Un-deleting Zoom default virtual backgrounds

April 1, 2020 5:54 PM

Can't believe I'm wasting a question on this, but -- I accidentally clicked the delete button on one of the default virtual backgrounds in Zoom (the outer space one). How do I get it back?

I know how to upload custom virtual images, but I can't seem to find the image file for the default outer space background anywhere in the Application folder (this is on Mac, if it matters).

posted by serelliya to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

Could you reinstall the application?
posted by zamboni at 6:19 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

I figured surely this is googleable... and really, not so much — it sent me here once i got past the other downloadable zoom background sites.

So i’ll second the above — try re-installing?
posted by cgg at 7:08 PM on April 1, 2020

Best answer: ~/Library/Application\ Support/zoom.us/data/VirtualBkgnd_Default has 3 files in it on my Mac. It looks to me like CBDAEE6C-560D-4D37-A579-9A656DF50687 is the outer space one.
posted by dttocs at 10:57 PM on April 1, 2020

Best answer: And if I hit the little X to delete it, the file's still there. From the terminal:


cp ~/Library/Application\ Support/zoom.us/data/VirtualBkgnd_Default/CBDAEE6C-560D-4D37-A579-9A656DF50687 ~/Downloads/space.jpg


Then hit the "+" on "Choose a virtual background" and select ~/Downloads/space.jpg. Voila!

I suspect the next time you upgrade you may end up with two space virtual backgrounds, but I could be wrong.
posted by dttocs at 11:03 PM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you for the awesome detective work, dttocs!
posted by serelliya at 5:59 PM on April 2, 2020