Change background and apply visual effects in Google Meet

To help 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.

To help devices better run real-time video, you can process static background images, blur effects and light adjustments in the cloud. This feature saves battery and processor power whilst optimising meeting quality.

Important:

• Sensitive information might be visible when you change your background.

• In your self view, your background will appear mirrored or inverted. However, the other participants in the meeting will see the correct orientation.

• Availability of backgrounds, filters and styles are subject to client type, account type and settings applied by Google Workspace admins. Workspace admins can let users apply backgrounds and special effects.

Change background 

Important: To use Change background and Effects on an iOS device, you must use one of the following devices:

• iPhone 8 and up
• iPad 5th generation and up
• iOS 12 or above

Before a meeting

1. Open the Meet app select a meeting.
2. Before you join, at the bottom of your self view, tap Effects .
   • To slightly blur your background, tap Slightly blur your background .
   • To completely blur your background, tap Blur your background .
   • To upload your own background, tap Add .
   • To select a pre-uploaded background, tap the background that you want to use.
   • To select a style, at the bottom, tap Styles the style you want to use.
   • To select a filter, at the bottom, tap Filters the filter that you want to use.
     • Tip: If the filter is interactive, follow the directions on the screen to activate it.
   • To remove the effect, tap No effects or tap .
3. When you have finished, tap Done.
4. Tap Join.

During a meeting

1. On your self view, tap Effects .
   • To slightly blur your background, tap Slightly blur your background .
   • To completely blur your background, tap Blur your background .
   • To upload your own background, tap Add .
   • To select a pre-uploaded background, tap the background that you want to use.
   • To select a style, at the bottom, tap Styles the style you want to use.
   • To select a filter, at the bottom, tap Filters the filter that you want to use.
     • Tip: If the filter is interactive, follow the directions on the screen to activate it.
2. When you have finished, tap Close .

Background effects may increase your battery usage. You may want to turn the effects off if your battery is low. Your video may be cropped to view other participants, so some of the background or effect may not be visible to other participants.

Tip: To see how you look with a different background, check your self view.