Perfect for helping your team have the right backgrounds for the right meetings, the Shared Backgrounds app takes away the pain of sending backgrounds around to your organization and explaining to your co-workers how to add custom virtual backgrounds.

Simply upload backgrounds your team needs for sales demos, customer calls, events, or for hiding their messy room everyday and within one-click you can all have the same coordinated background for the meeting.

Shared Backgrounds can be used both in a meeting, in case you need to get a background last minute, or out of a meeting where your team can browse backgrounds they can use on a regular basis.

This article covers: 

• How to install from the Zoom App Marketplace
• How to use the Shared Backgrounds App
• How to uninstall from the App Marketplace
• Data Security

Prerequisites

• Zoom desktop client
  • Windows: version 5.7.3 or higher
  • macOS: version 5.7.3 or higher
• A Zoom account
• Pre-approval of the Shared Backgrounds App in the Zoom Marketplace
  Note: If the app is not pre-approved, please contact your Zoom admin.
• Your administrator has added the Shared Backgrounds app URL to your network or firewall’s URL Allowlist: https://shared-backgrounds.zoomapp.cloud/

How to install from the Zoom App Marketplace

The Shared Backgrounds app is included with the Zoom Desktop client and is displayed in your Apps list.
To install the app manually:

1. Log in to the Zoom Marketplace
2. Search for Shared Backgrounds, and click Add.
3. Review the requested permissions, and click Authorize.
   Once installed, the app is displayed under the Apps section of the Zoom Desktop client.

How to use the Shared Backgrounds App

You can start the Shared Backgrounds app within a Zoom meeting on the Apps tab of the Zoom client. Once authorized, anyone on your team can add and share backgrounds with the rest of your team.

How to uninstall from the App Marketplace

1. Log in to the App Marketplace web portal.
2. Click Manage and then click Added Apps.
3. Click Remove next to the Shared Backgrounds app.

Data Security

The application uses the zoomapp:inmeeting scope to allow users to open it during Zoom meetings, as well as set the virtual background of the user. Please refer to the Zoom privacy statement for details on how Zoom collects, uses, and shares personal data.

See the full list of Zoom Apps SDK methods accessed by this app below:

• setVirtualBackground - Sets the user’s virtual background.
• removeVirtualBackground - Removes the user’s virtual background.
• openUrl - Opens a URL in the system browser of a user's device.
• sendAppInvitation - Sends an invitation to other meeting participants to use the app.
• showAppInvitationDialog - Opens a Zoom dialog to select specific participants to send the app invitation.
• onSendAppInvitation - Event triggered when user sends the app invitation during the meeting.
• getUserContext - Get the user’s display name, meeting role, and a temporary participant identifier.