How to look and sound good on a video call
To look and sound good on a video call, raise the camera to eye level, face a window or lamp so light falls on your face, sit an arm's length back, and use earbuds or a headset with a microphone. Choose a quiet spot with a plain background, close other apps, and join two minutes early to test sound and picture. Look at the camera when you speak.
About 15 minutes to learnEveryday skill
Mark it once you can do it without this page open.
How to do it
- Put the laptop on books or a stand so the camera is level with your eyes.
- Face a window or a lamp, and never sit with a bright window behind you.
- Sit about an arm's length away so your head and shoulders fill the frame.
- Use earbuds or a headset with a microphone to stop echo.
- Pick a quiet room with a plain wall or a tidy shelf behind you.
- Close other apps and pause downloads so the video does not stutter.
- Join two minutes early, check the camera preview and say a test sentence.
- Look at the camera, not the screen, when you are speaking, and mute when you are not.
Common mistakes
- A camera pointing up from the desk at your chin.
- A bright window behind you that turns you into a silhouette.
- Using laptop speakers and a far-off microphone, which echoes.
Quick self-check
Three questions. Your last score is kept in this browser.
Teach this to someone
A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to look and sound good on a video call
What to say
To look and sound good on a video call, raise the camera to eye level, face a window or lamp so light falls on your face, sit an arm's length back, and use earbuds or a headset with a microphone. Choose a quiet spot with a plain background, close other apps, and join two minutes early to test sound and picture. Look at the camera when you speak.
What to show, in order
- Put the laptop on books or a stand so the camera is level with your eyes.
- Face a window or a lamp, and never sit with a bright window behind you.
- Sit about an arm's length away so your head and shoulders fill the frame.
- Use earbuds or a headset with a microphone to stop echo.
- Pick a quiet room with a plain wall or a tidy shelf behind you.
- Close other apps and pause downloads so the video does not stutter.
- Join two minutes early, check the camera preview and say a test sentence.
- Look at the camera, not the screen, when you are speaking, and mute when you are not.
The check question
Ask: Where should the main light come from?
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Last reviewed . First published .