Audio and Video Troubleshooting for Virtual Meetings (Best Practices)

Virtual meetings, regardless of what system is used, can run into a number of technology issues, many around audio or video. Success starts with using best practices, but there are also some additional troubleshooting tips to try.

Best Practices

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Use headphones with a microphone. To cut down on background noise and improve audio quality for everyone, use headphones/headsets with an integrated microphone. If your microphone position is adjustable, be sure it’s not too close to your nose or too far from your mouth for the clearest sound.
     
  • Check your settings. Be sure that the appropriate output and input are listed and that your volume is loud enough to be audible. If you're on the desktop version of Teams, you can go to Settings>Devices and Make a test call to check your sound. If you're using Zoom, you can test your Speakers and Microphone from within a meeting room.
     
  • Have participants who aren’t speaking mute their microphones. Excessive background noise can make it hard to hear what’s going on.
     
  • Turn off your video. Use video only when necessary. Video uses the most bandwidth, followed by screen sharing and audio. If your connection gets spotty, try turning off either your outgoing and/or incoming video to see if that improves it.
     
  • Close other programs/browser tabs. Close all other programs and browser tabs on your computer except for the browser or application you are using for your session. Open tabs slow down both your network and your device.
     
  • Limit application sharing. Share applications and screens only when necessary. Sharing single files is best practice. You can also share links to documents or files in the chat.
     
  • Use supported browsers and/or applications. For the best experience use Safari on iOS devices and Chrome on Android devices. When using Microsoft Teams, use the desktop or mobile app or Chrome or Edge browsers. 
     
  • Try a different browser or application. If you run into issues, try another supported browser or application to see if you have better performance. You can also try clearing your browser cache or restarting your device.
     
  • Make sure your browsers/device are up to date. Older versions of browsers and operating systems often contain bugs that affect performance.
     
  • Use a hard-wired (Ethernet) connection, if possible. If you have to use Wi-Fi, try to be as close to the router as possible. A connection with at least a minimum of 12 Megabytes per Second (Mbps) is recommended. If you run into issues, check your network connection.
     
  • Disable Ad blockers. Browser ad blockers can shut off your audio and video and disable buttons. 
     
  • Check your CPU usage. Older computers struggle if too many programs are running at the same time. Check by going to your Task Manager on a Windows computer or Activity Monitor on a Mac computer.
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