Zoom meetings can be boring, especially if you have a lot of complex topics to deliver. In most cases, people will lose interest and fail to inject the productivity you expected from them.
This makes it challenging to get everyone’s attention and contribution.
But there’s a way to make them active – by getting in on a good fright. Take them to a creepy haunted house, a location with scary zombies, or a spooky house and they’ll divert their attention to you and you alone.
Transform your Zoom space with the best scary virtual backdrops. To get you started, check out these 30 scary backgrounds we’ve rounded up. You’ll definitely keep one eye open on your upcoming Zoom call.
Our 31 Top Picks of Scary Zoom Backgrounds
1. Scary Ritual
This virtual Zoom background gives out Chilling Adventures of Sabrina vibes. You know, the teenage witch type of movies.
See the pumpkins everywhere, which are synonymous with Halloween celebrations. Well, the pumpkins aren’t smiling this time, but it’s because something else is the center of attention here.
Someone in black clothing is sitting in front of lit candles surrounded by dry sticks, wearing black from top to bottom, holding what looks like an animal’s skull. They must be performing some sort of ritual.
Looking to make friends think they’re part of a coven? Use this image as your background.
If you like scary witch movies or have a friend who does, you can use this image as a background with them during virtual Zoom meetings and relive those moments.
2. Fiery Python
Look, that’s a beautiful snake, isn’t it? But, that is until you meet it in person. Snakes of all species are known to be deadly in different ways.
Observe its posture on the tree. It exudes calmness and, at the same time, confidence around its habitat, and the red eyes look like they have spotted something different in its territory.
Do you know a friend who has a phobia of snakes? This may be the perfect scary virtual Zoom background to freak them out.
3. The Three Ghosts
This photo looks like something out of your wildest dreams. The three beings resemble Sisters of the Dark in Legend of the Seeker but this time, they’re wearing white instead of black.
These ghostly-looking creatures in a field surrounded by trees will surely make most people freak out. Look at the short and tall trees behind; they make even running for your life look impossible.
Your hiking friends and colleagues can be afraid to take more hikes in the forest once you use this image as your background.
You can pretend to be one of those ghosts and scare your audience by using this scary virtual Zoom background in your meetings.
4. Dark Forest
Imagine yourself in the middle of these thick tall trees heading to a place that you’re unsure of. The trees’ canopy is so dense, making the sun’s rays unable to penetrate. What kind of sounds do you imagine would come out of such a forest? Scary, right?
If you’re searching for an ominous background, substitute your background with this scary virtual Zoom background to create a spooky ambiance during meetings.
Also, if you want to scare someone who has yet to go for a hike in the woods, this Zoom background is a valid option.
5. The Witch’s Home
Witches and witchcraft are staples of the Halloween season.
The picture features a witch’s house, a witch flying, and a cat on top of the fence. It’s dark, and the light from the moon perfectly sets up the occasion for witchy activities.
If you’re looking to get your friends or colleagues from work to think you’re visiting a witch, you can’t go wrong with this witch house’s scary virtual Zoom background.
6. Scary Doll
Scary horror movie dolls and Halloween are like siblings, so if you like them, this is your time.
You see, there is usually uncertainty about things that are lifelike being alive or not. But for a doll made in the image of a baby and with no pupils, this image can definitely trigger a fear response.
This picture of a scary zombie doll can be used to scare someone with a phobia of dolls during virtual Zoom meetings, especially with the spattered blood on its face.
7. Dinner Is Served
Well, if you want to go over the top this Halloween, why not use this background for your virtual Zoom meetings?
A woman’s head served as dinner would be the most bizarre and scary experience ever. Talking of dinner, hotel, and restaurant-related Zoom meetings would suit such a background during the Halloween season.
You can share the experience by using this scary zombie doll background and see how your friends or colleagues will react during your Zoom meetings.
8. Haunted Room
This is another image that can draw fear among your friends and colleagues during virtual Zoom meetings.
It shows a dark, old building with no signs of life. The long and lonely corridor will remind your friends and colleagues of haunted places they saw on TV.
Appearing in Zoom meetings with this image as your background will indeed have your audience feeling uncomfortable and scared.
9. Shark Attack
Who said ghosts are the only scary creatures? Have they met a shark? The teeth on this animal can shred you to pieces.
It can be an excellent option for a marine life conservation meeting to portray some of the creatures’ wild and scary aspects.
With this image as your virtual Zoom background, friends and colleagues may think they’re experiencing a shark attack.
10. The Devil’s Food
This is one for the foodies. The table is full of different kinds of food, and the creepy part is that they have faces.
The muffins, cookies, and doughnuts have been fitted with eyes and mouths to bring a mysterious, scary aspect to them. The orange wrappings and black platters represent the iconic Halloween colors.
Food enthusiasts can take advantage of the Halloween season to scare their audience during Zoom meetings with this scary Halloween food background.
