Fun Zoom Backgrounds That Transform Your Space

In mid-March when Covid-19 cases started to rise in the United States, companies were forced to close their offices and their employees were forced to adjust to working from home. Parents had to juggle their jobs with taking care of their kids who are no longer in school, roommates had to figure out how to become co-workers and pet owners had to come up with ways to keep their pets quiet while they were on the phone.

Because in-person meetings are no longer an option, video conference meetings have become the norm. Zoom is one of the most popular video conferencing apps, and it allows people to connect with colleagues and loved ones from all over the country.

Work Zoom meetings mean that not only can you not stay in your pajamas all day, but you also have to find a place in your house that offers good lighting and a good background. Sometimes this isn’t always possible, so thankfully Zoom has a feature that allows you to use a picture from your computer as your background.

These backgrounds can be purely practical, but they can also be a lot of fun. Joining your weekly work Zoom meeting with a unique background is sure to give your colleagues a good laugh.

I found a few articles that have great Zoom backgrounds that range from aesthetically pleasing living rooms to the set of your favorite TV show or movie to beautiful landscapes and anything in between, but first, here’s how to make any picture your Zoom background:

1. Download the background or multiple backgrounds of your choice.
2. After you join a Zoom call, look for the button that says “Stop video” in the bottom left corner of your screen. Click the up arrow to the right side of the button, and select “Choose a virtual background.”
3. In the new window, click the plus button next to “Choose a virtual background” and your “Downloads” folder should appear along with the pictures you just downloaded.
4. You can upload as many backgrounds as you’d like and switch between them whenever you want.

These are the articles I thought had the best selection of fun Zoom backgrounds. Enjoy! Comment which backgrounds are your favorite!

Airbnb

Airbnb posted 10 images of views from the inside of one of their houses for rent with beautiful outdoor sceneries in the background. Check them out here: https://news.airbnb.com/inside-looking-out-10-views-to-transport-you-outdoors/

Pixar Movies

Download pictures from your favorite Pixar movies and feel like you’re on the set of an animated movie! Go to https://news.disney.com/pixar-video-backgrounds-available for more options.

Behr

The paint company Behr has created 21 free backgrounds you can use in your next Zoom call so you don’t have to clean your house before getting on a meeting! Browse through all of them by following this link: https://behryourbackground.com/

Williams-Sonoma Food Backgrounds

Who doesn’t like ice cream sandwiches? If you’re a foodie looking for a background that’s a bit different, check out these food-related backgrounds that will be sure to make you and your co-workers hungry: https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/make-coworkers-hungry-with-zoom-food-backgrounds/

GoPro Adventure Backgrounds

Although our travel plans have been postponed, we can still feel like we’re adventuring to new places thanks to these travel photos you can use as your Zoom background. Take a look at more pictures like this one on GoPro’s website: https://gopro.com/en/us/news/zoom-video-meeting-virtual-backgrounds

TV Shows

Modsy created these virtual living spaces based on characters from your favorite TV shows, such as Friends, Sex and the City and Golden Girls. This living room is inspired by the character Rachel Green in Friends. Click here to look at all of them: https://blog.modsy.com/2020/03/how-to-work-from-your-favorite-pop-culture-interiors/

If you’re still searching for the perfect background for you, Zoom created a list full of virtual backgrounds you can check out here: https://zoom.us/docs/en-us/virtual-backgrounds-list.html

Happy Zooming!