Zoom has become an essential tool for remote meetings, webinars, and video conferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. With so many people using Zoom, it’s important to know how to customize your Zoom experience. One useful customization is adding filters to your video feed. Filters can make meetings more fun or help mask messy backgrounds. Fortunately, adding filters to Zoom is easy to do! This guide will walk you through the steps for enabling filters and using them during Zoom meetings on desktop and mobile.
What are Zoom filters?
Zoom filters are visual effects and alterations you can apply to your video feed. They work similarly to filters you may use on social media platforms like Snapchat or Instagram. Zoom offers several built-in filters, including:
- Black and white – Converts your video to grayscale
- Butterfly – Animated butterfly wings that flap over your eyes
- Bunny – Animated bunny ears on top of your head
- Disco – Psychedelic video effects with flashing colors
- Hearts – Animated hearts floating across the screen
- Robo – Transforms you into an animated robot
- Sunset – Tints your video feed to look like a sunset
- Garden – Adds animated butterflies and flower crowns
In addition to the built-in options, you can also upload your own custom image to use as a virtual background. So if none of the defaults appeal to you, you can easily add your own filter instead.
Filters can serve different purposes on Zoom calls:
- Hide a messy background – The built-in filters and custom backgrounds are great for masking clutter you don’t want on camera.
- Add some fun – Filters are a great way to inject some playfulness and make meetings less stuffy.
- Stand out on panel discussions – If you’re one of many speakers on a webinar, a filter can help you differentiate yourself from the other panelists.
- Celebrate holidays or events – Pick festive filters to commemorate holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.
Requirements for Using Zoom Filters
To use filters during Zoom meetings and webinars, you’ll need:
- The Zoom desktop client for Mac or PC, or the mobile app for iOS or Android
- Zoom version 5.0 or higher
- A Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education Zoom account (a free Basic account won’t work)
If you’re unsure which Zoom account you have, check your account dashboard online or in the Zoom app.
Some important things to note about Zoom filters:
- Filters only affect your video feed. Other participants will see the filter on you, but won’t have filters added to their own video.
- Filters work for Zoom meetings, webinars, breakout rooms, and when sharing your screen. But they won’t function during 1:1 Zoom Phone calls.
- Virtual backgrounds require more processing power to run smoothly. So they may not work well on very old or low-powered devices.
As long as you have a supported Zoom account and a device that can handle the graphics processing demands, you should be able to enable filters.
Enabling Zoom Filters on Desktop
Using filters on the Zoom desktop client only takes a few clicks:
- Open the Zoom app and sign in to your account.
- Click on your profile picture then select “Settings.”
- Choose the “Background & Filters” tab.
- Check the box for “Enable filters.”
Once filters are enabled, you can access them during any Zoom meeting:
- Start or join a Zoom meeting.
- Hover over your video preview and click the “arrow” icon.
- Select one of the available filters or virtual backgrounds.
The filter will be immediately applied to your video feed for all participants to see. To remove it, just click the “arrow” icon again and choose “No Filter.”
Some tips for using filters effectively on desktop:
- Check your video preview to ensure the filter is lined up properly and showing the desired effect.
- Play around with different filters to see which ones work best for your camera setup and environment.
- Make sure you have adequate lighting so the filter looks vibrant and easy to see.
- Choose filters that suit the tone of the meeting. Save the wackier or meme-style ones for casual gatherings.
Uploading a Custom Image for Zoom Virtual Background
If you want to use your own custom virtual background:
- Click on your profile picture then select “Settings.”
- Choose the “Background & Filters” tab.
- Click the + icon to “Add Image” or “Add Video.”
- Select your desired image or video file from your computer.
- The new background will now be available alongside Zoom’s defaults.
For best results with custom virtual backgrounds:
- Use a high resolution image with sharp edges.
- Pick a photo with plenty of contrast between the foreground and background.
- Avoid images with lots of intricate small details.
- Make sure the dominant color isn’t similar to your clothes or background lighting.
Using Zoom Filters on Mobile
Applying filters through the Zoom mobile app is very similar to the desktop approach:
- Download the Zoom mobile app and sign in to your account.
- Join or start a meeting.
- Tap your self-view video.
- Tap “Filters” at the bottom.
- Swipe through the available filters and tap one to apply it.
The filter effects may look a little different on mobile compared to desktop, but the overall functionality remains the same.
One limitation of mobile filters is you can’t upload your own custom virtual backgrounds – you’re limited strictly to Zoom’s built-in library.
Pro tips for mobile filters:
- Use filters selectively since mobile processors already have to work hard for video conferencing.
- Prop up your phone so your face and shoulders are fully in frame if using an animated filter.
- Make sure you have good lighting conditions to properly see the filter details.
- Test how filters look before an important meeting and disable any that are distracting or unprofessional.
Creative Ways to Use Zoom Filters
Beyond basic meetings, there are lots of creative ways to take advantage of Zoom filters and virtual backgrounds:
Host an ugly sweater party
Around the holidays, encourage attendees to sport their gaudiest festive sweaters and use holiday-themed filters like reindeer and santa hats. Offer prizes for the zaniest looks.
Celebrate birthdays or work anniversaries
Use fun filters to help employees celebrate special occasions and inject some personality into corporate meetings.
Change filters for different agenda items
Keep meetings lively by switching up your filter for each topic or presenter change.
Use filters for virtual happy hours
After a long week of work video calls, use silly filters to unwind and get some laughs during virtual team happy hours.
Conduct job interviews
Job candidates can use a subtle, professional filter to put their best face forward and control their video background.
Liven up lectures or lessons
Teachers can demonstrate concepts using relevant filters and backgrounds to get students excited about course material.
Augment presentations
Presenters can adopt different filters to match the theme or mood of each slide.
Troubleshooting Zoom Filters
If you’re having trouble enabling or using Zoom filters, try these tips:
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Filters menu doesn’t appear | Make sure filters are enabled in your Zoom settings. You also need a Pro, Business, Enterprise or Education account. |
| Filter looks pixelated or glitchy | Check your internet connection speed and restart your device. Filters require a stable high-speed connection. |
| Can’t upload custom background | Virtual backgrounds use more system resources. Try closing other apps or upgrade your computer if necessary. |
| Face or hair blending into background | Adjust lighting so you stand out from the background. Position yourself in front of a solid contrasting wall. |
| Video keeps freezing | Optimize Zoom performance settings. Turn off filters if issues persist. |
Still having filter problems? Consult Zoom’s help documentation or contact their customer support.
Conclusion
Personalizing your video feed with Zoom filters is an easy way to upgrade your meeting experience. The built-in options make it a breeze to get started with basic filters, while uploading your own virtual backgrounds provides unlimited possibilities. Just enable filters in your Zoom settings, access them during meetings, and get creative in how you use them! With the right mix of professionalism and playfulness, Zoom filters can engage your participants and add some productive fun to video conferences.