I cannot turn off virtual background | Community
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T
Newcomer
TaxLadyK
Newcomer
March 8, 2022
Solved

I cannot turn off virtual background

  • March 8, 2022
  • 9 replies
  • 126 views

I am signed in as admin and I cannot turn off the virtual background - any suggestions? I do not have the free version of Zoom, I pay for this and right now the virtual background is an issue. 

 

I am not sure if this is where I should post my question, my apologies if this is the wrong place. 

 

It worked on my Iphone but not my desktop - it is still saying Admin required which it is not.

 

Thanks to whoever can help me.

      Best answer by ClientToPro

      Okay, All:

      I was so upset about this freaking setting and was just about to throw in the towel when I looked at the top right hand corner of my mac's DESKTOP.  

      - First and FYI, I had just downloaded the Zoom Workplace App to my mac prior to playing around then getting stuck with the virtual background. Mac users should also have Facetime.  

      -  I happened to click on the Facetime icon at the top right.  

      -  The first option is to select between Facetime and Zoom.US.  Both options have Webcamera settings and Background should be one of the settings.  I was able to finally turn off the background for both options.  

      -  For each option, I simply clicked on that setting and “greyed it out”.  That immediately turned off the background in Facetime and Zoom.  Thank God!

      I’m going to post this as an answer to similar questions floating on this forum.  Sorry that I can’t help Windows or other users.  But hopefully, you can browse around further and find the solution.  

      9 replies

      J
      Employee
      J-Zoom-ATL
      Employee
      March 8, 2022

      @TaxLadyK If you are wanting to disable this from the web, you will need to login to your Zoom web portal and click on "Settings" on the left hand side and then look for the virtual background setting. If this is locked, you will need to unlock it from the Account Management -> Account Settings tab and look for the same setting and unlock it. 

      If you are needing to disable this locally on your desktop client, login to your desktop application, click the profile picture/avatar in the top right hand corner, click on "settings",  and then click on "BackGround and Filters". From here you should be able to click on the "None" option for your background. 

      If this answer helped solve your question/issue, please hit the "Accept as Solution" button below.

      R
      Newcomer
      rnbwpnt
      Newcomer
      December 1, 2024

      I'm in a situation where the above solutions didn't work. I disabled backgrounds in Settings, but I still get the same circular staircase background as always, except now, in-client, the setting is disabled. I literally can't get rid of this background and it's really making me angry.

        G
        Newcomer
        GCIEB
        Newcomer
        April 2, 2024

        I am having a similar problem. I have turned off "Virtual background" in Meeting settings and Admin settings but people can still use virtual backgrounds. This is a concern because some Zoom bombers use this to play p0rnagraphic material

          M
          Newcomer
          MelissaMurphy
          Newcomer
          December 11, 2024

          Same here, I am facing the same.

            H
            Newcomer
            Hhhduffy
            Newcomer
            December 13, 2024

            I have tried everything to turn off my virtual background.  Nothing is working either in zoom or mac.

              A
              Newcomer
              AshR27
              Newcomer
              December 19, 2024

              I am getting the exact same issue! It's set to "none" and I've adjusted the settings multiple times. The browser version works fine, but the desktop app on Mac has the same virtual background even when I sign in through other accounts. 

                MGSR
                Community Manager
                MGSR
                Community Manager
                January 2, 2025

                Hello there, 

                To disable Virtual Background for all users:

                1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator with permission to edit account settings.
                2. In the navigation menu, click Account Management, then Account Settings.
                3. Under the Meeting tab, scroll to the Virtual Background option (located in the In Meeting (Advanced) section) and ensure the setting is disabled.
                4. (Optional) To apply this setting to all users in your account, click the lock icon, then click Lock to enforce the setting.
                5. Uncheck Require users to always use a virtual background, then click Save to apply the changes.

                If you need further assistance, please let us know.

                R
                Newcomer
                rnbwpnt
                Newcomer
                January 2, 2025

                Still doesn't work. I turned it off for all users on my account, and I still get the same background.

                MGSR
                Community Manager
                MGSR
                Community Manager
                January 2, 2025

                I'm sorry to hear that the issue still persists. Kindly submit a ticket to our technical team for in-depth troubleshooting assistance. 

                T
                Newcomer
                tsmithVE
                Newcomer
                January 7, 2025

                I'm in the same position:  Cannot activate my camera because "A Virtual Background is still loading."  My camera works fine with other tools (Google Meet, MS Teams), and I can test the camera on the Zoom desktop.  It just won't load when I'm on a live call. 

                C
                Newcomer
                ClientToProAnswer
                Newcomer
                January 21, 2025

                Okay, All:

                I was so upset about this freaking setting and was just about to throw in the towel when I looked at the top right hand corner of my mac's DESKTOP.  

                - First and FYI, I had just downloaded the Zoom Workplace App to my mac prior to playing around then getting stuck with the virtual background. Mac users should also have Facetime.  

                -  I happened to click on the Facetime icon at the top right.  

                -  The first option is to select between Facetime and Zoom.US.  Both options have Webcamera settings and Background should be one of the settings.  I was able to finally turn off the background for both options.  

                -  For each option, I simply clicked on that setting and “greyed it out”.  That immediately turned off the background in Facetime and Zoom.  Thank God!

                I’m going to post this as an answer to similar questions floating on this forum.  Sorry that I can’t help Windows or other users.  But hopefully, you can browse around further and find the solution.  

                  M
                  Newcomer
                  mindfulmvmnt
                  Newcomer
                  January 26, 2025

                  This was it! Thank you! I was having a really hard time understanding why it was just on one device! 

                    M
                    Newcomer
                    MuhammadJunaid
                    Newcomer
                    August 29, 2025

                    Even if you’re the account admin, virtual background settings are controlled at both the account level and the desktop client level. Log in to the Zoom web portal  Admin  Account Settings Meeting Virtual Background, and make sure it’s turned off there. Then sign out of the desktop app, restart, and sign back in to sync the settings. If it still says “Admin required,” check if you’re in a sub-account or group with separate settings, or contact Zoom Support to unlock the feature.

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