Google Meet is a little late to the background blur rollout party. Competitors like Zoom and Microsoft Teams have had this feature for a while. Unfortunately, even after the delay, the background blur function is not working for some users. The background blur option is not visible in the Google Meet web app on desktop. Is background blur missing for you too? Do not worry. We will help you fix this.
When background blur is enabled, Google Meet blurs the background, putting the focus on your face. It’s like the portrait mode of mobile phones these days but for video calls. So if your surroundings are messy or you don’t want to reveal your surroundings, you can blur them.
But this requires the feature to work. Let’s see how to fix background blur not showing in Google Meet.
1. Restart the Computer
‘Have you tried turning it off and on?’ If you don’t see the background blur option or it’s not working properly, restart your computer once. Then try again. You should also try closing the Google Meet tab in your browser.
2. Follow Correct Steps to Enable Background Blur
You must follow the correct steps to enable background blur for your Google Meet meetings. There are two ways to enable background blur. You can do this before joining a meeting or during a call.
Here are the steps for both:
Method 1: Enable Background Blur Before Joining a Meeting
Start Meet.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Create a meeting, type a meeting code, or click a meeting link to join a meeting. You will be taken to the join screen where you will see a preview of your video. Click the Turn on background blur icon in the lower right corner. Alternatively, click on the three-dot icon at the top and select Turn on background blur.
Method 2: Enable Background Blur During Meeting
After joining a meeting, you can enable the background blur feature. For this, click on the three dots icon at the bottom and select Turn on background blur.
If you never see the background blur option in Google Meet, apply the next troubleshooting fixes.
Fly: See our guide on how to hide and show yourself in Google Meet.
3. Check Requirements for Background Blur to Work
Google Meet’s background blur feature doesn’t work on all computers, browsers, or accounts. For background blur to work properly, your PC must meet certain requirements. Them:
Use Chrome Browser
Background blur works in Chrome browser (M84 or higher) only on Windows, Mac, and Linux. You cannot use it through Firefox, Safari or other browsers.
note: Background blur works on Chrome OS M86 and later.
64-Bit Version of Chrome
Also, on a Windows PC, the background blur will only appear in the 64-bit version of Chrome. If your Chrome is 32-bit, you cannot use this feature. To check your version of Chrome on Windows PC, open chrome://version/. Bit version will be mentioned.
Browser Must Support WebGL 2.0
To find out if your Chrome browser supports WebGL 2.0, open https://webglreport.com/?v=2. No should be mentioned next to the major performance warning. You will also see a message on the page that says ‘This browser supports WebGL 2’. If your browser does not support it, you will need to enable hardware acceleration as shown below.
Hardware Acceleration Must Be Enabled
Hardware acceleration must be enabled in Chrome settings for Google Meet’s background blur functionality to appear and work properly.
Note: Background blur works for both personal and G Suite accounts. However, users who join a meeting without logging into their Google account can only change their background on the video call once. The same goes for people who have to knock to enter a meeting.
4. Enable Hardware Acceleration in Chrome
To enable hardware acceleration for Chrome on Windows or Mac, follow these steps:
Stage 1: Launch Chrome and click on the three-dot menu icon at the top. Select settings.
Step 2: Click Advanced from the left sidebar, then click System.
Stage 3: Enable the switch next to ‘Use hardware acceleration when available’. The transition should turn blue. Click the Restart button.
Your browser will restart. Open Google Meet and use the background blur as shown above.
5. Update Chrome Browser
Make sure you’re using the latest version of Chrome, as this new feature only works in Chrome browser M84 and above.
To view and update Chrome, go to Chrome Settings from the three-dot icon. Click About Chrome from the left sidebar. If an update is available, you will be notified about it. Follow the onscreen instructions to update Chrome. If the browser has already been updated to the latest version, the message ‘Google Chrome is up to date’ is displayed.
Pro Tip: See our detailed guide on how to check and update Chrome browser on PC.
PC Slows Down
Enabling background blur may slow down your computer depending on its configuration. Other apps may run slowly or take longer to start. You may even encounter call quality issues in Google Meet. If this is happening, disable the background blur.
Next: Do you use Google Meet regularly? Check out the 9 tips in the next link to improve your Google Meet experience.
