How to blur your background in Teams
Blur in Teams takes two clicks before you join and three during a meeting, with a choice of standard or portrait blur.
By Facecam team · Updated
Short answer
Before you join, select Effects and avatars on the pre-join screen, open the dropdown next to Blur and pick Standard blur or Portrait blur. During a meeting, select More actions, then Video effects and settings, then Video effects, choose a blur, Preview and Apply. Microsoft says background effects aren't available on Linux or optimized virtual desktops; there, or on any computer, a camera that blurs for you works in Teams on the web.
You need
- The Teams app on Windows or macOS for Teams' own blur
- For Teams on the web in Chrome, or a Linux computer: the free Facecam extension
Step by step
On the pre-join screen
Select Join on the meeting, then Effects and avatars under your preview. Open the dropdown arrow next to Blur and choose Standard blur, which softens the whole room, or Portrait blur, which keeps a little more depth around you. Then Join now.
During a meeting
Select More actions in the meeting controls, then Video effects and settings, then Video effects. Pick Standard blur or Portrait blur from the dropdown, select Preview to check it, then Apply.
In Teams on the web, set the blur in Facecam
Open the Facecam popup in Chrome, choose Effects under Your look, and pick Blur under Background; move Blur strength to taste. Or set it up in Webcam Effects on facecam.ai first.
Pick the camera in Teams
On the pre-join screen, choose “Facecam Virtual Camera” from the camera list, or during the meeting open the dropdown arrow next to Camera. Teams sends your blurred picture like any webcam.
From our test
Before: no effect. 
Light blur, the gentler of the two.
If it doesn't work
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Effects and avatars is missing | Your organisation or device doesn't offer background effects (Microsoft names Linux and optimized VDI). A camera that blurs for you, used in Teams on the web, gets around it. |
| The blur shimmers around my shoulders | Teams' blur and Facecam's are stacked. Set Teams' background to none under Video effects, and keep Facecam's. |
| Teams on the web says it can't use the camera | In Chrome, open Site settings → Camera for teams.microsoft.com and allow it, then refresh the meeting tab. |
| My organisation blocks extensions | Use Teams' own blur in the desktop app, or ask IT to allow the Facecam extension. |
Standard blur, portrait blur, or a flat colour
Standard blur is what most people want in a work meeting. Portrait blur is softer, closer to a camera lens, and shows more of the room's shape. If your room is busy enough that shapes still distract, a flat background hides it completely: Facecam's Studio grey and Off-white read as a plain office wall in a gallery of tiles.
| Teams app | Teams on the web with Facecam | |
|---|---|---|
| Blur | Standard or Portrait blur | Light, Strong, or the slider |
| Flat backgrounds | Teams' image backgrounds | Studio grey, Off-white, Navy, any colour |
| Linux | Not available, says Microsoft | Works in Chrome |
| Same look in Zoom and Meet | No | Yes, in Chrome |
Blur for guests and shared computers
Guests often open a Teams invite with Continue on this browser, and shared or locked-down computers may not have the Teams app at all. Those are the meetings where a camera with the blur built in helps: nothing to install in Teams, and the blur is ready before you click Join now.
Official help
- Microsoft Support, change your background in Microsoft Teams meetings: support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-your-background-for-a-teams-meeting-f77a2381-443a-499d-825e-509a140f4780 (checked 2026-10-20)
- Microsoft Support, join a meeting without a Teams account: support.microsoft.com/en-us/teams/meetings/join-a-meeting-without-an-account-in-microsoft-teams (checked 2026-10-20)
Questions
Why can't I blur my background in Teams?
Your device or organisation doesn't offer background effects, or you're on Linux or a virtual desktop. Join from Chrome and pick a camera that blurs for you.
Can I blur before joining so nobody sees my room?
Yes. Set it on the pre-join screen with Effects and avatars, or pick Facecam Virtual Camera there: the preview shows the blur before you click Join now.
Does blur work in Teams free?
Teams (free) has background effects in its app. In the browser at teams.live.com, Facecam Virtual Camera works the same as in work Teams.
Used in this guide
Related
Teams filters in the browserFace filters, a blur or a backdrop and a brighter, warmer picture in Teams meetings, from Chrome or the Teams app. Free, no sign-up.
Face swap for Microsoft TeamsBe anyone in a Teams meeting: join in Chrome, choose Facecam Virtual Camera, and your new face is what the meeting sees.
Webcam TestA free webcam test with no sign-up: see your camera's real resolution, frame rate and lighting in seconds. Your video never leaves your device.
Webcam Effects
Blur or swap your background
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