Background Blur may be coming to Google Meet for Android soon

The rise of work from home and the video conferencing that goes along with it has increased the importance of background blur and custom backgrounds.

It is, however, most important when you are out and about and can’t control your environment.

Microsoft Teams for iOS already offer the ability to blur your background on the iPhone, and now there is some evidence that Google Meet will soon also offer this feature in their Android app.

A teardown of version 41.5 of Google Meet, performed by 9to5Google, shows the app contains text strings suggesting Google will bring the feature soon, including:

• Background blur turned off
• Background blur turned on
• Turn off background blur
• Turn on background blur

While there is evidence of background blur, unfortunately, custom background wallpaper has not been uncovered.

Google is currently trying very hard to compete against Zoom and Microsoft Teams. The company recently added Gmail integration, upgraded its gallery view to 16 members, which unfortunately still pales in comparison to the 49 person view Zoom supports and made the service free for unlimited use for up to 100 participants. Google is also bringing its low light camera technology to Meet and will bring an audio tool which suppresses background noise during calls.

It remains to be seen if all this work will help Google catch up with the likes of Zoom, Slack and Teams, but they will never have a better opportunity than now.

via Neowin