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How to use custom backgrounds in video calls and upload your own into Microsoft Teams


Microsoft continues to release updates and add new features to Microsoft Teams. In recent updates, Microsoft has added the ability to change or customise the user background when making video calls. This post will show you how to not only customise your background, but also upload your own chosen pictures to sit in the background when making video calls.


Step 1:

Make sure you have updated Teams by clicking on your profile picture and then “Check for updates”



Once clicked this message will appear at the top of the Teams Window:



Step 2:

Start a Teams Video Call with a colleague for testing purposes, then click on the “More actions” button (with 3 dots):



Once selected then choose “Show background effects”:



A side bar will appear on the right giving you options of standard images to use. Choose one and then click apply. Your background should then come alive with a customised background!



Step 3:

If you wish to upload your own custom picture or photo, you can do so by doing the following, open Windows file explorer and paste this text into the search bar:


%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Teams\Backgrounds


Paste here: (then press enter)



Then any saved file you have such as a JPEG image, can be moved or copied into this folder:

Once you have done this, go back to the Teams video call and follow Step 2 again. Your new custom background should appear at the very bottom of the available thumbnail images.


Don’t forget, everyone will see this background when making video calls, both to colleagues and externally so be careful what you upload!


Microsoft may include an update in the future which means you won't have to find the uploads folder each time, but for now, this works and is quite fun.




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Unknown member
Apr 25, 2020
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