How to see yourself as you present a Microsoft Teams meeting

If you’ve had any experiences with presentations you’ve likely found the best presentation in the world can fall flat with a dull presenter or faceless voice. Albeit, it’s quite difficult to make the most of your presentation when you cannot confirm you’re presenting your content as intended.

You can see yourself as you present a Microsoft Teams meeting and examine your presentation using the spotlight mechanic within Teams; enter it by following these steps:

  1. Open the Microsoft Teams application
  2. Prepare a meeting
  3. Start the meeting with your video feed enabled
  4. Right-click your video output
  5. Select spotlight for everyone
  6. Click the presentation icon
  7. Select a presentation mode
  8. Select an application to present

You can keep your video feed visible all the time (to you and others) by using the spotlight mechanic in conjunction with a second display— a single large display may also work. During your presentation, you will find you can cycle between three presentation modes that keep you visible. We’ll be discussing those later, as well as the ideal meeting setup.

You can access content faster with these links:

  1. How do I enable spotlight for presentation in a Teams’ meeting
  2. Which presentation mode should I use in a Teams’ meeting
  3. Ideal presentation configuration for Teams’ meeting
  4. Blog post recap

How do I enable spotlight for presentation in a Teams’ meeting?

The “spotlight” mechanic is used to make a user the focus of a meeting. Spotlight is visible to participants as a highlight encasing your video output,

Step 1 — Enable spotlight

After starting a meeting, find your video feed and give it a right-click— you’ll notice a menu appear. Click “Spotlight for everyone” in the menu.

Step 2 — Present an application

In the top right by the red “Leave” button, you will find an upward-facing arrow icon; the “Share content” icon can be clicked to begin setting up a presentation. To ensure you’re visible whilst presenting, switch your “presenter mode” to “stand out,” “side-by-side,” or “reporter.”

Step 3 — Pin and present

In the bar above the application you’re presenting, select the “pin” icon; the bar can be used to alter your presentation mode mid-presentation or more easily halt your presentation entirely.

Which presentation mode should I use in a Teams meeting to see myself while presenting?

As a presenter in a Teams’ meeting, you have access to four “presenter modes;” albeit, one mode is unneeded for us and thus shall not be discussed— the primary reason being that the mode doesn’t include you in your presentation.

Presenter mode overview

While no presenter mode is particularly bad they each have their pros and cons which make them more suitable for different kinds of presentations.

ModeDetailsIdeal use
Side-by-sideThe “side-by-side” mode displays your webcam output alongside your presented window— focus in this mode appears equally divided.Your presentation requires equal focus with yourself.
Stand outThe “stand out” mode places significant focus on your presented application. You’re are displayed atop the application with your background removed.You wish to be a part of your presentation without taking too much focus off of the presented application.
ReporterThe “reporter” mode places significant focus on you, although your presented application is still quite visible.You wish to present an application without drawing significant focus from yourself.

Ideal presentation configuration for Teams’ meeting

If you’re going to be presenting to your Office from home for the first time, you may be wondering what the ideal set-up looks like. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to attain. All you need is an adequate light source, a half-decent computer, and a webcam. Microsoft Teams’ background effects will handle the rest.

(Face blurred for staff privacy)

Your video setup

To begin, initiate a meeting in Teams. In the setup window, click the toggle by the camera icon— it’s at the left side of the window. Next to the toggle is a “Background filters” field, click it; to the right of the window, a list of filters will be generated.

In the above example, I demonstrate the blur filter— one ideal if you’d like to conceal your background subtly. I additionally present the “Contemporary Office 2” filter which can be used to replace your background. I recommend “Contemporary Office 2” due to its minimal lighting requirements to function well. However, there are of course more.

Just name a few:

  • Traditional Office 1
  • EDU Background Bridge
  • Halo Valley (personal favourite of mine)
  • Home

Your audio setup

Next up is your audio— what your colleagues can see means very little if you can’t discuss it. Start by ensuring “Computer audio” is checked— as shown below. Next, enable the toggle under “PC Mic and speakers” labeled with a microphone icon. Lastly, look to the new panel on the right; use the dropdowns under “Device settings” to ensure you have selected a speaker and microphone to use.

Some useful pointers:

  • Audio devices refer to the hardware you’d Teams will use to detect and relay audio.
    • Your speaker will be your output device; the output device plays your colleague’s audio back to you.
    • Your microphone be your input device; the input device detects and transmits your audio to your colleague.
  • You can additionally enable “noise suppresion” to reduce ambiant background audio and give your words greater clarity.

Blog post recap

You can keep yourself in view whilst presenting by taking advantage of Teams’ presenter modes and spotlight mechanic. Three presenter modes exist with varying purposes to suit your needs. For the best setup, I recommend utilizing background filters to conceal clutter and minimize distractions whilst presenting. Lastly, be sure to properly configure your audio settings so you’re able to hear and speak with colleagues.

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Jack Mitchell

Jack Mitchell has been the Operations manager at telecoms and MSP Optionbox for more than 4 years. He has played a crucial role in the company, from marketing to helpdesk, and ensures that the IT requirements of over 300 clients are continuously met. With his innate passion for technology and troubleshooting and a particular interest in Apple products, Jack now delivers the most comprehensive tech guides to make your life easier. You can connect with Jack on LinkedIn.

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