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Zoom Virtual Background

How-to

Create the perfect Zoom virtual background in seconds.

Quickly design a custom Zoom virtual background with the world's easiest design tool. No green screen required!

Create Zoom Virtual Background

Why create virtual backgrounds for Zoom?

It would be fair to guess that you're spending a lot more time on Zoom than you used to. This introduces new challenges, but also new and interesting opportunities.

Zoom is one of the best video calling applications because it's extremely reliable and has some great little features. One of those is the ability to create a virtual background for your Zoom calls. These can be anything, from a sunny beach to the top of mount Everest!

There are some very limited background options already available in Zoom, but for all the time you're going to be spending on video calls, you might as well do it in style!

Below is all you need to get a personalized, unique and beautiful Zoom virtual background image.

Create a Zoom Virtual Background for Free

Creating a virtual background for Zoom calls is super easy! There's no blocked off areas or anything like that you need to worry about. You just need to make sure you've got the right right dimensions and resolution.

virtual backgrounds for zoom

Create Zoom Virtual Backgrounds just like these in seconds.

The easiest way to get your own custom Zoom virtual background is with Stencil. There's a ton of pre-made Zoom background templates available or you can very easily create your own.

Green Leaves - Zoom Virtual Background
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Yellow Balls - Zoom Virtual Background
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White Curvy Lines - Zoom Virtual Background
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No sign up required!

Lamp On Desk - Zoom Virtual Background
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No sign up required!

Blue Bookshelf - Zoom Virtual Background
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No sign up required!

Bike Shelf - Zoom Virtual Background
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No sign up required!

Autumn Landscape - Leaving Office Zoom Virtual Background
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No sign up required!

Thin Wood Angles - Zoom Virtual Background
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No sign up required!

White Sand Beach Sunset - Zoom Virtual Background
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No sign up required!

Plus lots more! See all the Zoom virtual background templates we have available in Stencil that are ready to use.

What is the correct size and dimensions of a Zoom virtual background?

The recommended Zoom virtual background image size is 1920px by 1080px (with an aspect ratio of 16:9)

Zoom is one of the easier platforms to create a background images for because there are very few requirements. In addition to having your image the correct size, there are just 3 other things to remember:

  • βœ…  Make sure your Zoom virtual background is less than 5MB in size
  • βœ…  JPG, PNG and GIF are accepted formats
  • βœ…  Your Zoom Room needs to have "Virtual Backgrounds" enabled and must be at least version 3.5.19327.0620 or higher

Zoom virtual background ideas in 2024

Brand your Zoom backgrounds

Add your own branding to Zoom virtual backgrounds and even include your website, name, title, or anything really. This is particularly useful if you're having a Zoom call with someone you've never met and them to know what company you represent, etc.

Choose an Image that Reflects Your Personalty

Using a Zoom background is a great chance to be creative or funny. Use a photo of the beach or even a recognizable photo of something from a TV show or movie. The possibilities are endless. We've created some Zoom virtual background templates to help get you started.

Use High-Quality Images

Always use a high-resolution photo when setting your Zoom virtual background. If it's less than 1920px x 1080px it may look a bit pixelated on some larger screens. You can, of course, always test it by loading up your new virtual background in Zoom and then starting a New meeting with no one invited. There, you'll be able to preview just how the background will look with you in front of it.

Join over 390,000 others and create your first Zoom virtual background in under 2 minutes (No designer required!)

Create your first image

How to create a Zoom virtual backround in a few simple steps

In less than 2 minutes, you'll have a beautiful Zoom virtual background that is uniquely yours. Here's how to do it in Stencil:

1

Open Stencil and choose the Zoom Virtual Background canvas size.

First thing you'll want to do is select "Zoom Virtual Background" from the Stencil canvas resizer. You can also start by using one of our Zoom Virtual Template templates, found in the Templates section.

Zoom Virtual Background Canvas Size
2

Choose a background and add your logo or some text

Choose from over 5,000,000 photos for the main image in your cover or upload your own to the Uploads section. If you're adding text or a logo, try to add it in the corners or a place your head/shoulders won't cover when on a video call. Once you're happy with the image, Download it to your desktop.

Zoom Background Example Call
3

Add your new virtual background to Zoom

Navigate to your Zoom preferences and select "Virtual Background" from the menu on the left. Click on the small grey "+" button right across from "Choose Virtual Background". Upload the Zoom virtual background image you just created (...without the use of a green screen!)

(Note: Make sure "Mirror my video" is unchecked if you have any text or graphics in the image)

4

You're done!

It's that easy. You can also upload as many as you want to Zoom so you can easily switch between them for future calls.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can use Stencil by visiting our in-page app or can you install the Chrome Extension, Firefox Add-on or WordPress Plugin. With our browser addons, you can highlight text anywhere or right-click images on the web to create amazing visuals on-the-go!

Absolutely! All of the photos and icons in Stencil are royalty-free and safe to use! They are sourced from trusted providers and can be used personally or commercially, with no attribution required. Some examples include social media graphics, blog/website images, ads, posters, t-shirts, eBooks...or practically anything. For more detailed information on usage, learn more.

Of course! We offer over 100 preset canvas sizes, 1,350+ templates and many other ways to create images for almost any medium.

Pick a plan that makes the most sense for you and sign up! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee on all plans, so there's no risk at all to give Stencil a try.

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