There may also be cause for you to change your background after the meeting begins - maybe to get rid of a distracting element that just appeared, or to make the other people in the meeting laugh or smile. How to change your background on Microsoft Teams during a meeting Note: If you're a Linux user or are using the virtual desktop optimized (VDI) version of Teams, background options won't be accessible. Toggle the Background effects switch to on and choose a background from the sidebar. If using your own image, select 'Add new.' © Melanie Weir/Business Insider You can either blur your background or replace it with an image. Background options will appear in the right-hand sidebar, if you have any. To change your background before a meeting, all you need to do is toggle the switch between the video and microphone switches - which should appear next to an icon of a person with a striped background - to the on position. How to change your background on Microsoft Teams before a meeting You can change your background in a Microsoft Teams meeting before you even join - so if you have a cluttered or messy background, or something else you'd rather your coworkers not see, they don't have to. While not all of these issues are ones that can be avoided, the background issue is. Microphone not working, forgetting to mute yourself, forgetting to unmute yourself, strange objects in the background, letting everyone see you're wearing sweatpants with your work shirt, etc. If you fall into this category, you've no doubt already faced some of the perils and pitfalls of the virtual meeting. This app is particularly useful for workplaces, especially since remote work has become the norm and people have had to find other ways to hold meetings with their coworkers. Microsoft Teams, like Zoom, is an app that allows people to connect face-to-face remotely, in one-on-one conversations as well as in groups. Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.Microsoft Teams is a video-conferencing app, like Zoom, that allows people and teams to meet face-to-face while working remotely.You can change your background on Microsoft Teams both before and during meetings, similar to many other video-conferencing apps.Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images You can easily change your background before or during a Microsoft Teams meeting on a computer. © Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Microsoft teams blur my background