Blurry video? Choppy audio? Constantly freezing? These problems make video calls frustrating for everyone. The good news: most issues are easy to fix. Here's how to get better quality without buying expensive equipment.

Find Out What's Wrong First

Before you try fixing things, figure out where the problem is. Go to speedtest.net and run a quick test. You need:

At least 5 Mbps download speed
At least 3 Mbps upload speed

If your speeds are way below that, your internet connection is the problem. If they're fine, something else is going on.

Fix Your Internet Connection

This is usually the biggest issue. Here's what helps:

Use a Cable If You Can: Plugging your computer directly into your router with an ethernet cable almost always works better than WiFi. It's more stable and faster.

Get Closer to Your Router: If you must use WiFi, move closer to your router. Walls and distance really hurt your signal.

Close Other Programs: Before your call, close anything that uses internet—streaming videos, downloads, cloud backups. They steal bandwidth from your video call.

Ask Your Household: If your kid is streaming a movie or your partner is downloading files, your call will suffer. Ask them to pause during important meetings.

Improve Your Video

Clean Your Camera: Sounds silly, but a dirty camera lens makes everything blurry. Wipe it with a soft cloth.

Fix Your Lighting: Bad lighting is why you look like a shadowy blob. The easiest fix? Face a window. Natural light from in front of you works wonders. No window? Put a lamp behind your computer pointing at your face.

Avoid Backlighting: Don't sit with a window or bright light behind you. It makes you look like a dark silhouette.

Position Your Camera: Put it at eye level. Nobody wants to look up your nose or at the top of your head.

Get Better Sound

People care more about audio than video. You can have a blurry picture, but if your sound cuts out, the meeting falls apart.

Use Headphones: This stops echo. Built-in laptop speakers + microphone = echo city. Any headphones are better than none.

Get Away From Noise: Close windows if there's traffic. Turn off fans. Find a quiet spot. Your microphone picks up more than you think.

Test Before You Join: Most video platforms let you test audio before joining. Use it. Adjust your volume so you're not too quiet or too loud.

If Things Go Wrong During a Call

Video Getting Choppy? Turn your video off temporarily. Audio-only is better than a frozen, stuttering video.

Still Bad? Close any other programs or browser tabs you're not using. They're eating up your computer's resources.

Really Desperate? Restart your router. Unplug it, wait 30 seconds, plug it back in. It's the "turn it off and on again" of internet problems, and it works surprisingly often.

Common Problems and Quick Fixes

Everything's Pixelated and Blocky: Your internet is too slow. Close other programs, get closer to your router, or switch to an ethernet cable.

You Hear Yourself Echoing: Use headphones. That's almost always the fix.

Video Keeps Freezing: Close everything else on your computer. Still bad? Your internet might be the issue—run that speed test.

People Say They Can't Hear You: Check that your microphone isn't muted. Sounds obvious, but it happens to everyone.

The $0 Upgrades

You don't need to spend money to improve quality:

Face a window for better lighting
Use any headphones you have
Get closer to your router
Clean your camera lens
Close unnecessary programs
Pick a quiet room

These simple changes make a huge difference.

The Bottom Line

Most video call problems come down to three things: internet speed, lighting, and audio setup. Fix those, and you'll look and sound way better than most people on video calls.

You don't need professional equipment or technical knowledge. Just a few simple tweaks, and you're good to go.

Ready for smooth, high-quality calls? Try Roomz.Live and put these tips to work.

Fix Your Blurry, Laggy Video Calls