Google Meet is a popular video conferencing service for everything from important work meetings to hanging out with friends. Virtual backgrounds are a fun and useful feature. We'll show you how to use virtual backgrounds in your next Google Meet video call.

Virtual backgrounds are a popular feature in Zoom, but Google Meet can do it, too. At the time of writing, the feature is limited to Google Meet on the web. You can choose from a variety of preloaded backgrounds or upload your own image.

Related: How to Change Your Zoom Background to a Fun Photo or Video

To get started, you'll need to be in a Google Meet meeting in a web browser such as Chrome. You can join a meeting or start your own.

google meet

Next, tap the three-dot menu icon in the bottom-right corner.

tap the menu icon

Select "Change Background" from the menu.

select change background

The Backgrounds menu will slide out from the right side of your screen. There are buttons for blurring your real-life background found at the top of the list.

blur the background

Underneath those buttons are the preloaded virtual background images. Simply click one to use it.

select a background

To use your own photo, click the "+" button.

click the plus button

A file manager window will open for you to find an image located on your computer to use. We recommend using a JPG or PNG with a 1920x1080p resolution.

select a file

Now the image will be displayed as your background! Tap the "X" in the top-right corner to leave the Backgrounds menu.

click x to leave the menu

That's it! Use these tools to jazz up your work meetings or have some fun with friends.