Change backgrounds and effects in Google Meet

To limit distractions or make meetings more fun, you can now blur your background or apply:

• An immersive background
• A static background
• A seasonal background
• A custom image provided by you or your organisation
• Special effects such as filters

You can also apply styles to customise your video with various lighting, colour filters and stylised backgrounds.

Tips:

• If you change your background, sensitive info might be visible.
• In your self view, your background appears mirrored or inverted, but other participants in the meeting can see the correct orientation.
• The availability of backgrounds, filters and styles is subject to client type, account type and settings set by Google Workspace admins. Learn what backgrounds and effects features are available for your edition.
• If you're a Workspace admin, you can let users apply backgrounds and special effects.
• To improve real-time video on devices, you can process these in the cloud:
  • Static background images
  • Blur effects
  • Light adjustments
• This feature saves battery, reduces processor usage and improves meeting quality.

How to change backgrounds & use visual effects in Google Meet

Change background and use visual effects

Important: To change the background and use effects on an Android device, you must use one of these supported devices with Android version 9 and up:

• Samsung Galaxy S9 and up
• Pixel 3 and up
• Other similar devices

1. On your Android device, open the Meet app .
2. Select a meeting.
3. Before you join or during a meeting, at the bottom of your self view, tap Effects .
4. To adjust and stack visual effects across different categories, tap a category.
   • Under the Backgrounds tab:
     • To adjust your background's blurriness or select a personal background, under 'Blur and personal backgrounds', tap:
       • Slightly blur your background .
       • Blur your background .
       • Use image from camera roll .
       • The background that you want to use.
     • Under the Filters tab:
       • Tap the filter that you want to use.
     • Under the Appearance tab:
       • To change the style, under 'Styles', select the style that you want to use.
5. To select or remove the stacked effects, in the bottom right of your self view, tap Stack .
   • The number in the red bubble indicates the number of effects that you've applied.
   • On the right of your self view, tap the Stack icon .
   • Select the effects that you want to remove.
     • Or, to remove all effects, tap Remove all.
   • To minimise the stack view, tap Close .
6. Once finished, to close the 'Effects' panel, in the top-right corner, tap Close .

Tips:

• Background effects may increase your battery usage. If your battery is low, you can turn off the effects.
• Your video may be cropped to show other participants, so some parts of your background or effects may not be visible to them.

Related resources

• Improve your video and audio experience
• Control backgrounds and special effects for Google Meet users
• Update your Chromebook's operating system
• Create background images with Gemini in Google Meet