How To Blur Webcam Background on Windows and Mac

Has this ever happened to you? You are on an important video conference call with the person you really want to impress. The conversion is going very well, but then you notice a messy room behind you and realize they can see it, too. And just like that, your chance to shine is ruined.

Messy backgrounds are a reality of Zoom calls and Teams meetings, but there's a way to hide your clutter: a webcam with a blur background functionality. Here are the best options available on the market, including physical webcams, recording software, and video chat platforms.

Only a Few Webcams Can Blur Backgrounds on Their Own

Let's say you want to record yourself for an online tutorial but don't have the time to tidy up your home office. The most effective way to hide it is with a green screen, which is impractical. There must be an easier way, right? Shouldn't your webcam blur your background?

You're right: there are webcams with a background blur feature. Unfortunately, only a handful of models offer this functionality. One of the best cameras in this category is OBSBOT Tiny 2, but it is expensive ($329) for casual users and incompatible with Intel chip MacOS devices.

How To Blur the Background of a Recorded Webcam Video

Are you a content creator? If you are looking into various webcam blur background options because you want to start making viral videos, then you need a capable video editor tool in addition to basic recording functionalities. One of the best tools for this is Wondershare Filmora.

Filmora is video editing software designed to simplify post-production and help both beginners and semi-professionals in a hurry deliver exceptional results. Among many other things, it also allows you to quickly blur your webcam background and create compelling video content.

Here's how to easily blur a background in Filmora by applying the Blur effect:

1. Open Wondershare Filmora and click on New Project.

   

2. Click on the + icon or use a drag-and-drop function to import a webcam recording to Filmora.

   

3. Then, drag and drop the recording to the timeline.

   

4. Click on the Effects tab in the top menu bar and choose Video Effects from the left sidebar.
5. Scroll to locate the Depth Blur effect or use a search to find it. Then, simply drag it to the timeline to blur the background in your recording.

   

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After you apply the Blur Effect, you can customize it in the Effects panel on the right. Depending on the effect, you can fine-tune the opacity, speed, and appearance.

Another way to use Filmora to blur a background after recording is with the Tilt-Shift effects mentioned in the video tutorial. This tool separates the central figure from its surroundings, allowing you to experiment with different types of backgrounds.

In addition to numerous blur effects, Filmora offers different video blurring options. It allows you to blur the sides of vertical videos for social media, blur certain parts of the video, and even blur human faces to mask them. Choose one of the methods according to your needs.

How To Blur the Webcam Background Using Recording Software

If you want to blur your webcam background, recording software is a much better investment. The best tools for webcam recording also allow you to capture your screen, specific windows, and voice. In addition, they include editing tools to give your videos a professional makeover.

Using Wondershare DemoCreator (Windows & Mac)

Wondershare DemoCreator is an all-in-one recording software for Windows and Mac with several capture modes. You can record your screen and webcam simultaneously, stream gameplay, create video presentations, etc. Plus, it can blur the webcam background during the recording:

1. Launch Video Recorder and pick your preferred capture mode. If you want to record only the webcam, click on Camera. Alternatively, you can record the screen and webcam simultaneously with the Screen & Camera or Video Presentation mode, which allows you to connect to video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Teams.

   

2. Click the AI Portrait icon - the third icon in the widget above the Record button. That will create a portrait cutout and remove the background.

   

3. Click on the second icon in the toolbar, as shown in the picture above. That will open a gallery of backgrounds, allowing you to choose a more appropriate backdrop for your recording.

   

4. You can remove the background with the AI Portrait tool in other capture modes, like the Video Presentation mode in the picture below:

   

Using OBS Studio StreamFX (Windows & Mac)

OBS Studio is an open-source video recorder and streaming software compatible with both Windows and Mac. It is one of the most used apps in its category because it is free to use and includes tools for screen capture, live event streaming, podcasting, online tutorial creation, etc.

Still, OBS can't blur the background on a webcam recording without a special plugin called StreamFX. Despite excellent results, downloading, installing, and setting up StreamFX could feel like jumping through too many hoops. Until there is a workaround, you must follow these steps:

How To Blur the Webcam Background on Video Chat Platforms

Although video recording tools like DemoCreator let you live-stream webcam to popular video chat platforms, it's always useful to have the option to blur a webcam background without a third-party recorder. That's why Zoom, Teams, and Discord all have a blur webcam function.

Blur Webcam Background in Zoom (Windows & Mac)

Zoom allows you to blur your webcam background before and during the meeting. Both options are very simple to use whether you are on your PC, Mac desktop, or smartphone. Here's how to blur the background in Zoom:

1. Open the Zoom app and navigate to your profile picture in the upper right corner. Click on it to reveal the menu and select Settings.

   

2. When you see the sidebar on your left, select the Backgrounds & Effects tab.

   

3. Click on the second tile under Virtual Backgrounds. It says Blur, so you can't miss it.

   

4. To blur your background during a call, click the upper arrow icon next to the Stop Video button and select Blur My Background.

   

Blur Webcam Background in Microsoft Teams (Windows & Mac)

Like Zoom, Microsoft Teams enables you to set up a webcam with background blur before you join the meeting or mid-call. Follow the steps below to blur the background in Teams. These steps are the same for both Windows and Mac:

1. Open Microsoft Teams and click the Camera icon (New Meeting) > Start meeting to launch the Meeting with box and start or join a meeting.

   

2. After you enable the camera and microphone, click on the third icon to the right to choose and apply background effects.

   

3. The background gallery will open on the left. At the top, you will see the Blur option. Click to apply it.

   

4. To use the blur webcam function during the meeting, click the three-dot icon to reveal the More actions menu. Select Apply background effects.

   

5. Choose the Blur tile in the Background settings panel and click Apply to use it.

   

Blur Webcam Background in Discord (Windows & Mac)

There are two ways to change or blur a webcam background in Discord: from User Settings and in the Voice Channel. Below, you will find steps for both methods that you can use regardless of your OS:

1. Open User Settings by clicking the gear icon at the bottom left of Discord. Select AppSettings and then choose Voice & Video.

   

2. Scroll down to Video Settings. The Video Background gallery with the customization options is right below.

   

3. Click on the Blur tile to hide your background in all upcoming video calls.

   

4. You can also blur or change your webcam background in Voice Channels. After you join a Voice Channel, click the Video button at the bottom right.

   

5. Click the arrow icon next to the Camera button to reveal the background menu.

   

6. Select the Blur tile and click Change Background.

   

Conclusion

Whether you want to hide your creative mess from a judgy boss or make visually striking videos with a bokeh effect, you must learn how to blur your webcam background. The easiest way to do this is with a camera with built-in blurring functionality, such as OBSBOT Tiny 2.

If you don't want to invest in a fancy camera, you can always blur your webcam background before or during a video call on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Discord. However convenient, these two methods can't help you create gorgeous-looking videos like the ones you see online.

Content creators who want to record a webcam with background blur need a more capable solution. Video recording and editing tools like OBS Studio, Wondershare DemoCreator, and Filmora are much better suited for creative needs that go beyond blurring your messy bedroom.