You can blur your camera background or replace it with a solid color or an image directly in the Tella web recorder or Chrome extension, with no green screen or third-party app needed. The Mac app uses the background effects built into macOS. Background effects are not available in the Windows app or in Safari.
Change your background in the Mac app
The Mac app uses the video effects provided by macOS. Which effects are available depends on your macOS version and selected camera.
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Hover the camera button and click the chevron next to it to open the camera menu.
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Under Apple Effects, click Portrait (or More effects…). Both open the macOS Video Effects panel, where you switch Portrait on to blur your background, and on macOS 15 or later pick a Background (color gradient, system wallpaper, or your own photo) if your camera supports it. Tella’s menu shows a checkmark next to the effects macOS is currently applying, and Center Stage can be toggled straight from the menu.
If an effect is disabled or missing, the current macOS and camera combination does not support it. Try another camera from the same menu. See Apple’s camera guide for more information.
Change your background in the web app
- Open the recorder and make sure your camera is on.
- Open Camera background:
- In a camera-only recording, click the Camera background button on the camera preview.
- When sharing your screen, click Camera settings, then select Camera background.
- Choose Blur, Color, or Image. Your background changes immediately, and the recording captures the processed feed automatically.
Set your background before you start recording. You can still use the fit and mirror controls while recording, but background options are only available during setup. Blur cannot be added in the editor afterwards; see Can I blur my camera background after recording? for what you can do instead.
Change your background in the Chrome extension
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Open the extension recorder and make sure your camera is on.
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Click the round background button in the corner of the camera preview to open the background options.
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Choose Blur, Color, or Image. Your background changes immediately, and the recording captures the processed feed automatically.
Your camera keeps showing its original feed until the effect is ready, so you never record a blank frame while it loads.
Background options: blur, color, or image
Open Camera background in the web app, or click the round background button in the Chrome extension, to choose:
- Off: the first swatch in the Effect row turns the effect off and shows your original camera feed.
- Blur: softly blur everything behind you so the focus stays on your face.
- Color: replace your background with a solid color. Pick from the preset swatches or your recent colors.
- Image: replace your background with one of the preset images, or upload your own.
Picking a color or image turns the background effect on automatically if it isn’t already.
Upload your own background image
In the Image section, click the upload tile and choose a JPG, PNG, or WebP file. Your uploaded backgrounds are saved so you can reuse them later.
Change the blur amount
When blur is selected, a Blur amount slider appears inside the background options.
- Drag the slider to the right to increase the blur (up to 20).
- Drag the slider to the left to decrease the blur (down to 1).
Turn off the background effect
Open the background options and pick the first swatch in the Effect row (Off). Your camera feed returns to its original state.
Your background choice is saved per device and persists across sessions.
Can I use a green screen or virtual background another way?
Tella’s background effects work without a green screen, but a plain, evenly lit wall behind you still gives the cleanest edges. Other options:
- Windows app or Safari: record with the web app in Chrome, Edge, or Firefox, or use the Chrome extension.
- Third-party virtual camera: apply a background in a virtual camera app, then select that virtual camera as your camera in Tella.
- Physical backdrop: a solid-colored curtain or portable backdrop gives a clean look without any software.
- Smaller camera in your layout: in the editor, pick a layout where your camera is small or in a corner so the background is less noticeable.
