The Best Zoom Backgrounds for All Your Video Calls

If you haven't tried adding virtual backgrounds to your Zoom calls before, you're missing out.

In this time of social distancing, with millions of people on lockdown across the world, video chats have taken on a new importance. And for a lot of people, Zoom has become the video chat app of choice.

Many remote workers are no strangers to Zoom. We already use the video chat app here at Pexels to stay in touch with our fully remote team located across ten countries.

But we only recently learned that Zoom lets you add virtual backgrounds to your video calls... and we are hooked!

Pretend you never left the open-plan office with a virtual background like this one.

Photo by Marc Mueller · View Photo

Why add virtual backgrounds to your Zoom calls?

Adding a background can make any call a bit more fun, whether it's a routine work check in or a video party with friends.

Backgrounds also have the added bonus of hiding your messy office, the fact that you're actually dialing in from the comfort of your bed, or that pile of laundry in the corner that you keep forgetting to put away.

You can use both photos and videos as Zoom backgrounds. Here's how it's done. Video backgrounds offer some particularly entertaining, and often hilarious, possibilities for every type of Zoom call.

Wouldn't you rather be video chatting from here?

Photo by Brady Knoll · View Photo

Feel like livening up a slow meeting with an impromptu fireworks display? Want to make your coworkers jealous by pretending you're quarantined on a picturesque beach? You can do all this and so much more with Zoom virtual backgrounds.

We've curated a few photo and video options for your next Zoom background choice—no matter what kind of video chat you're joining. All these photos and videos are free to download from Pexels and use in Zoom or anywhere else you need a fun background.

Browse many more excellent (and free, of course!) virtual background options here on Pexels.