Help! How Can I Record Only Silhouette Overlay (Without Extra Webcam Box) in Zoom Recording? | Community
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L
Newcomer
lprimerano
Newcomer
June 15, 2025
Question

Help! How Can I Record Only Silhouette Overlay (Without Extra Webcam Box) in Zoom Recording?

  • June 15, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 4 views

Hi there! I’m trying to record a Zoom meeting or webinar to my computer (not a live session — just a local recording), and I need help with the layout settings.

I’m using a layout where my silhouette (the cut-out of me without the background) is placed over my shared screen (I’m sharing Canva slides). I love this effect and want only that silhouette of me visible in the recording.

However, when I watch the recording, I see:

  1. The silhouette of me (which is great)

  2. Plus a second box in the top right corner showing my webcam video with a white background (which I don’t want).

Is there a way to only record the silhouette overlay and remove that extra video box from the final recording? Or do I have to crop it out myself?

I’m not sure what the official Zoom term is for this kind of layout — maybe it’s called "immersive view", “avatar,” or some kind of “overlay” feature — so I’d really appreciate any clarification on that too.

Thanks in advance!

    4 replies

    S
    Community Champion | Employee
    stueker
    Community Champion | Employee
    June 26, 2025

    Dear @lprimerano ,
    Could you please check in your  cloud recording options whether you have the option "Record thumbnails when sharing" enabled and disable it.
    From the documentation that should remove your video thumbnail.
    In the FAQ your case seems to be the first question, just in reverse:
    https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0061246#h_acaffbd8-27a3-4683-b3a0-b7f853c9e424

     

    J
    Newcomer
    JG77
    Newcomer
    August 9, 2025

    I'm having the same problem. It was working—my silhouette was the only thing that showed up in the recording, and I made probably 20 videos this way—but now it's showing both. What gives?

     

    I tried the solution above, but this didn't fix it. I also tried clicking the three dots on my image and hiding my self view, but that did nothing. I've tried various things in both cloud recording and in recording to the computer.

     

    And despite paying $17 a month, Zoom won't allow me to call and speak to a representative.

    L
    Newcomer
    lprimeranoAuthor
    Newcomer
    June 26, 2025

    @stueker Thank you so much for your reply. I only have a free account and don't have access to Cloud Recordings where you mentioned the option is. I assume that a PRO plan will allow me to disable the "Record thumbnails when sharing"?

    S
    Community Champion | Employee
    stueker
    Community Champion | Employee
    September 4, 2025

    @lprimerano @JG77 
    I tried a couple of more things, and here is what I found out:
    1. I could not get the recording of the silhouette to work with cloud recordings

    2. I could get it to work with local recording, without having the separate thumbnail. Here is how

    1. Start the screen share
    2. Set-up the layout to fit your overlay preference. If you record now, you get the recording with the thumbnail. To record without thumbnail:
    3. In the floating toolbar, that you see during screen sharing, select "Show meeting" (see screenshot)
    4. In the meeting window now select the tab "My screen"
    5. Start the local recording

    Now, your local recording should not show the thumbnail.

    YaBoiB
    Community Champion | Employee
    YaBoiB
    Community Champion | Employee
    August 11, 2025

    Hey all, 

     

     Let me run some tests on this and see what I can figure out. Have you tried using the "optimize for third-party video editing" feature in the cloud recording section of your settings? I have always been told by recording Engineers here at Zoom that this is good to use with editing software. Zoom software is not set up to edit much in the recording section, so that is why we have this setting to allow the recorder/host to edit the recording on their own using their preferred software. 

     

     

    S
    Community Champion | Employee
    stueker
    Community Champion | Employee
    August 13, 2025

    Hello  @lprimerano , @JG77 ,

     

    @YaBoiB  has reached out internally to our engineering team. Here is their advice:

    Could you please go into your client settings:zoom client->settings->recording
    And disable the option "Record video during screen sharing"
     
    Please let us know, whether that helps

     

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