Microsoft Teams has received a new update that brings support for organization-wide backgrounds for meetings. The feature was originally announced back in April, and it’s now available in preview for Microsoft 365 commercial subscribers.
Previously, Microsoft Teams didn’t allow IT Admins to manage custom backgrounds in the app. However, the organization-wide backgrounds feature brings the ability to provide custom backgrounds that will be available for all users across the organization. Admins will be able to view these custom backgrounds in the new background settings panel and apply them during calls or meetings in Microsoft Teams.
To get started, as an admin, you will need to head to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center, click “Meetings,” and then select the “Meeting policies” option from the list. Navigate to the top right corner of the screen and click the “Customize meeting images” button. Finally, enable the “Custom backgrounds” toggle and choose the “Add” option to upload all your images.
It is important to note that Office 365 Admins can add up to 50 background images, and users will be able to see these images in the order of upload. However, keep in mind that it may take up to 24 hours for the images to appear for users in the organization. Once available, members of the org will be able to choose backgrounds from the pre-approved set.
The organization-wide backgrounds experience is currently available in preview for all Office 365 subscribers. However, the feature will require an Advanced Communications add-on when it becomes generally available in 2022. If you’re interested, we invite you to check out this support page to learn more about the Advanced Communications license.
