We’re all stuck using these types of tools for work and school during the pandemic, and the reality is they can get tedious as time goes on. It’s common to get Zoom fatigue if you’re using it often enough. Need help mastering the platform? Tap or click for 11 Zoom tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner. If you’re dreading your next video meeting, there’s good news on the horizon. Zoom is adding a new feature that can make video calls fun again. While you may not want to use it in all of your meetings, it can add some humor and levity to those daily check-ins. Keep reading to find out how to use it.
Zoom’s new upgrade
We “mustache” you a question: How do you feel about filters? That’s what Zoom just rolled out, and much like those silly Snapchat features, you can use them to change your appearance. Whether that’s for better or worse is up to you. Want to add some new eyebrows or a mustache and beard to your face during a Zoom call? Zoom: Studio Effects can help you do that. No markers or face paint required. Not into facial hair? You can even switch up your lip color with filters during live Zoom calls with this new feature. This feature first debuted to beta users back in September 2020, but it looks like it’s rolling out to more as we speak. If you have access to these new filters, they’re a great way to spice up your boring Zoom calls, so you may want to whip them out every once in a while.
How to check if you have access to the new feature
These filters are fairly new to the Zoom ecosystem, so not everyone will have access to the Zoom: Studio Effects features yet. You can check to see if you have access to your new ‘brows by looking through your Zoom account on your desktop computer. To check if you have access to Zoom: Studio Effects:
Start a Zoom session on your desktop or laptop.Open Video Settings.You can find this at the arrow next to Stop Video.From there, select Background and Filters.Click Studio Effects (Beta).If you have access to this feature, you may be prompted to download the effects package.
How to use the new feature
Once you confirm you have access to this new feature, you’ll need to know how to use it. Doing so is simple. To use Zoom: Studio Effects:
Open Studio Effects (Beta) in Zoom.You’ll see a panel of filters at the top right.Select the different filters you want to use.Eyebrows, mustaches and beards are located at the top.Lip colors are at the bottom.Use the color wheel to change the shade of the lips.The opacity slider lets you adjust the transparency of the color.If you like the effects, you can choose to apply them to all future meetings by using the panel on the right.
Little changes like this can help make video meetings fun again. Give them a try. Who knows, you may be the life of the party.
