If you are an avid user of Google Hangouts, we’ll need to inform you that this service is the latest entry on the long list of apps and services Google decided to replace or discontinue. It’s being replaced by a symbiosis of Google Chat and Google Meet. So, if you want to change Hangouts background, you might switch to Meet which actually supports different backgrounds and blurs.
How can I use a virtual background during Hangouts Video Chat?
As we said, Google decided to streamline all their communication services (excluding Messages) in a single app which is Gmail. In Gmail, you can find Google Hangouts and Meet at this moment, but soon Hangouts will be replaced by Google Chat. At least, you won’t have to download multiple apps.
Regardless, Google Hangouts doesn’t offer the functionality to change the background either way. A good thing is that Google Meet does. Although it’s not there on all devices, if you have a device that runs Android 9 and newer or an iPhone, it should be available.
Here’s how to change the background in Google Meet video calls:
- Open Gmail and select Meet from the bottom or Google Meet app.
- Choose a New or one of the existing meetings.
- When you see your camera window, tap on the icon in the self-view window.
- You can choose between various pre-installed backgrounds, use blur to blur your surroundings (like in the portrait camera mode), or even add any picture from your gallery as a background.
You can remove backgrounds by selecting the No effects option that’s the first option in the toolbar.
That’s it. Hopefully, this was a helpful read and we answered your question. Thank you for reading and, if you have any additional questions, make sure to share them with us in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing from you.
