How do I make a video call work properly?

Most video call problems are one of three things: not enough upload bandwidth, competition from other devices, or a camera pointed at a window. All three are fixable in a few minutes.

Step by step

1. Test your upload speed, not just download.Video calls send as well as receive, and upload is typically a fraction of download on most connections. It is the number that decides whether you freeze.
2. Use a cable if you can.An ethernet cable removes wifi variability entirely and is the single most effective fix for a call that keeps dropping.
3. Get closer to the router if you cannot.Or use the 5GHz band if you are in range. A weak wifi signal is the most common cause of a poor call in a house with adequate broadband.
4. Stop other things competing.Streaming, downloads, cloud backup and other people's video calls all use the same upload capacity. Pausing them for the duration makes a visible difference.
5. Close other applications.Video encoding is processor-intensive. A laptop running a dozen browser tabs and a video call struggles at the encoding rather than the network.
6. Put light in front of you, not behind.A window behind you makes you a silhouette. Facing a window, or a lamp beside the screen, transforms how you look for no cost at all.
7. Raise the camera to eye level.A laptop on a desk points up your nose. A stack of books under it costs nothing and changes the whole impression.
8. Use a headset for the audio.Audio matters more than video for being understood. Any headset with a microphone beats laptop speakers and eliminates echo.

Tips

• Turning your own video off is the fastest fix for a struggling call. Audio needs a fraction of the bandwidth and it is what actually matters.
• Test the setup before an important call, not during it. Most platforms have a device test page.
• If you freeze but others do not, it is your upload. If everyone freezes, it is the platform or the host's connection.

Questions people ask