Newcomer

Question

background blurry with no virtual background activated - how to unblur?

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
March 10, 2023
12 replies
5 views

Hi.

I do not use virtual backgrounds or blurry background on zoom. I need participants to see what is behind me.

However, my background on Zoom is somehow automatically blurry, while the virtual background is set to "none". If I click "blur", it becomes a bit more blurry than usual. Please help to unblur.

F

Frank_TB

Community Champion | Customer

Hello,

Camera lenses have so thing called a focal plane. This is where things are in focus and generally you want tthe subject of the picture to be where the focal plane is.
There is also a concept called depth of field. DOP is the amount of distance from the the focal plane you can be before things start being noticeably out of focus.

So, it’s very possible that the background is too far away from the plane of focus and outside of the depth of field and will look blurry.

Can you describe in more detail what your background is, how far away it is and what your are trying to do?

Regards

M

marinariAuthor

Newcomer

Hi,

my background is a regular room, and blurry is absolutely everything, including the lamp that physically is right next to my head and the back of my chair. It totally looks as if I'm using the blurry filter: there's an oval for my face, everything else (including my hair) is blurry.

F

Frank_TB

Community Champion | Customer

Hi,

Thanks for the extra information. That sounds like you have not turned off the filter successfully.

Removing Zoom filters in a meeting

In a Zoom meeting, click the up arrow next to your Stop Video icon and select Choose Video Filter to open the Settings window.
Select the box labeled None in the top left corner of the filter selections. You may need to scroll up until you see this option.

Removing your filter before a meeting

Check your settings beforehand to make sure your video is filter-free.

On the Zoom desktop client, click your profile picture at the top right corner of the screen and select Settings to open the Settings window.
Click Background & Filters in the left panel.
Check your video preview to see if you have any filters selected. This is also a perfect time to make sure your virtual background is appropriate, too!
If you have a video filter you want to turn off, click the Video Filters tab below your video preview window.
Select the box labeled None in the top left corner of the filter selections. You may need to scroll up until you see this option.

Regards

If my reply helped, don't forget to click the accept as solution button!

M

marinariAuthor

Newcomer

Nope. Never turned on any filters.

The box labeled None was selected from the beginning and still is.

P

pvandalen

Newcomer

me toooooo

F

Frank_TB

Community Champion | Customer

Hi,

Odd. Perhaps your camera came with its own software or drivers and can be adjusted there?

What model / brand of webcam are you using?

The other idea I can suggest is to turn on the Zoom Blur filter. Have a meeting by yourself and use this filter. End the meeting. Then turn it off the filter again. Sometimes the database that stores your settings gets messed up and this could potentially reset it.

I suggest you submit a ticket with Zoom support if none of the helps.

(https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/requests/new)

Regards

If my reply helped, don't forget to click the accept as solution button!

M

marinariAuthor

Newcomer

Thanks! This does not solve the problem, but it helped me realize that the problem is not with Zoom, but with cgzuyvb Windows 11 😖

J

JoeF1

Newcomer

its simple its in you control center. open zoom or any video app go in control center, by slinding down from the top. you will see video effect take off portrait and you are good

This worked for me 😀

Thanks so much, you saved me a lot of frustration

Thanks again !!!

D

dpenn

Newcomer

I have the same problem with an iphone 11 pro - exactly the same problem.

M

mholland1976

Newcomer

I've got the same problem.

L

lderoo

Newcomer

Hi

Any updates so far? I have the same issue, both with my intern laptop webcam and with my Logitech BRIO. So I don't think it is a webcam setting issue but a zoom setting issue.

Thanks

D

dpenn

Newcomer

Hello! It’s in the control setting of your phone, not zoom. Even if you didn’t change anything, for some reason the phone settings can change. I hope that helps. Yoga helps too, all of us 🙂 my best to you.

K

kathytelehealth

Newcomer

I have same concern using my lenovo yoga laptop, which I never had/have using another brand of laptop. please help me 😞

K

kathytelehealth

Newcomer

same problem i have using my new lenovo yoga. my background in zoom is blurred even i choose none. i dont have problem with my hp and dell 😞

F

Frank_TB

Community Champion | Customer

Perhaps this is playing a role?

“Lenovo Smart Appearance helps you enhance camera effects to protect your privacy and improve personal appearance , especially for video conferencing.”

“the Lenovo Smart Appearance app allows "smart configuration of facial features," which includes softening skin, changing a user's face shape, altering eye size, the distance between eyes, and even forehead size.

The app also features background blur during video calls and changes the background”

https://www.laptopmag.com/news/lenovos-strange-camera-app-lets-you-alter-your-face-for-video-calls

S

StuartC375

Newcomer

Yes! This worked on my Lenovo Yoga Frank. It wasn't Zoom at all, as it turns out. Based on your advice I went into went into Settings/Manage Cameras and, indeed, the background was blurry and would have been for any app, not just Zoom because Lenovo seems to like it that way (as of last week). So I went into settings/Apps and then uninstalled "Lenovo Smart Appearance" as well as the one under it "Lenovo Smart Appearance Components" or something like that. Then restarted the computer and, viola, no more blurred background!

P

pvandalen

Newcomer

Hello, I clicked this morning on Zoom on a pop-up something new, a three-option appearance feature, and I can´t undo it!!! It is this new softy blur on my background, not the one available on Background & Effects, please, HELPPPPPPPPPP

3

3abirW

Newcomer

I have the same problem on Mac and I cannot figure out how to solve it.

P

pvandalen

Newcomer

I solved it!! After desperate intents I realized that you can change which camera to use on zoom, in video, so I clicked on my iMac upper menu on the green icon of FaceTime camera, which is the camera zoom was using, and it popped up three options. I unchecked everything! It was set in Portrait and that made my background blurry.

R

ReikiLady

Newcomer

Hello,

I had this same issue and unfortunately the information provided by Zoom Support did not help; they suggested going through the settings on my computer. My son actually solved the issue for me - he went through the settings on the Zoom website. I've listed the steps below for anyone who might find it helpful:

Go to the picture icon for your account
Under the Admin heading, click on Account Management
Under Account Management, click on Account Settings
On the right, click on in Meeting (Advanced)
Scroll down to Virtual background; make sure the toggle is in the on position. The option of "Allow users to upload custom backgrounds" must be checked. This being checked is what corrected the issue.

H

handerson

Newcomer

This thread is older and possibly predates the exact issue I had, but I found it while googling and thought I would leave a comment to help anyone else in my position.

There are now (at least) three settings to check if you have a blurred background:

Is the "blur" filter turned on in the Zoom settings? (under "Background & effects". I have seen a report that you may have to go into the advanced meeting settings in the zoom website to turn on "virtual backgrounds" if you don't see this option in the zoom app settings.)
Is your computer / phone / camera applying a blur / "portrait" / shallow depth-of-field filter? For me, using macOS 14.7.2, when I open an app that uses the filter a green camera icon appears in the top bar. Clicking that opens a menu with a "Portrait" option which will apply a blur when selected.
Zoom's own "Portrait lighting" option. This is also (currently, zoom version 6.3.5, 2025/1/8) under "Background & effects". It is a checkbox option directly above the Virtual Background selector, in a checkbox group with four other options like "Mirror my video". I would upload a screenshot but I do not yet have permissions here, sorry.

#3 was the issue for me and wasn't mentioned in any of the top google results I checked