UPDATED for 2022- Background for Virtual Meetings

FCC has updated its official background for virtual meetings. If your computer meets the specifications, you should be using the official FCC background any time you participate in a virtual meeting and you are NOT in a work location. If you are in a work location, you are encouraged to use the official background, but it is not required.

Save the FCC Official Virtual Background as a .png to your computer and follow the instructions below to upload it to your preferred virtual meeting platform.

See below for the specific instructions for personalizing and using backgrounds in commonly used virtual meeting platforms. Each platform has system requirements and if your computer doesn’t meet these requirements the background option may not appear or work even if it does appear.

Doxy.me does not have a virtual background or blur option. I will update this post should either of those options become available.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to Jen Eads at jeads@fccnetwork.org or Mike Senn at tristatecomp@gmail.com if you are having complications getting your background set up.

System Requirements for Zoom Virtual Backgrounds

Windows- System Requirements Image only without a physical green screen (see above link for other operating systems)

Zoom Version:

Operating System:

Zoom desktop client, version 5.2.0 or higher

Windows 7, 8, and 10 (64-bit)

Processor:

Intel i3
- 2 cores or higher
- 5th generation or higher
Intel i5
- 2 cores or higher
- 3rd generation or higher
Intel i7
- 2 cores or higher
- 3rd generation or higher
Intel i9
- 2 cores or higher
- 3rd generation or higher
AMD 4-cores with base frequency 3.0Ghz or higher

How to Use Virtual Backgrounds in Zoom

Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
In the navigation menu, click Settings.
In the Meeting tab, navigate to the Virtual Background option (under the In Meeting (Advanced) section) and verify that the setting is enabled.
If the setting is disabled, click the status toggle to enable it. If a verification dialog displays, choose Turn On to verify the change.
If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the group or account level, and you will need to contact your Zoom administrator.
Once virtual background is enabled, click “host a meeting, with video on” and then click on “open zoom meeting”.
In the bottom left, click on the arrow in start video and click on “choose virtual background”.
Click on the + sign and then click on “add image”.
This is where you will upload your saved .png with the FCC logo image.
The picture you add will now be your background image for videos.
Make sure “mirror my image” is not checked. Your background will be backwards for you, but correct for your audience.
You may now end the video and log out of your zoom account.

Cisco Webex System Requirements and Instructions for Use of Virtual Backgrounds

Windows- System Requirements (see above link for other operating systems)

Webex Version:

Operating System:

WBS40.6.6—Blurred background and background replacement
WBS40.8 and later—Blurred background, background replacement, and custom backgrounds

Windows 8 or Windows 10 64-bit

Processor:

Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 4000 series processor or higher
Intel Core i9 dual-core processor or higher***
Intel Xeon dual-core processor or higher***
Other Intel processors: 6 cores or higher***
AMD Ryzen 5, 7, 9 processor, or higher
Other AMD Ryzen processors: 5 cores or higher***
Other AMD processors: 6 cores or higher***
Non-Intel and non-AMD processors: 8 cores or higher
Apple M1***

Memory:

4GB or more of RAM

How to use virtual backgrounds in Webex

Before You Join

Click Change Background and then do one of the following:

To blur your surroundings while remaining in focus, click Blur.
To use a default virtual background, click the one you want.
To use your own image for the virtual background, tap the + icon.
Webex recommends that you use an image that’s 1280 × 720 pixels in size or larger. Images must be in the .jpg or .png format.

During a Meeting

In your self-view window, click the Video options icon, choose Change Virtual Background, and do one of the following:

To blur your surroundings while remaining in focus, click Blur.
To use a default virtual background, click the one you want.
To use your own image for the virtual background, tap the + icon.

When you’re ready for everyone in the meeting to see your background, click Apply. Webex remembers your selection for your next meeting.

GoToMeeting System Requirements and Instructions for Use of Virtual Backgrounds

Operating System:

macOS Mojave (10.14) or higher and Windows 7 – 10.

Processor:

Intel 6 gen i5 quad-core processor or newer, operating at 3.3GHz or above.

Memory:

4GB + RAM

How to use virtual backgrounds in GoToMeeting

After you’ve tested your camera, you can now proceed to change your actual background during a meeting to your preferred filter or background.

Join or start a meeting
- Next, tap the Settings icon in the top menu
- Under the Webcam menu, hit ChromaCam
- By default, your webcam background will automatically blur. And you’ll be able to see a preview by the right of our screen. Keep in mind that you can adjust the blur level, upload custom backgrounds, or choose other GoToMeeting’s preset filters. Then hit the webcam icon to share your video feed.

How to replace a background without a green screen:
- Open up Manycam
- Connect your webcam by right-clicking on the main video feed and then selecting your camera among the options
- Then navigate to the Chroma Key tab and then toggle on the virtual background feature.
- Once you flip the switch, it detects and blurs your background automatically.
- Hit on Replace to remove your background and then choose any image available as your virtual background.
- You can add your custom visuals as well.