isolation
- Wear solid color clothes that contrast the wall
- Consider using wired internet for faster speeds
Conclusion
Blurring or replacing your background is an easy way to add privacy, reduce distractions, and look more professional on Google Meet video calls. With both mobile and desktop options available, it only takes a few clicks to enable background effects. Follow the tips outlined here to get great results.
The ability to customize your video feed helps make calls more engaging and enjoyable for all participants. So next time you hop on Google Meet, try blurring your background!
