How to blur or use a virtual background on Google Meet

Video conferencing is very much on the rise, now a regular feature of both working and social lives.

google meet logo

Blurring the background is a popular option for many people because it can protect your privacy, or it can just hide the fact that you’re working in a basement or shed. The same is true of adding a virtual background, letting you have a little fun, or just to replace your messy spare room with something that’s much more impressive.

Google Meet background blur

The option blur the background on Google Meet is a recent addition, while companies like Zoom have offered this for some time. Fortunately, turning it on is really easy.

  1. Open your Google Meet via meet.google.com.
  2. Click the logo in the bottom right-hand corner.
  3. A panel will drop down offering blurring and virtual background options.
  4. Pick either a slight blur or a heavy blur by clicking the buttons.
How to blur the background on Google Meet photo 5

It’s as simple as that. As Google Meet doesn’t have any complex user interface, you don’t have to do dive into the menus, but if you do, you can also find the option there.

How to use a virtual background in Google Meet

The process for selecting a virtual background is essentially the same as having a blurred background in Google Meet.

  1. Open your Google Meet via meet.google.com.
  2. Click the logo in the bottom right-hand corner.
  3. A panel will drop down offering blurring and virtual background options.
  4. Pick the background you want to use, or hit the + button to upload your own background.

That’s it! It’s really very simple.

When will I get Google Meet background blur?

Google confirmed that G Suite would get access to the feature from 15 September 2020 for rapid release domains, and 28 September for scheduled release domains. There’s no admin for it, it just works.

Google Meets users with personal accounts also get access – and at the time of writing we have the services on both G Suite and private Google accounts – so you should too.

Credit to Pocket-Lint for this article to make life easier.

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