How to Enable Blur Mode on Microsoft Teams

Similar to Skype and Zoom, Microsoft Teams also offers the popular “Blur my Background” feature. Here's a simple guide on how to enable it during your video calls.

The toggle to enable Blur my Background is different on the free version of Microsoft Teams compared to the paid variant. Additionally, unlike Skype, you cannot permanently enable this feature as of now. Therefore, you will need to enable it manually during each video call or conference.

Enabling Blur Mode on Microsoft Teams

  1. While in a video call, click on the three buttons located on the right side of the floating bar. From the extended menu, select “Background Effects.”

Show Background Effects

  1. On the background effects page, you will see a variety of options. The first one is “Blur my Background.” Click on it, and your video stream will restart, with a blurred background.

Blur My Background

Similar to Skype, the Blur my Background feature on Teams utilizes AI to detect human faces and blur everything else in the background.

Aside from the Blur my Background option, you can also choose custom backgrounds. When you select a custom background, it replaces your original background. Surprisingly, the custom backgrounds on Microsoft Teams are superior to Zoom's virtual background. Instead of simply replacing a certain color, Teams cuts out the human subject and imposes it on the custom background. This results in a near-perfect effect and is more accommodating to head movements. However, it may struggle when it comes to capturing inanimate objects like mobile phones or microphones.

That's it! You can now enjoy the Blur my Background feature on Microsoft Teams during your video calls. As the lockdown continues, Microsoft has experienced a surge in Teams membership. The company has shifted its focus from Skype to Teams and is actively developing new features for the platform. In the future, we can expect to see all the features from Skype making their way to Microsoft Teams.

For any further issues or queries, please let us know in the comments below.

Also, check out our article on free services available during quarantine: These Services Are Free During Quarantine