How to Blur Your Background on a FaceTime Call in macOS Monterey

With ‌macOS Monterey‌, Apple brought several enhancements to ‌FaceTime, including the ability to blur your background on a call. However, this only works if you’re using a Mac with an M1, M1 Pro, or M1 Pro Max processor.

If you have such a system, here’s how to blur your background using FaceTime’s new Portrait Mode.

Three quick steps to background blur

1. Launch FaceTime.

2. Click the Control Center icon in the menu bar.

3. Choose Video Effects > Portrait Mode.

Now other folks on a FaceTime call will see your mug just fine, but the app will blur your background. Just like in a Portrait mode photo on an iPhone. Pretty cool, eh?

Other new FaceTime features

Other improvements in FaceTime on macOS Monterey include: 

• Spatial audio, which makes voices sound like they come from the direction of a speaker on the screen in a Group FaceTime call
• Voice Isolation, which blocks background noises so your voice is crystal clear
• Wide Spectrum, which brings every sound in your space into the call
• Grid view, which displays people in same-size tiles and highlights the active speaker
• Call Links for inviting friends to calls on Apple, Android, or Windows devices

Now if only Apple would make FaceTime cross-platform, as was once promised! That would increase the app’s popularity.

Related posts:

• How to Change Audio Options for FaceTime Calls in macOS Monterey
• How to Use FaceTime Call Links in macOS Monterey
• iOS 15 Feature Roundup: FaceTime