How to customise your Microsoft Teams background (and why it matters for your business)

Table of contents

Why your Teams background matters

How to change your background in Microsoft Teams

Using branded backgrounds

Best practice tips

A small change that supports a bigger experience

Video calls are now a core part of how businesses communicate. Whether you're speaking to customers, suppliers or colleagues, the way you show up on screen says a lot about your organisation.

Customising your background in Microsoft Teams is a simple step, but it can make a meaningful difference to how your business is perceived.

Why your Teams background matters

It’s easy to think of backgrounds as just a visual tweak. In reality, they play a role in consistency, professionalism and even brand recognition.

A well-chosen background can:

• Present a more professional image to customers
• Reinforce your brand during external meetings
• Reduce distractions and protect privacy
• Create consistency across your team

For customer-facing teams especially, these small details contribute to a stronger overall experience.

How to change your background in Microsoft Teams

Updating your background is quick and can be done before or during a call.

Before joining a meeting:

1. Open Microsoft Teams
2. Select your meeting and click Join
3. Turn on your camera
4. Choose Background filters
5. Select a background or upload your own

During a meeting:

1. Click the three dots (More actions)
2. Select Apply background effects
3. Choose or upload your preferred background
4. Click Apply

Using branded backgrounds

For many businesses, this is where the real opportunity sits.

Branded backgrounds allow you to:

• Keep your visual identity consistent across teams
• Subtly promote your brand in every external call
• Create a more polished, unified presence

Simple options include:

• A clean office-style background with your logo
• A subtle brand colour gradient
• Campaign or event-specific visuals

The key is to keep it professional and not overly distracting.

Best practice tips

To get the most from your background:

• Keep designs simple and uncluttered
• Ensure your face remains clearly visible
• Avoid overly bright or busy imagery
• Test how it looks on different devices

Remember, the goal is to support the conversation, not compete with it.

A small change that supports a bigger experience

At Focus Group, we work with businesses to improve how they communicate across every touchpoint, from voice and video to full customer experience platforms.

Customising your Teams background won’t transform your business on its own. But it’s a good example of how small, practical changes can contribute to a more consistent, professional and customer-focused experience.

And when those small changes are applied across your wider communications strategy, the impact quickly adds up.