11. The Ring Girl
Nothing could be scarier than meeting face-to-face with the girl from The Ring. This image shows her standing with her face covered by her hair.
If you’ve watched the horror movie, you know what kind of emotions she evokes. No one wants to imagine what lurks behind that long dark hair.
Bring a thrill to your meetings by using this scary Ring girl virtual Zoom background.
12. Doomsday
Is this what an apocalypse looks like?
This image shows a city under attack. Rocket missiles are making their way towards the city, and the sky is filling with smoke from burning buildings. The guy below with a bicycle is looking at the city, most probably baffled by what he’s seeing.
If you want to scare your audience that the city is no longer safe, look no more. This virtual Zoom background will get the job done, especially if they reside in that particular city.
13. Tsunami In The City
Water is life, but in this picture, it’s the opposite. Don’t fool yourself; you cannot save yourself in such a situation.
When you use this image as your Zoom virtual background, your audience will most likely check outside the window to make sure all is well because that’s a massive tsunami.
Suppose you’re attending a climate change meeting. In that case, this scary tsunami background can exaggerate the extreme weather events caused by climate change to warn of its impacts through creating fear.
14. Creepy cult
Occultism is a controversial topic. The idea of it scares some people too.
While this pic may seem ordinary to some people, there is no denying that it does seem creepy. It features a group of people sitting around a huge fire in the middle of the night.
If you want your friends and colleagues to think you’re dragging them into a cult, show up for meetings with this image as your Zoom background.
If you plan on going for a hike or camping, you can instill that fear among friends by using this creepy background image during Zoom meetings.
15. Nightmare Piranhas
All of the features visible on these creatures, from the teeth to the eyes, are what nightmares are made of.
This image can be a good one if you want to scare your deep-sea diver friend.
Make your colleagues think the piranhas are heading for them by using this scary virtual Zoom background for your meetings.
16. The Clown’s Smile
Be sure that the devilish smile the clown is wearing will leave your virtual Zoom audience quite terrified. But what is Halloween for anyway?
If you intend on inviting people over for a Halloween party, you can use this scary virtual Zoom background to invite them during online meetings.
17. Zombies
This zombie background will truly give some thrill to your Zoom meeting. Looking at these two creatures scream sends a chill through the spine right?
So, your ordinary Zoom call won’t be ordinary anymore. Complete with the dripping blood, long nails, flashing red eyes, the blood, and gore, what can I say?
If you are fond of the zombies and The Walking Dead, it’s time to grace your next meeting with a spine-chilling backdrop like this one.
Take this game a notch higher and give your audience a shocking scare for a minute. I’m sure this will undoubtedly get all participants alert and ready to listen to what you have to say.
18. Creepy Girl
It gives me the creeps too! It’s scary to see this little girl with lips all sewed up. The scars are still fresh, with the threads still intact. The zombie beside her is not inviting either.
The saddest thing is to imagine the pain she’s feeling – makes you feel sympathetic, but you feel like running for your life. You want to help but are scared to get closer.
This can be your backdrop for the next Zoom call. It can be with friends or family to scare their wits off.
And they will definitely get scared by the shadowy zombie-like face in the background. It isn’t just scary; it is suspicious looking too. It leaves one debating within themselves on what to do next.
19. Joker Fear
This is a classic creepy clown with the Joker theme. You can spook every single member in the meeting with this Joker backdrop.
The red hair, gouged out black eyes, wide red-painted mouth with big sharp teeth, and everything else looks creepy. And standing there surrounded by purple smoke, it indeed is a scary scene.
Give your upcoming Zoom call a frightening touch and trigger some anxiety that will get everyone excited for the rest of the day. This background will definitely set the pace for the Zoom call.
It can also be a perfect accessory for Halloween. With this terrifying clown, you’ll transform your meeting room into a creepy, misty circus.
20. Haunted Swamp
This swamp gives you all the dark vibes, especially with the creepy raised hand coming up from within its depths. Everything around the swamp looks dark, haunted, and scary.
The trees, water, and creepy environment make it as frightening as it looks. You don’t want to imagine what happens beneath the waters or behind the shadows.
Use this background in your next Zoom conference and make everyone’s day. They’ll be left wondering what has come over you.
At the same time, they’ll enjoy the meeting knowing that you brought some humor into the room.
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21. Creepy Room
This is another creepy background with a dimly lit room with a creepy chair and ghostly shadows everywhere. It makes you feel that the specters are coming for you.
The creepy hand above the chimney looks like it’s reaching out to grab you. You imagine getting grabbed by a shadow and it just freaks you out.
Imagine what will be running through the minds of the people present in your meeting. But this is a great way to kickstart your Zoom session and put a smile on everyone attending. If they can’t read your mind, then let them speculate.
22. Abandoned House
If it isn’t spooky, it’s definitely creepy. This abandoned house can stir up the chills in your spine upon seeing the unkempt compound, overgrown bare trees surrounding it, and the cloudy sky above.
