How to Change Your Skype Video Call Background

Skype now offers custom backgrounds. Rather than show everyone your office, you can choose any backdrop image you like. Skype will automatically detect and replace the background behind you with the image while you’re video chatting, just like Zoom can.

How to Customize or Blur Your Background During a Skype Call

First, make sure that you have the latest version of the Skype desktop client downloaded and installed on your Windows PC or Mac. Don’t use the Windows 10 Store version, which doesn’t have this feature for some reason. Some older versions of Skype support background blurring, but not custom backgrounds.

To blur your background during a Skype video session, hover your mouse over the “Turn Video Off Button.” Click “Choose Background Effect.”

Select the “Blur” option, and the call you’re on will automatically have its background blurred.

Choose the “Add Image” option, and you can select any image file that is on your local hard drive. Your background will automatically update for the call that you’re currently having. To delete a background image that you’ve uploaded, click the small white X in the top-right corner of that image.

How to Customize or Blur Your Background for All Skype Video Calls

You can set a default background effect for all of your Skype video calls. Start by clicking on your profile picture in Skype window and selecting “Settings.”

Choose the “Audio & Video” tab. From this menu, you can select “Blur” to blur all calls or click “Add Image” to create a custom background from a picture file on your local hard drive. You can also select an existing custom background you’ve already uploaded.

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Whether it’s silly or serious, with your family or your colleagues, adding a custom background or blurring it entirely can make Skype video calls more enjoyable and more effective.