Virtual background
What is a virtual background?
A virtual background is a camera effect that separates a person from their surroundings and blurs or replaces everything behind them before the video leaves the device. Blur keeps the room recognisable but out of focus; replacement swaps it for a picture. Both are computed on your device, frame by frame, while you talk.
How does a virtual background work?
For every camera frame, a small segmentation model decides which pixels belong to you and which belong to the room behind you. The result is a mask, an outline of your head, shoulders and hands. The software then blurs or replaces everything outside the mask, blends the edges so they do not look cut out, and only then sends the finished frame into the call.
The hardest parts are edges: loose hair, glasses, headphones, a hand moving quickly. Even, frontal light and a background that contrasts with your clothes make the mask cleaner. A green screen behind you gives the most precise result, because the software only has to remove one colour.
Why does a virtual background matter in a call?
It hides what you would rather not show: a bedroom, a whiteboard full of notes, family walking past. It also removes visual clutter, so attention stays on the speaker. For a client call from a shared space, blur is often the quickest way to look prepared.
It is not a security control. A mask can slip for a moment, so keep confidential papers and screens out of the camera's view anyway. The effect also uses processing power, and on a weak computer it can make your own video less smooth.
What background effects does Meeto have?
In the browser, open the call's settings (More, then “Settings & devices”) and find “Camera background”. Choose “None”, “Blur”, one of the built-in scenes “Home”, “Office”, “Dark” or “Library”, or “Upload your own image”. Your choice is remembered for later calls in that browser.
| Where you join | What is available |
|---|---|
| Chrome or Edge on a computer | Blur, 4 built-in scenes and up to 5 images of your own. |
| Android browser | Blur, 4 built-in scenes and up to 5 images of your own. |
| Safari on iPhone | No effects; the settings say so. Use the iPhone app for blur. |
| iPhone app | Blur, in the call settings or in Device settings before joining. |
| Android app | No background effects at the moment. |
If your computer cannot keep up or the effect stops, Meeto pauses your camera instead of showing your room, and offers “Turn on without background” or “Try effect again”. The blur guide walks through the steps, and noise suppression does the same job for sound.
Frequently asked questions
Can people see my real room for a moment?
Meeto applies the effect before the video leaves your device, and if the effect stops or your computer cannot keep up, it pauses your camera rather than sending the unblurred picture. Small edge mistakes, around hair or a fast-moving hand, can still happen with any virtual background.
Does a virtual background slow my computer down?
It adds work: every frame has to be analysed and redrawn. On a recent computer this is rarely noticeable; on an older laptop it can raise fan noise, use more battery or lower the frame rate. Turning the effect off frees that capacity.
Are my own background images uploaded to Meeto?
No. They stay in the browser on the device where you added them, up to 5 images, and are not stored on Meeto's servers. Another browser or another computer will not have them, so add them again there if you need them.
Can I blur my background on Android?
Yes, in an Android browser such as Chrome: join the meeting from the browser and choose Blur in the call settings. The Android app does not have background effects at the moment.
Put it to work
Open your Meeto account to set it up, or explore the working product first.