Zoom has taken the world by storm. People love to use Zoom for official video calls thanks to its easy-to-use interface and great features. However, not everyone is aware of all the features offered and may consider whether to use a simple app like Google Duo over Zoom. Well, there’s no need to rush. We will share some useful Zoom video settings to help you capture video calls right away.
Zoom’s daily active users have skyrocketed from 10 million to 200 million due to the unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic. When people are working from home, it can take time to go through each setting for optimal use of the Zoom app.
Let’s take a look at some helpful video tips to use in Zoom meetings on Windows PC or Mac.
1. Access Video Settings
We’re going to have to tweak the Zoom video settings a few times while working with this post. Therefore, you should know how to open it. There are two ways to open Zoom’s video settings.
Method 1: Open Video Settings Before Meeting
Stage 1: Launch the Zoom app on your PC. Then click on the settings icon at the top.
step 2: Click the Video tab from the left sidebar.
Method 2: Launch Video Settings From Within a Meeting
To do this, click the small up arrow next to the Video option at the bottom. Select Video Settings from it.
2. Test the Camera View
If you’re not sure how you’ll look in your video or what the background looks like, you can try Zoom’s video preview feature. For this, open the video settings in Zoom as shown above. In the Video tab, you will see a live preview of your video.
3. Change Camera
In case your laptop supports dual cameras or you use an external camera, you can set one of them as your default camera in the Zoom app. Sometimes, when the video is not working in the Zoom app, the correct camera is not set as default and thus you run into an issue. This setting will help you solve that too.
To change the camera in Zoom, open the video settings. Next, click on the dropdown box next to the Camera option. Select the camera from the list.
Alternatively, if you’re in a meeting, click the arrow next to Video. Then select the camera from the menu to quickly switch.
Pro Tip: Use the shortcut Alt + N (Windows) and Command(⌘) + Shift + N (Mac) to switch between cameras.
4. Add Snapchat Filters to the Zoom Meeting
Meetings can be boring sometimes. You can add Snapchat filters to your videos to bring them to life. It is possible with the help of the Snap Camera app. For this you will need to install the Snap Camera app and then change the default camera in Zoom as shown above. We have covered the steps in detail. Check out our post on how to use Snapchat filters in Zoom meetings.
5. Retouch View
If Snapchat filters seem too extreme, but you still want to add an effect to your video, you should try the native retouch feature in Zoom. Launch video settings in Zoom to use in your video. Then check the box next to Retouch my appearance.
6. Change Video Ratio
By default, Zoom displays videos in 16:9 ratio, i.e. widescreen mode. You can change this and display the video in its original ratio as captured by your camera.
For that, go to Video settings. Under Camera, select Original Ratio.
7. Rotate Camera
Is your camera showing an incorrect view of your video? You must have rotated it by mistake or it might be stuck in tablet mode. Open Zoom video settings to rotate your camera. Click Rotate on the video preview screen.
8. Add Virtual Background to Zoom Meetings
Many of us worry about our past when making a video call. Fortunately, you can deal with it. Choose Zoom’s virtual background to make your video stream look different. You can choose from available virtual backgrounds or add your own.
Go to Zoom settings to change your background. Click Virtual Background from the left sidebar. Choose a background. Click the add icon to install from your computer.
9. Disable Video in a Meeting
When you’re in a meeting, someone might accidentally break in or come near your camera footage. To avoid such moments, you can quickly disable your camera. To do this, click on the Stop video option at the bottom of the meeting screen. Alternatively, right-click on your video and select Stop video.
Pro Tip: Use the shortcut Alt + V (Windows) and Command(⌘) + Shift + V (Mac) to start or stop the video.
10. Disable Video of Joining a Meeting
When you want to turn off your video, you have to use the above setting. If you want to disable your video before joining any meeting on Zoom, there is a setting for that. You can then start the video whenever you want.
For that, go to Zoom video settings. Then check the box next to Turn off my video when joining a meeting.
11. Change Appearance
While in a meeting, the video of all participants will be displayed in small tiles. It is known as the gallery view. If you feel distracted, you can change it to show only the speaker’s video. To do this, click the Speaker or Gallery view icon located at the top of the meeting screen.
Pro Tip: You can hide participants whose video is not shown by going to Zoom video settings. Check the Hide non-video participants option.
12. Hide Yourself
In Gallery view, you can hide your video from yourself so that it doesn’t take up space on your screen. The video will continue to be seen by others. To do this, right-click on your video window and select Hide Self-View. To show your video again, click the Show yourself button at the top.
13. Disable Participant Video
If you are the owner of a meeting, you can disable any participant’s video. For this, right-click on the video preview screen and select Stop Video.
They won’t be able to restart the video unless you let them. For that, right-click again and select Ask to start video.
Make the most of it
Video plays an important role in remote meetings. You can improve your work from home experience on Zoom by using the tips mentioned in this post. We hope you enjoy our collection of useful Zoom video settings. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below.
Next: If you want to master this powerful tool, check out our ultimate Zoom guide. See below.
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