Microsoft Teams gets Zoom-like custom backgrounds for video calls

Microsoft hasn’t added support for custom images as yet, but plans to introduce it soon.

Microsoft Teams users can now add custom backgrounds to their video calls. (Microsoft)

Zoom users have the ability to add custom backgrounds to their video calls making it more interesting and funny, sometimes. Microsoft Teams users will now be able to do that as support for custom backgrounds is finally here.

Microsoft had announced it will bring custom backgrounds to Teams over a year back. But it did not launch the feature yet, even during its third-anniversary last month. The company has finally added support for custom backgrounds which Teams users can add to their video calls. It however doesn't allow adding custom images as yet, but plans to introduce this soon.

"Custom backgrounds, which allow you to replace your background in Teams meetings with a fresh and bright home office, for example, is now generally available in Teams. This feature builds upon background blur, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to blur the environment behind you. In the future, we will also include the ability to upload your own custom images," Jared Spataro, Corporate VP for Microsoft 365 said in a blog post.

The latest feature for Microsoft Teams comes at a time when the app is getting increased user activity and downloads due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Microsoft earlier this week revealed it is seeing a daily record of 2.7 billion meeting minutes in one day on Teams. This is a 200% increase from 900 million that it witnessed on March 16. As of now, there are 183,000 tenants in 175 countries using Microsoft Teams for education.