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Admit one · Blog

How to Change the Background in a YouTube Video

Use Green screen for a new Short, Studio blur to conceal part of an existing upload, or a separate editor for a true background replacement.
Opened Runtime5 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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For a new YouTube Short, open the YouTube app’s creation screen, tap Green screen, and choose a photo or video from your device gallery. For a video already uploaded, YouTube Studio offers blur tools—not a documented way to replace the background. To put a different scene behind footage, edit it in a separate video editor and upload the finished version.

Choose the right method for your video

Your situation What to do Important limit
Recording a new Short Use the YouTube app’s Green screen tool and select gallery media. Controls and availability can vary by app version and device. YouTube’s Android Shorts instructions describe the gallery-background workflow.
Concealing part of an existing upload Apply Face blur or Custom blur in YouTube Studio’s Editor. Blur obscures an area; it does not replace the background. Saved edits cannot be reverted to the original through the editor under YouTube’s current guidance. YouTube’s blur instructions explain the tools and eligibility caveat.
Replacing the background in footage you already filmed Use a separate editor with subject masking or background removal; chroma key is an option if you filmed against a green screen. YouTube Studio does not document a background-replacement tool. Uploading a finished replacement as a new video creates a new URL. YouTube explains its replacement and deletion rules.
Putting a generated scene behind you in a Short Check whether YouTube’s AI-generated background features appear in your app. Availability can depend on feature, region, and language settings. YouTube’s AI Shorts guidance describes the tools and availability notes.

Use a gallery photo or video as a new Short’s background

  1. Open the YouTube app and start creating a Short.
  2. On the recording screen, tap Green screen.
  3. Choose a photo or video from your device gallery.
  4. Record your Short, complete any other edits, and publish when it is ready.

This built-in option uses media already on your device, so it does not require a physical green screen. YouTube documents the workflow for Shorts on Android; the exact control placement and availability may differ by device or app version. See YouTube’s instructions.

Want an AI-generated background?

YouTube also describes creating AI-generated backgrounds for Shorts and using them with Green screen. These controls may not be available to every creator: check the current app and location, since availability can vary by feature, region, and language. YouTube’s AI Shorts help page has the applicable details.

Blur something in a video that is already uploaded

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Open Content, select the video, then choose Editor.
  3. Select Blur, then choose Face blur or Custom blur.
  4. For Custom blur, position and resize the blur, choose its shape and timing, and set it to track an object or stay in one position, as needed.
  5. Preview the edit carefully before confirming and saving it.

These tools conceal a face or selected area; they do not put a new scene behind the subject. YouTube lists blur alongside other Studio editor functions such as trimming, end screens, and audio tracks, but does not document background replacement there. See the Studio editor overview.

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Check eligibility and review the result before saving

YouTube says some unedited videos with more than 100,000 views may not be eligible for edits other than Face blur, except for channels in the YouTube Partner Program. Its current guidance also says a saved edit cannot be reverted to the original video using the editor. Preview the result before you confirm it. Review YouTube’s blur eligibility notes and preview and review guidance.

Replace the background in footage with a separate editor

If you want a full scene replacement, prepare the video outside YouTube Studio. For footage already recorded without a clear separation between subject and background, look for an editor that supports subject masking or background removal. Results depend on the footage and the editor; YouTube Studio’s documented blur controls are not a substitute.

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Use chroma key when filming against a green screen

  1. Record the subject against a green screen, keeping the screen evenly lit and avoiding green light reflecting onto the subject.
  2. In an editor that supports chroma key, remove the green color from the subject footage.
  3. Place the desired image or video on a lower track behind the keyed footage, then review the composite for visible edges or leftover green.
  4. Export the finished video and upload it to YouTube.

Chroma key removes a selected screen color so another background can be composited behind the subject; it is useful when the footage was made for that workflow. A physical backdrop is optional for the Shorts gallery-background method, but it can be part of recording new chroma-key footage. Shotcut’s user guide describes chroma key for removing a green screen and compositing a background.

What happens to the original upload?

You cannot replace an uploaded YouTube video with a new file while keeping its URL. If you upload the edited version, it is a new video with a new URL; plan how to direct viewers from the original before deleting or abandoning it. YouTube’s replacement guidance.

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Troubleshooting

  • Green screen is missing: Confirm you are on the Shorts recording screen in the YouTube app, then check for app updates and whether the feature is available on your device. The documented workflow is on the recording screen, and controls can vary. YouTube’s Android instructions.
  • The gallery background does not look right: Try another photo or video and check the framing in the recording preview before recording the whole Short. The tool uses selected gallery media as the background; it is not a post-upload Studio replacement tool.
  • You cannot find background replacement in Studio: Studio documents Face blur and Custom blur, not a full scene replacement. Use a separate editor for replacement, or use blur if hiding an area is enough. YouTube’s blur help.
  • You cannot edit a high-view video: Some unedited videos over 100,000 views may have editing restrictions beyond Face blur, with an exception for channels in the YouTube Partner Program. Check the eligibility note for the video in Studio. YouTube’s current guidance.
  • The saved Studio edit is not what you wanted: YouTube says the editor does not provide a way to revert a saved edit to the original. Preview before saving; if you need a full background replacement, prepare a new edited video outside Studio. YouTube’s review guidance.
  • Your new upload has a different link: That is expected; a new file cannot replace the old upload while retaining its URL. YouTube’s upload policy.
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