Google Meet adds AI-generated backgrounds powered by Gemini. Here’s how to partake.

Google Meet has quietly rolled out one of its most engaging new features: AI-generated backgrounds powered by Gemini, Google’s advanced artificial intelligence assistant. This capability transforms the standard video conferencing experience by letting users create custom, unique backgrounds through simple text prompts rather than choosing from the same tired selection of conference rooms and coffee shops that everyone else uses.

For professionals spending significant portions of their workday in virtual meetings, this represents more than just visual novelty. Custom AI backgrounds offer a way to maintain professional presentation standards while adding personality to remote interactions. Rather than cycling through Google Meet’s standard background library—where multiple participants often end up with identical backdrops—users can now generate distinctive environments that reflect their personal style or match specific meeting contexts.

The feature integrates seamlessly into Google Meet’s existing interface, requiring no additional software or complex setup procedures. Here’s how to create and deploy your own AI-generated backgrounds for more engaging video calls.

Join your Google Meet session

Begin by starting or joining any Google Meet call, whether it’s an instant meeting or a scheduled session. Once you’re in the meeting interface, locate the three vertical dots icon in the bottom toolbar—this opens Google Meet’s additional settings menu. Click on “Backgrounds and effects” from the dropdown menu that appears.

This menu contains all of Google Meet’s visual customization options, including the traditional static backgrounds, blur effects, and the new AI-powered generation tools.

Access the generative background feature

Within the backgrounds and effects panel, look for a section labeled “Generative backgrounds.” You’ll see a pencil icon underneath this heading—click on this icon to launch the AI background creation interface.

This pencil icon serves as your gateway to Gemini’s creative capabilities, connecting Google Meet directly to the same AI technology that powers Google’s broader suite of generative tools.

Craft your background prompt

The prompt interface presents a text box where you can describe your desired background in natural language. Below this text field, you’ll find a dropdown menu offering environmental categories to guide your creative direction.

Effective prompts combine specific visual elements with clear stylistic direction. For example, instead of simply requesting “a city,” try “a futuristic city floating among clouds with glass buildings and soft lighting.” The more descriptive your prompt, the more precisely Gemini can interpret your vision.

Consider the tone and context of your meeting when crafting prompts. Professional presentations might benefit from sophisticated architectural settings, while creative team meetings could accommodate more imaginative environments like “a cozy library with floating books and warm golden light.”

Generate and select your background

After entering your prompt, click the “Create samples” button. Gemini will process your request for approximately 20 seconds before presenting four distinct background variations based on your description. Each option interprets your prompt differently, offering multiple creative directions from a single text input.

Review all four generated options carefully, as subtle differences in composition, lighting, or artistic style can significantly impact how professional or appropriate each background appears on camera. Click on your preferred option to immediately apply it to your video feed and automatically save it to your Google Meet profile for future use.

Refine your results

If the initial generation doesn’t meet your expectations, return to the prompt interface and experiment with more specific language. Adding stylistic descriptors like “photorealistic,” “watercolor painting,” or “minimalist design” can dramatically alter the output quality and aesthetic.

You can also specify particular elements you want emphasized or avoided. For instance, “a mountain landscape with no people or animals” or “an abstract geometric pattern in blue and silver tones” provides clearer creative boundaries for the AI to work within.

Professional applications and considerations

AI-generated backgrounds serve multiple professional purposes beyond simple visual appeal. Marketing teams can create branded environments that subtly reinforce company identity during client presentations. Educators can generate contextually relevant backdrops that support lesson themes—imagine teaching a history class with an AI-generated ancient Roman forum behind you.

For remote workers concerned about home office privacy or aesthetics, custom backgrounds offer unlimited variety without the repetitive nature of standard options. This proves particularly valuable for customer-facing roles where maintaining visual interest across multiple daily meetings becomes important.

However, consider your organization’s video conferencing policies before implementing highly creative backgrounds. Some corporate environments prefer subtle, professional settings over elaborate generated scenes.

Expanding your Google workspace integration

This background generation feature represents just one element of Google’s broader Gemini integration across its productivity suite. The same AI technology can assist with email composition in Gmail, document creation in Google Docs, and data analysis in Google Sheets.

For users interested in maximizing their AI-assisted workflow, Gemini also excels at summarizing YouTube videos for meeting preparation, organizing desktop files, and creating custom puzzle games for team-building activities. These capabilities work together to create a more intelligent, responsive digital workspace.

Practical implementation tips

Test your generated backgrounds before important meetings to ensure they appear correctly with your camera setup and lighting conditions. Some AI-generated images may not translate well to video compression or may clash with your personal appearance on camera.

Save multiple background options for different meeting types—professional backgrounds for client calls, creative options for internal team meetings, and neutral choices for large group sessions where visual distraction should be minimized.

Remember that while AI-generated backgrounds add visual interest, they shouldn’t overshadow your actual presentation content or professional communication. The goal is enhancement, not distraction from your core message and expertise.