13 funny Zoom backgrounds to give your co-workers a laugh.
Video conferencing is ingrained in our day-to-day lives. While the flair of weekly wine nights, virtual karaoke, and other pandemic Zoom trends have come and gone, there's no reason video chats need to become dull parts of our work days again.
Next time your boss says those five dreaded words ("please turn on your cameras"), you don't need to be caught off guard. You can have a funny Zoom background prepared to lighten up the mood—not to mention, hide your messy living room.
No matter what device you're joining your calls from, we've got the perfect Zoom backgroundtemplates to help you bring a little humor into your virtual workplace. Here are 13 simple ideas that you can implement fast with Adobe Express.
Overview
13 funny Zoom background ideas.
Finding the perfect image or graphic for your video background doesn't have to be a struggle. We've got free templates for every occasion, which you can use as is or customize to your heart's content. Here are 13 of the best funny Zoom background ideas to help you get started.
1. Celebration background: Turn your video meeting into a celebration.
Anything can turn into a celebration if you try hard enough. With some creativity, you can liven up your Zoom calls with backgrounds for every holiday. Use this funny Zoom background to announce the most important office-wide holiday of the year: your birthday.
2. Museum background: Become a piece of art.
Does life imitate art or does art imitate life? Either way, you can become a Met-worthy masterpiece with this meeting background. When your eyeliner isn't matching or your hair's out of place, you'll be reminded that you're not a hot mess—you're just abstract art. Picasso would be proud of someone as cultured as you.
3. Studio background: Pretend you're on live TV.
Breaking news: You're one background image away from becoming the breakout star of your next Zoom meeting. Tap and save this template to look like you're livestreaming your life or reporting live for BBC news on any call.
If fiction is more your speed, switch out the pastel backdrop with your own screenshot of an iconic TV show location. Put yourself on the set of Central Perk from "Friends," Bob's Garage from "Schitt's Creek," or even the living room from "The Simpsons."
4. Vacation background: Travel to a new destination.
Working from home can be a drag. This Zoom virtual background can help you feel like you're joining your video conference from a peaceful beach. Tap on the template to remix it with an image of your favorite seaside spot, or even a Mexican cenote you've always dreamed of diving into. (Hot tip: We've got millions of free and paid Adobe Stock photos for you to choose from.)
5. Office background: Return to the office.
You and your coworkers have been social distancing for over two years now, so they might not expect you to pop up on a video call from the office. Fake them out by using a virtual Zoom background that looks just like the office where you once spent forty hours a week. Make the "new normal" just plain normal. Tap this template to customize it with an image of your (former) place of work and your office or cubicle number.
6. Space background: Go out of this world.
Living out your dreams of becoming an astronaut like Neil Armstrong (or going to space for fun and vacation) is more than possible with Zoom. Whether you want to pretend like you're in "Star Wars" or become one with a galaxy cat meme, this funny background can be your starting point for your flight through the universe.
7. Castle background: Act like royalty.
Time to put your pinkies up. With this Zoom background template, you can pretend like you're a real-life Disney princess or prince—even if you’re looking like the “before” version of Mia Thermopolis. (Yes, this is a reference to the 2001 classic The Princess Diaries). Tap to customize the template with the fanciest assets (like a crown or a loyal steed).
8. Video game background: Become part of a video game.
Get a high score for humor by placing yourself in a video game. Surrounding yourself with this nostalgic Pac-Man backdrop is a simple way to delight your team. Who knows, maybe this funny Zoom background will convince your boss to host your next meeting at an arcade.
9. Bingo background: Bring a game to your video call.
The only thing better than making a game your backdrop is making your backdrop a game. This virtual background features a mini bingo board that you can customize to fit the quirks of your team culture or poke fun at your own predictability.
Is your social media strategist bound to mention "Tiger King" every time you mention Netflix? Tap the template to write "2020 pop culture reference" in one of the boxes.
10. Pet background: Share the screen with your furry friend.
Our pets are the loves of our lives, and odds are, everyone on your call will be delighted by them, too. Tap this Zoom background template to customize it with the funniest image you can find of your furry friend. We all know there's at least one goofball photo.
11. Chart background: Make a fun chart.
Zoom meetings can be a snooze fest when you're constantly analyzing sales or going over Instagram analytics. Spice up your call with a chart that actually makes your clients and team members smile. Tap to save this chart for the days you'd rather be at a coffee shop than trying to stay awake on a conference call—or when you need to warn your co-workers that you're totally hyped up on caffeine. Don't forget to adjust the coffee meter accordingly.
12. Speech bubble background: Express yourself with speech bubbles.
Ever wish you could express your inner thoughts without interrupting your Zoom meeting? Use speech bubbles in your virtual meeting background to insert a silly or witty thought. Tap to remix this template with any funny phrase.
Be sure to keep it professional and relevant. Your clients don't need to know everything that ticks you off about them, or the fact that you just ran out of toilet paper (TMI).
13. Meta background: Play into Zoom culture.
No matter how masterful we get at using Zoom, it seems like there's always one person who forgets to mute their audio on large conference calls. Use this funny Zoom background to get some laughs—and lightly tease the people whose laughs you actually hear.
How to make your own funny Zoom backgrounds.
Now that you've gotten your dose of inspiration, you can make a funny Zoom background of your own on Adobe Express. Here's how:
- Start with a template or make a new project from scratch.
- Customize the template or fill in your blank canvas with graphics, photos, text, your brand colors, and more to make it your own.
- Resize your project to fit Zoom's recommended dimensions: at least 1280x720 pixels with a 16:9 ratio for most computers. Zoom doesn't have a recommended background size for Android or iOS users, but since it should fit your vertical screen, a standard phone wallpaper size of 640x960 pixels can help your Zoom background fit nice and snug.
Once you're done customizing your funny Zoom background, save it and put it into action by changing your virtual backdrop on Zoom during your next meeting. It'll work with or without a green screen.