How to Use Video Chat Backgrounds in iChat

With the latest release of Apple's iChat software, Mac users can spice up their video conversations by adding special effects or placing themselves in front of different backgrounds. All of the effects and backgrounds from Apple's PhotoBooth application are available for use in video chats through iChat. This article explains how to use an effect or background in a video chat and even how to create your own background image.

Things You'll Need

• Mac with iSight camera running OS X 10.5 or later iChat software

Instructions

1. Open the iChat application by clicking the icon in the dock.

2. Click on one of your contacts who has video chat capabilities. Buddies who can video chat have a green video camera icon next to their screen names.

3. Go to "Buddies" in the top menu bar and choose "Invite to Video Chat."

4. Once your buddy accepts the video chat invitation, click the "Effects" button in the lower right corner of the chat window.

5. Choose any of the effects or backgrounds from the pop-up window, which includes four pages of options. Click the right arrow at the bottom of the window to explore all of the effects.

6. In the fourth page of the window, there are several blank boxes in place of effects. Drag any picture from your desktop into one of the boxes, and it will create a new background for you to use.

Tips & Warnings

• For the effects with moving backgrounds, you must move out of the camera's view so that the camera can adjust to the environment.