Video calls are now an integral part of our post-lockdown world.

Companies use them for meetings, societies for planning, and loved ones need them to catch up.

Good video call quality can make this necessity a smoother experience and improve your general communication.

Woman on a laptop video call

However, some people may not have good experiences while video calling on their Macs.

The issues that may dampen your video call quality are sometimes things you’re able to fix yourself.

So, we’ve gathered a list of fixes you should look at to improve your video call quality.

A hand in a ring of light

Apple

A popular tip for taking good selfie photos is to find good lighting.

The same science applies to your Mac’s camera in video calls.

Before starting your video call, you might want to experiment with your room’s lighting.

Wi-Fi router and charger on a yellow backgrounhd

For instance, you might get a ring light.

They are cheap, easy to set up, versatile, and effective.

Many video calling apps attempt to change their quality according to your internet speed.

Woman holding cleaning cloth and spray

So, ensure your internet is strong and steady.

If an Ethernet connection is available to you, you should pick that over Wi-Fi.

You should power cycle your router if that doesn’t seem to do much.

Portrait mode activated on FaceTime video

you might read our guide for moreways to improve your Wi-Fi router speed.

If this glass lens is dirty, it might obstruct or distort the light flow into your camera.

Cleaning your webcam regularly improves your camera quality during video calls and prolongs its lifespan.

Google Meet settings window

While this is a good thing, it can become annoying if some of these features negatively affect you.

We’ve listed a few popular apps and what to do to improve your call quality on them.

FaceTime

Unfortunately, FaceTime doesn’t come with many prefs you might tweak as other apps do.

MacBook Using iPhone as the Webcam

Apple

However, there are a few features you might activate that might help boost your presentation.

This mode blurs your background and puts visual focus on you, making your visage more enhanced.

Due to its popularity, Zoom has options that may reduce your call quality by turning off HD videos.

After connecting your external gear, don’t forget to change the app’s controls to use the camera.

If you need help, we have previously coveredhow to change the camera for FaceTime.

Continuity Camera is neat because you don’t have to spend extra money on an external webcam.

Plus, the iPhone’s camera quality is better than most webcams.

It strikes a positive image on people who see you and improves overall communication.