If you’ve used Skype while working remotely, there’s a high probability that you have at least worn pajama bottoms (or maybe less) on your lower half in the distant past. With a clean dress shirt on your top half, of course, which did a stellar job of showcasing your professionalism.

Nothing to be shy about. We’re all guilty. However, regardless of how put-together you look, a video call will always rat out your background environment.

Questionable wall art, laundry left all over the place, and the phrase ‘I hate this project‘ scribbled on a whiteboard in your background — all in the clear judgmental view of your Skype partner.

Until recently, there was no redemption for such situations. You either cleaned up your background or faced the judging eyes of your Skype audience. But that’s all over.

With its recent upgrade, Skype, the popular video calling app, now permits users to use custom virtual backgrounds in video calls.

This was a surprisingly absent feature from the Microsoft owned brand. That’s the past though, as, in April 2020, Skype stated that its users could now include effects to their actual backgrounds or change them to their preference.

Why would I want to change my actual background?

Skype released this update to give users a choice to hide their environment during a video call. And, in the world’s current situation, it’s a welcome development.

Think about it. Most people are running a full-time job remotely and are at home with their kids as well. This creates a situation where they have to clean up their surroundings every time an office call comes in, and that isn’t always workable.

So why not just get rid of your real background altogether and hide your personal space?

Plus, aside from privacy, the new feature also introduces a fun aspect to your video calls, as you’re able to change your real background to be your favorite TV show poster, cartoon, or movie.

How do I change my Skype background?

You can change your Skype background during a video call as many times as you choose. However, to do this, you must use the latest Skype version on your PC, which is version (8.59.0.77).

Keep in mind that customized backgrounds aren’t yet supported on the Windows Store Skype version.

With that said, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to change your actual background to a virtual one during a Skype call.

First Step: Join or Start a Skype video call

Second Step: click the 3 dots or more icon at the bottom right side of your screen.

Third Step: Tap on ‘Choose background effects’.

Fourth Step: In the window that pops up, hit on the ‘Add Image‘ button, and find the visual you want to use as your Skype video call background.

Tap ‘Open’ you’ll see the preview of your chosen image as a video call background. Next, close the pop-up window and your virtual background will automatically be set.

How do I blur my Skype background?

This is a neat little inclusion that Skype added to its background customization update.

If you do not want a different background, but still would not want the participants of your video call prying into your personal space, then you can use the background blur feature to blur out every detail in your current surroundings while leaving you as the clear focus.

So here’s how you can blur your background in a Skype call.

First Step: Join or start a Skype video call

Second Step: Click the 3 dots or ‘more’ button at the bottom right side of your screen. Then hit ‘Choose background effect‘ on the menu that pops up.

Third Step: Next, click ‘Blur’ beside the ‘None’ option as shown below.

How do I start my Skype video calls with a custom background?

If you don’t enjoy having to set a custom background whenever you start a video call, Skype allows you to pre-set an image.

You can also have Skype automatically blur out your background when you start or join a video call.

To enable the pre-set custom background image, here are the steps to follow:

First Step: Sign in to your Skype desktop client

Second Step: Tap on your profile picture at the top left side of your screen. This will open up a drop-down menu. Click ‘Settings‘.

Third Step: In the settings panel, choose ‘Audio and Video‘. Hit the ‘Add Image‘ icon on the right side of your screen and pick a visual you want to set as your background.

Fourth Step: Exit the Settings panel to save your changes.

Where to get the best background for Skype

Your meeting is set to start in 4 minutes and you’re desperately searching the web for the right background for your video call. Sound familiar?

In the current era of remote work, this is the harsh reality of us all.

Thankfully, numerous platforms offer amazing virtual backgrounds you can use for your Skype video calls. Let’s see them.

Unsplash

Everyone knows Unsplash is the powerhouse of top-notch photography. If you love pretty photographs like natural geographic type gorgeous then Unsplash works great. Whether interior decor or breathtaking landscape, you can download whatever fits your mood.

Canva

Get into Canva for customizable Skype backgrounds. Canva is a massive graphic design website that has many animated backgrounds and static visuals for your Skype video calls. The great thing is you can use all backgrounds you find here as a template despite their color because you can change the color of each image to your desired one.

Huddlet

Unlike the other options listed here, Huddlet is a platform made for virtual backgrounds. So you can expect to get visuals from here that work perfectly as your Skype background with zero edit needs. Huddlet also has images in almost every niche you can think of, from offices to public spaces and fun visuals like tropical beaches to the Eiffel Tower.

Conclusion

The virtual custom background feature is only available via your Skype desktop client for now. We’re eager for Microsoft to roll out this upgrade for the Skype mobile app as well.

We hope you loved reading this. Try out this feature and tell us what your experience was like in the comment section below!