You know you’m stuck in the never ending loop of pandemic life when you can no longer muster the enthusiasm to change your silly virtual Zoom background. I have has been using Zoom’s standard space image for some time– but imagine my surprise when I went to switch it the other day and discovered that the app now contains a lot more virtual wallpapers and consequences for everyone to try.
To access them, make sure you have updated Zoom to the latest version of the application. It should go without saying on your mobile devices. Click on the desktop on your profile picture in the top right corner of Zoom’s primary window and select Check for updates under the menu.
(While there is no guarantee that you will get extra features by updating to the latest version of Zoom, staying up to date on your updates is the best possible chance. And it’s also ideal for Zoom security. OK, back after the fun.)
Start a zoom call and pull up the virtual background feature by clicking on the arrow next to your video to switch to the bottom left corner. Choose “Choose virtual background,” and you should now see some new options – a lovely animated beach, as well as a simpler “background blur” feature. I can not decide what I like more.
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But we are barely done. Click on the small “Studio effects” link in the lower right hand corner, then you will get a pop-out sidebar that lets you assign new eyebrows, a mustache and / or beard, and a lip color. Lovely. Who does not want some Eugene Levy page?
Make sure you uncheck ‘Apply to all future meetings’ so you do not have to worry forget to adjust these effects as you move on from your friends over the weekend to your next work chat.
Once done, click on Zoom’s “Video filters” option, to the right of “Virtual wallpapers.” There you will find a number of different filters that you can click on top of your picture, from filters that adjust its color, namely:
Do not forget to turn off “Mirror My Video” if you notice that some effects have been reversed. How else will your friends and colleagues know that you are confused by their presentation?
Although you will not find the above Studio effects or the beautiful animated beach on the mobile versions of your Zoom app (at least as of this writing), you should still have access to filters from your virtual background menu.