Enabling or disabling virtual backgrounds

Account owners and admins can enable or disable virtual backgrounds for users on their account. The virtual background feature allows you to display an image or video as your background during a Zoom meeting. Additionally, you can allow users to generate virtual backgrounds with AI.

For more information about virtual backgrounds, review the virtual background system requirements and how to apply or change your virtual background image or video.

Requirements for enabling or disabling the virtual background feature

• Account owner or admin privileges
• To manage default virtual backgrounds, you must be on a Pro, Business, Education, or Enterprise account
• To manage AI-generated virtual backgrounds, you must be on a Pro, Business, or Enterprise account

How to enable or disable virtual backgrounds and AI-generated virtual backgrounds

Admins can enable or disable the Virtual background feature at the account or group level in the Zoom web portal. Admins can also control AI-generated virtual backgrounds, which allows users to customize their virtual background with prompts to create an AI-generated background image. Users can enable or disable these features at the individual user level, unless restricted by an admin.

Account

To enable or disable Virtual background for all users in the account:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with permission to edit account settings.
2. In the navigation menu, click Account Management then Account Settings.
3. Click the Meeting tab.
4. Under In Meeting (Advanced), click the Virtual background toggle to enable or disable it.
5. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
6. (Optional) Select or clear the check boxes next to the following options to enable or disable them, then click Save.
   • Allow use of videos as virtual backgrounds: Allows users on supported devices to use videos as their virtual background.
   • Allow users to upload custom backgrounds: Allows users to upload their own virtual backgrounds in addition to the backgrounds currently available.
   • Require users to always use virtual background: Requires users to always have a virtual background when their video is on in a meeting.
   • Reset virtual backgrounds to default for users after each meeting: Reset any virtual background, selected by the admin, for users after any Zoom meeting. When a user changes their pre-approved virtual background for a specific meeting, their background will automatically reset back to the default after the meeting.
7. (Optional) Click Manage virtual backgrounds to upload or remove default background images available for your users. Learn more about managing default virtual backgrounds for your users.
8. (Optional) To prevent all users in your account from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

To enable or disable AI generated virtual backgrounds for all users in the account:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with permission to edit account settings.
2. In the navigation menu, click Account Management then Account Settings.
3. Click the Meeting tab.
4. Under In Meeting (Advanced), click the AI generated virtual backgrounds toggle to enable or disable it.
   Note: If you want to enable this feature, Virtual background must also be enabled.
5. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
6. (Optional) To prevent all users in your account from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

Group

To enable or disable Virtual background for a group of users:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator with permission to edit user groups.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Groups.
3. Click the applicable group name from the list.
4. Click the Meeting tab.
5. Under In Meeting (Advanced), click the Virtual background toggle to enable or disable it.
6. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at the account level and needs to be changed at that level.
7. (Optional) Select or clear the check boxes next to the following options to enable or disable them, then click Save.
   • Allow use of videos as virtual backgrounds: Allows users on supported devices to use videos as their virtual background.
   • Allow users to upload custom backgrounds: Allows users to upload their own virtual backgrounds in addition to the backgrounds currently available.
   • Require users to always use virtual background: Requires users to always have a virtual background when their video is on in a meeting.
   • Reset virtual backgrounds to default for users after each meeting: Reset any virtual background, selected by the admin, for users after any Zoom meeting. When a user changes their pre-approved virtual background for a specific meeting, their background will automatically reset back to the default after the meeting.
8. (Optional) Click Manage virtual backgrounds to upload or remove default background images available for your users. Learn more about managing default virtual backgrounds for your users.
9. (Optional) To prevent all users in the group from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

To enable or disable AI generated virtual backgrounds for a group of users:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator with permission to edit user groups.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Groups.
3. Click the applicable group name from the list.
4. Under In Meeting (Advanced), click the Meeting tab.
5. Click the AI generated virtual backgrounds toggle to enable or disable it.
   Note: If you want to enable this feature, Virtual background must also be enabled.
6. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
7. (Optional) To prevent all users in the group from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

User

To enable or disable Virtual background for your own use:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Settings.
3. Click the Meeting tab.
4. Under In Meeting (Advanced), click the Virtual background toggle to enable or disable it.
5. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the group or account level. You need to contact your Zoom admin.
6. (Optional) Select the Allow use of videos as virtual backgrounds toggle to use a video as your virtual background, then click Save.
7. (Optional) Click Manage virtual background(s) to upload or remove default background images available. Learn more about managing default virtual backgrounds.

To enable or disable AI generated virtual backgrounds for your own use:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Settings.
3. Click the Meeting tab.
4. Under In Meeting (Advanced), click the AI generated virtual backgrounds toggle to enable or disable it.
   Note: If you want to enable this feature, Virtual background must also be enabled.
5. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the group or account level. You need to contact your Zoom admin.

How to manage default virtual backgrounds

There are five default virtual backgrounds provided by Zoom. Admins on Pro, Business, Education, and Enterprise accounts can manage the default backgrounds or upload their own virtual backgrounds for all users on their account to use, or can assign certain virtual backgrounds for use by specific user groups. The admin can allow users to add their own virtual backgrounds or restrict them to just what admins have provided.

1. Enable the Virtual background feature at the account or group level.
2. Click Manage [number] virtual background(s).
3. Click Choose Files or drag and drop the images you want to upload.
   Note: Video virtual backgrounds cannot be uploaded at this time.
4. Wait for the upload to finish before closing this window.
   A small banner will appear along the top of the page when the upload is successful.
5. Click Done to close the window.
   After the new backgrounds are uploaded, users will need to sign out of their app and then sign back in to retrieve the virtual backgrounds from the web and use them.