5 Tips for Better Video Calls

People are using video calls now more than ever and they are great way to stay in touch with your family and friends or have remote meetings with clients and colleagues. Whether you have been doing video calls for years, or this is your first time video calling, here are some tips to improve your video calls.

Use your mute button.

Having a lot of background noise can prevent the other people on the call from hearing each other. If you need to speak to someone not on the video call, have a lot of background noise or need to cough or sneeze, you can turn off your microphone using the mute button. If you are on a video call where you are not the main speaker, then you can even keep yourself muted the entire time unless you are speaking.

Lighting is important.

Choose a well-lit area for your video call. Also, make sure that you facing a light source and are not backlit, as it can make it difficult for others to see your face. Sitting directly facing a window or lamp is one the best places for video calls.

Pay attention to your background.

Consider what others will see in your background when you are on a video call, especially if you are on a professional call. You don’t need a full studio set-up with a picturesque background, but moving some things around can make a big difference! Remove that basket of laundry, get your dirty dishes out of the way and make sure that kids and pets won’t interrupt, if possible.

Know where your microphone is.

Before your start your call, make sure that you know where your microphone is. Whether it is built into your computer, tablet or phone, or you are using an external microphone, knowing where the microphone is will help you make sure that others can hear you. Also, make sure that you are not covering up your microphone with your hand or papers whenever you are speaking. If you are planning on video calling often, you might consider investing an external microphone, which can improve the quality of your audio.

Make sure your Internet connection is solid.

Having enough upload and download speed is essential whenever you are on a video call. For example, Zoom requires 2 Mbps of both upload and download speed. If you are having connection trouble on your call, check to see if any other apps or programs are open that might be hogging up the Internet connection. Also, if you are at your home, ask other members of the family to stop using the Internet, especially for more bandwidth-intensive activities like streaming or downloading games.