Blurring your video background - Amazon Chime

Blurring your video background

If you want to reduce visual distractions in your video tile during a meeting, you can turn on background blur. You can turn this feature on or off before you join a meeting, as well as adjust the strength of the blurring effect. To turn this setting on or off, or adjust the blur strength during the meeting, you use the Video menu.

Note
  • Background blur does not support virtual backgrounds.

  • Currently, background blur only runs in the desktop clients on Windows 10 and macOS Mojave 10.14 or later. The feature uses your computer's graphics processing unit (GPU) for best performance. Older GPUs may not have the power to run it. If you try to use background blur on a computer with an unsupported operating system or an older GPU, Amazon Chime displays a message to let you know. You can't turn on background blur on unsupported devices. If you have an older computer and your video starts to lag, confirm that your video driver is up to date. If updating your video driver doesn't help, turn off background blur.

To blur your background
  1. In the call control bar at the bottom of the meeting window, choose the Video menu (^).

  2. Select Blur my video background to turn on background blur. Select Blur my video background again to turn the feature off.

To change blur strength
  1. In the call control bar at the bottom of the meeting window, choose the Video menu (^).

  2. Hover over Blur strength, then choose one of the options from the menu.

Background blurring and privacy

Video background blurring uses a pre-trained model to distinguish between you and your background. Because it's pre-trained, the feature never uses facial recognition. It never gathers or stores biometric data, and it never uses images stored in a database. Because of this pre-trained model, background blurring may not always distinguish between you and the elements behind you.

Follow these best practices when you use background blur during a meeting:

  • Wear clothing that contrasts strongly against your background.

  • If your video looks grainy, turn on or increase the amount of light around you. Most webcams, including those built into laptops, don't perform well in low light.

  • Sit directly in front of the camera, with a distance of about three feet between you and the lens. Look directly towards the camera when speaking.

  • The pre-trained model doesn't recognize hats and other headwear. They may be blurred during a meeting.

Providing feedback

If you have any feedback on this feature, leave a comment in the online form that appears when you leave a meeting, or contact your AWS IT Administrator to file a ticket with AWS Support.