Are you tired of your living room after all that working from home? For example, you can set a Microsoft Teams background and pretend that you are completely different in meetings.
Tip: this is how you set a Microsoft Teams background
Many schools and companies use Microsoft Teams, an app that makes it easy to meet or follow lectures. With the front camera of your iPhone, iPad, MacBook or other device, you can easily keep in touch with classmates and colleagues from home.
Many people will have their home or bedroom as a background while they are on the phone with Teams, but fortunately that can also be done differently. In the app, Microsoft has added the option to set a different wallpaper. The app uses object recognition to cut you out and then paste an image behind you. This makes it seem like you are somewhere else.
Adjusting your Teams background: a step-by-step plan
Setting this up is very easy. All you have to do is open Microsoft Teams and start a meeting. Keep an eye on: customizing your wallpaper only works through the Teams macOS and Windows app. This option is not available in your browser or on iOS and iPadOS. You can also only change a background if you are already in a meeting, or set up a scheduled meeting. It goes like this.
- Join a meeting and turn on your camera;
- Move the cursor around the screen to open the taskbar;
- Tap the three dots to choose additional options;
- Then tap on ‘Show background effects’;
- Select from one of the backgrounds by clicking on it.
In addition to empty offices, the range of standard images also includes some images of well-known Microsoft games: you can imagine yourself in the square world of Minecraft, or call in that important meeting from a multiplayer folder from Halo.
It is also possible to upload your own backgrounds, comparable to competing apps such as Zoom. This works as follows:
- In the list of wallpapers, click on ‘Add new’
- Choose your own image from your files;
- Click on ‘Open’ to add the background to the list;
- The image is now at the bottom of the list. Click on ‘Preview’ to see if it works, and click on ‘Apply’ to set the background to make it visible to others.
Microsoft Teams has been expanded enormously and that makes the app widely applicable, but also somewhat confusing. In our Microsoft Teams beginner’s guide, we have therefore listed some practical tips to make a quick start with the service.
More tips for working well at home
Looking for more useful tips and apps to improve home working? Check our overview:
- Zoom Beginner’s Guide: 10 Tips for New Users
- Microsoft Teams: 9 tips for novice users
- The 5 best video calling apps for group calls on your iPhone or Mac
- House party app: 5 tips for an online house party with your friends
- Google Hangouts: 7 tips for novice users
- Working from home: 4 project management apps for working remotely
Thanks for the tip Sebastiaan and Marc!