You can’t even locate the door. All you see are windows high up there, wide open for spiders and their webs – and the ghosts. Or should I say, the spirits?
The dilapidated house looks and feels like the perfect haunting hub. If by chance you find yourself in there….
But since you can’t be there, turn it into a backdrop and spice up your next Zoom session. It will undeniably be a scary surprise for your audience.
23. Reaper
This grim scarecrow reaper is definitely out for a juicy kill. The unsuspecting victims must definitely be lurking around in this graveyard.
Where are they? He looks around suspiciously, reaper in hand, ready to pounce. The spooky house beneath the dark clouds looks so inviting.
Could his next victim be in there? Let your imagination run wild.
This creepy backdrop can make anyone’s hair stand up straight. Make your next Zoom meeting memorable using this scarecrow reaper backdrop and give someone a reason to fret.
24. Scary Faces
Imagine you’re in the study going through some reports or reading a book. Then suddenly you see six scary faces bashed on the window glass like they’ve been thrown directly from hell.
The scary part is that you can’t see the bodies, just the ghostly faces staring at you through the window. And their hands tell you that these creatures are trying to crash through your window and get inside.
What the hell?
Use this backdrop to scare your buddies off in a midnight Zoom call and laugh it off upon seeing their scared faces. You can bet they’ll never forget the day you scared them out of their wits at midnight, right when their sleep is the sweetest.
25. Scarecrow
A scarecrow feels real, especially at night. But it is daytime and this one looks scary and authentic.
And things get creepier and scarier when you see it with hands chopped halfway, sunken eyes looking at you, and a bashed in face. With its arms akimbo, you may think that it’s waiting for the right time to jump off that tree and pounce on you or chase after you.
Quite scary, isn’t it?
Do you want to instill some fear in your colleagues? This is it. Use the scarecrow backdrop during your friendly Zoom call to make their evening.
A little fun after a long, busy day is a welcome surprise while you are unwinding.
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26. Bloody Corridor
You were taking your evening stroll around town and decided to take a shortcut back home through some corridor. Then you stumble across a bloody lane leading to .. (hell?).
You start imagining things – scary episodes of a horror movie. The walls and floor are filled with blood splatters.
It is creepy, it is scary. Then you see a figure seated down, and written in blood is the word FRIEND? Did I just say friend?
If this isn’t creepy, then I don’t know what it is. This bloody corridor backdrop can make anyone shudder before realizing that it’s just a background.
Use it on your Zoom call and see the reactions from the audience. What a great way to make someone’s day.
27. Halloween in the Graveyard
It is Halloween and you want to surprise your colleagues with a Zoom call. The day has been busy, with tight deadlines to meet.
You ended up exhausted and don’t feel like going out to celebrate. And your team members decided to stay put too because of the hell they’ve been through all day.
You want to end the day in style while reminding them that they can still share in the Halloween festivities without stepping out. A scary Halloween in the graveyard will definitely do the trick.
The misty forest, menacing Jack O’ Lanterns, and the gravestones will fulfill your day and that of your colleagues. Call them using this background and they’ll forget they had a chaotic day.
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28. Masked Ghost
Imagine the scare you get when you spot a masked ghost in your garden at night. Since when do ghosts wear masks? In the lush green garden, you see something spooky in a white mask with the mouth agape.
How scary! This background will brighten up your next Zoom session even if it looks scary.
29. Alien Abduction
Today you decided to walk home from work. You take the highway since you don’t live far from home.
And just when you are about to reach the gate, a car stops by, Two creepy creatures bundle you in the car and it flies away.
Your abductors have big black eyes, big round heads, and white faces. They’re aliens!
The thought of getting abducted by aliens is scary in itself. The alien abduction backdrop can give you a moment of fun by scaring the hell out of your friends and family during your Zoom chat.
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30. Witch
Watching a witch perform witchcraft outside a house can be scary. Their dressing style alone can tear your heart out of your chest. If you’ve watched Hocus Pocus, you know what I’m talking about.
Spice up your virtual presence on video with this witch-themed backdrop in your next Zoom conference. Take your meeting from normal to supernatural and inspire someone.
31. Skeleton Bride and Groom
Imagine a skeleton bride and groom? Creepy, huh? Using this backdrop makes the meeting look like a horror scene.
The spider background behind them makes it even scarier. And if you are daring enough, you can add some spooky sounds and glaring lights to pump some horror adrenaline into the audience.
Conclusion
Using a scary backdrop can be an excellent way to catch someone’s attention during a Zoom call. While it covers your clutter, it can help you change the virtual meeting’s mood.
When people get engrossed in their business or work schedule, it helps once in a while to lighten the mood with a nice scary Zoom background. It may remind them to loosen up a bit and enjoy some humor before getting back to work, more rejuvenated than ever.
These are our best scary backdrops that will turn your dull meeting into an extraordinary one.
