Zoom

Troubleshooting Zoom Virtual Background not working

Zoom virtual backgrounds are extremely popular. Many users have commented on my channel that their virtual background is not working. Many users have asked if virtual backgrounds only work with a paid Zoom account. Virtual backgrounds do work with the free account, and if you are having issues getting virtual backgrounds to appear, here is my solution.

Virtual backgrounds work in Zoom with images and virtual videos. As mentioned, virtual backgrounds do work with the Free or Basic Zoom account. I used a free or basic account to make this video.

If your virtual background is not showing up when you start a meeting, do the following:

1. Go to [**Zoom.Us**](http://zoom.us/) and sign in to your account.

2. Go to **Settings** on the left.

3. Under In Meeting (Advanced) **turn Virtual Background on**.

4. Back in the Zoom app, **sign out** of Zoom. Don't just close the app, you need to sign out.

5. Sign back into Zoom. 6. Your background should be working.

Free video virtual backgrounds

Need free video virtual backgrounds? Here is my Zoom support center page with 25 virtual video backgrounds. Click the image below.

[

](https://chrismenardtraining.com/zoom/zoom-resource-center)

YouTube Video: Zoom virtual backgrounds not working? Solution by Chris Menard

Zoom virtual backgrounds not working? Solution by Chris Menard - YouTube

Copilot in PowerPoint: Explain vs. Review This Presentation

Copilot in PowerPoint now has two skills with nearly identical names that do very different jobs: Explain this presentation and Review this presentation. One helps you understand a deck someone else made. The other helps you improve a deck you made yourself. If you train people on Copilot, expect questions

Redesign Slides with Copilot's Visualize This Slide Skill in PowerPoint

Use the Visualize this slide skill in Copilot for PowerPoint to turn text-heavy slides into visual layouts. Three examples: bullets, a six-step process, and a timeline.

Copilot Skills in PowerPoint - Live Stream on October 20, 2026

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀. 𝗙𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟴 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁-𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸. Join me live on October 20, 2026, at Noon Eastern as I demonstrate each Copilot Skill and show practical ways to use them in your presentations. PDF of the 8 Copilot Skills in Pow

View Two Slides Side by Side in the Same PowerPoint Presentation

Compare two slides from the same PowerPoint presentation side by side in Normal view. Use New Window and Arrange All on the View tab instead of clicking back and forth.