Why Virtual Backgrounds Matter in Online Meetings
In today’s corporate world, virtual meeting tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet have become essential for professional communication. Whether you're meeting with clients, colleagues, or stakeholders, a well-designed virtual background can enhance your professional image and minimize distractions.
Instead of worrying about clutter, home office distractions, or a dull backdrop, a customized virtual background allows you to create a polished and brand-aligned meeting space. You’ll need to know the best image size for Zoom background and formatting steps to change the background.
How Virtual Backgrounds Improve Your Online Presence
Create a Professional Virtual Workspace
A clutter-free and professional background helps you make the right impression in virtual meetings. Whether you're working from home or in a shared space, a well-chosen virtual background can:
Hide personal items, messy desks, or distractions
Instantly transform your setting into a sleek office environment
Help you maintain a polished and business-ready appearance
Strengthen Your Brand Identity
A custom virtual background is a great way to incorporate your company’s logo, brand colors, or slogan. This is especially useful when:
Hosting client meetings or presentations
Conducting job interviews or recruiting
Collaborating with external partners and stakeholders
By using consistent branding, your team appears more cohesive and recognizable, reinforcing your corporate identity.
Best Overall Format & Image Sizes for Virtual Backgrounds
There are different ways to set up your virtual background to appear seamless and look natural during your meeting. First, you need an image that works well with your virtual meeting program. You also need to look up the Zoom virtual background's image size and ensure it is compatible with your chosen image file.
Zoom Virtual Background Requirements
Zoom is one of the top software programs people use for business and personal virtual calls. The best images for Zoom are files that are less than 5MB. Image files should be formatted as JPG, PNG, or GIF. The size of the image for the zoom virtual background should be 1920 x 1080 pixels and a resolution of at least 1280 x 720 pixels.
Teams Virtual Background Requirements
Microsoft’s Teams program has gained traction as a virtual meeting tool in the last two years. For Teams, you want to use an image with a neutral look. Avoid orange, brown, or yellow backgrounds to get more contrast. The recommended image size for the Teams background is a minimum of 1920 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9.
Google Meet Virtual Background Requirements
Google Meet’s image size recommendations are similar to Zoom and Teams. With Google Meet, you can use a larger file size, up to 16MB. Google Meet requires that the image has no watermarks or proprietary image features.
Changing & Formatting Your Background in Each Platform
For each virtual meeting software tool, you will need to access the settings to change your background. In Zoom, you simply go to Settings and then Virtual Backgrounds. In Teams, the setting you need to change is in Background Effects. For Google Meet, go to Apply Visual Effects. You need to upload your image in each tool to set it up as a background.
Changing your virtual background during an online meeting is one way you can make your message more impactful. Whether you want to hide your kids’ toys in the background or create a uniform branded image for your meeting, virtual backgrounds can elevate the meeting experience.
Why You Should Use a Virtual Background
Using a virtual background helps eliminate distractions, so you don’t have to worry about kids, pets, or clutter appearing behind you during important meetings. It also boosts professionalism, allowing you to present a polished and business-ready image in client calls and presentations. Additionally, virtual backgrounds can enhance branding by incorporating your company’s logo and visual identity, creating a more cohesive and recognizable presence. Lastly, they help improve the overall meeting experience by maintaining focus on the discussion, ensuring that participants stay engaged without unnecessary visual distractions.
Whether you’re hosting virtual events, client calls, or team meetings, a well-designed virtual background can make all the difference. Want to maximize your virtual meeting experience? Explore more tech tips and guides to stay ahead in the remote work era!