Relevant to: faculty, staff, and students
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Introduction
Background effects can be used in any MS Teams meeting for a user attending on a desktop. MS Teams does come with some pre-loaded offerings and allows users the ability to add their own. Empire State University backgrounds are available for download in the Branding Toolbox.
Please note: custom background effects are currently not available for mobile devices. Mobile device participants in a meeting do have the ability to blur the background behind them.
Start and Set Pre-Loaded Background Effects
- While in a meeting, select the “More •••” icon in the top toolbar.
- Select “Video effects and settings” in the drop-down menu. Within the new window, choose "Video effects" to view a selection of backgrounds.
- Select the background option would like from those pre-installed with Teams.
- Optional: Select the "Preview" button to see how the background will look in relationship to your camera.
- Select “Apply and turn on video” to broadcast your video camera with this background.
Please Note: This background will be the default setting with your video camera display the next time that you come into a meeting; you will have the option to take it down.
Add a New Background Effect
- While in a meeting, select the “More •••” icon in the top toolbar.
- Select “Video effects and settings” in the drop-down menu. Within the new window, choose "Video effects" to view a selection o backgrounds.
- Select "Add new" from within the gallery
- Select the file of the background that you wish to add. The name of the file should appear next to the "File Name" field at the bottom of the file picker.
- Select the "Open" button in the file picker. The background will now appear at the bottom of the "Video effects" window after any previously loaded backgrounds. It will also appear there as an option in all future meetings.
- Optional: Select the "Preview" button to see how the background will look in relationship to your camera.
- Select “Apply and turn on video” to broadcast your video camera with this background.
Please Note: Custom backgrounds added in this way must have a minimum size of 360 x 360 px, a maximum size of 2048 x 2048 px, an aspect ratio less than 4, and be formatted as either a jpeg, jpg, png, or bmp.
