How to configure Studio Effects on Windows 11

Windows 11 includes camera and audio effects to enhance video and voice calls using AI.

Windows 11 Camera settings
Windows 11 Camera settings / Image: Mauro Huculak
  • To enable or disable Windows Studio Effects, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, click on the device from the “Connected cameras” section, and configure the supported effects.
  • Windows 11 has six main effects for PCs with NPUs: automatic framing, background blur, eye contact, voice focus, portrait light, and creative filters.

On Windows 11 24H2 (2024 Update) and higher releases, you now have access to the “Windows Studio Effects,” and this guide, you will learn the steps to access and configure them.

What are Studio Effects?

The Windows Studio Effects is a collection of features that uses AI to enhance video calls and audio quality using a Neural Processing Unit (NPU).

Windows 11 has six main effects: automatic framing, background blur, eye contact, voice focus, portrait light, and creative filters. The effects are applied to the hardware level, so once enabled, they are available on any application.

Studio Effects have been part of Windows 11 for some time, but starting with version 24H2, Microsoft is making these features more broadly available on Copilot+ PCs.

In this guide, I will outline the steps to enable and configure Studio Effects on Windows 11 24H2 and higher releases for compatible devices.

Configure Studio Effects on Windows 11

To enable or disable Studio Effects on Windows 11 24H2, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

  2. Click on Bluetooth & devices.

  3. Click on Cameras.

  4. Select the device under the “Connected cameras” setting.

  5. Click on Camera Effects to access the available Windows Studio Effects.

  6. Turn on the effect you want to use with the camera or microphone. For example:

    Windows 11 Studio Effects
    Windows 11 Studio Effects / Image: Microsoft
    • Background Effects: Offers the Standard and Portrait Blur options to blur the background behind you during calls, providing more privacy or hiding clutter.
    • Eye contact: Offers the Standard and Teleprompter options to make it appear that you’re maintaining eye contact with other people since you might be looking at your screen during a call.
    • Automatic Frames: Zooms and crops the video to center the person in the field of view.
    • Portrait light: Improves lighting for the person in low light conditions.
    • Creative filters: Offers fun filters to apply in the video feed.
  7. In the System section, click the Sound page.

  8. Choose your microphone to open the properties page.

  9. Select the “Microsoft Windows Studio Voice Focus” option from the “Audio enhancements” setting .

  10. Turn on the Voice Focus toggle switch to enable the feature and filter out background noises

Once you complete the steps, Windows Studio Effects will be available for any application.

In addition, you can also access the effects from the Quick Settings flyout (Windows key + A) from the “Studio effects” page.

Although the Windows Studio Effects are exclusive to the Copilot+ PCs, some of the effects may be available on devices with less powerful NPUs. For instance, you may be able to use “Standard Blur” but not “Portrait Blur.” You may also be able to use Eye Contact, but only with the “Standard” mode and not the “Teleprompter” effect.

It’s important to note that manufacturer can also implement their own effects for cameras and microphones, which can cause overlapping problems, such as putting the effect out of sync. You can avoid this issue by turning off the effects from the manufacturer application and using those effects native to the operating system. In the same way, you can disable the native effects that Windows has to offer and then turn on those effects from third-party tools.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].