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How to Blur Your Background in Google Meet

Hide a messy room and reduce distractions during meetings

By Molly McLaughlin Molly McLaughlin Senior Editor & Content Strategist Molly K. McLaughlin has been a technology editor and writer for over a dozen years. She runs product reviews for Lifewire, overseeing the process from hands-on testing to publishing. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on March 8, 2021 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Video Calls Skype Facetime

What to Know

Click the three-dot menu icon and select Change background > Slightly blur your background or Blur your background. To turn it off, select Change background > Turn off backgrounds.You can blur your background before joining a meeting or during one. This article explains how to blur your background in Google Meet before joining a meeting and during one, and how to turn it off.

How to Change Your Background in Google Meet

If you want to hide your background while on a video call and don’t want to use a virtual background, you can blur it in Google Meet.

Blur Your Background While in a Call

If you join a Google Meet and then decide you want to blur your background, it’s not too late. Click the three-dot menu icon on the bottom right. Select Change background. There are two options. For a subtle change, select Slightly blur your background. If you need more cover, choose Blur your background. You can toggle between options to see which one looks the best. The messier (or more chaotic) your background is, the more blur you’ll want.

Before Joining a Call on Google Meet

You can also blur your background before you join a meeting. Click the meeting link from the invite to enter the waiting room. Click the Blur background icon in the lower right corner of the video screen. Select the Slightly blur your background icon. If that's not sufficient, select the Blur your background icon. Click Join now when you’re ready.

Disable Background Blur in Google Meet

To turn off the background blur, click the three-dot menu icon, select Change background, then click the Turn off backgrounds button.

Why Blur Your Background

Blurring your background is useful for a few reasons. It can obscure clutter behind you for a more professional look. Hiding your backdrop can also protect your privacy and others in your household or office. Finally, it also looks nice and keeps the focus on your face, not on what’s going on behind you. However, if you have an older computer, the blur feature could slow it down as it is resource-heavy. If you find it’s interfering with the quality of the Google Meet call, you can quickly turn it off. A lighter weight solution might be to use a virtual background. Google Meet has many options built-in, and you can also upload images. How to Change Background on Zoom Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Blur Backgrounds in MS Teams How to Change Your Name on Google Meet How to Blur Your Background on a FaceTime Call in iOS 15 How to Change Background Color in Photoshop How to Schedule a Google Meet How to Change a Google Docs Background to a Picture How to Change Background on Zoom How to Blur Your House on Google Maps How to Change Your Background on Microsoft Teams How to Play YouTube in the Background on Your Phone How to Disable Extensions and Plug-ins in Google Chrome How to Fix It When a Zoom Microphone Is Not Working How to Use Low-Light Mode on Google Meet How to Use Google Docs Dark Mode How to Blur the Background on iPhone Photos How to Hide Your Page Likes on Facebook Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies