Video calls have become an essential part of our daily lives. Whether for work meetings, catching up with friends and family, or even telehealth appointments, high-quality video calls are something many of us rely on. However, laggy and glitchy video can ruin the experience. So what causes video call lag and how can you fix it?
What Causes Video Call Lag?
There are a few key factors that contribute to laggy video calls:
Internet Connection Issues
The most common culprit is an unreliable internet connection. Video calls require much more bandwidth than simple voice calls or web browsing. Low bandwidth, packet loss, and network congestion can all disrupt the transmission of the audio and video data packets that make up your call.
Problems like low WiFi signal strength, using a shared public network, bandwidth throttling by your ISP, or an underpowered modem/router can starve your video call of the necessary bandwidth. This results in frozen frames, out of sync audio, pixelation, and other lag artifacts.
Computer Performance Problems
Your computer’s processing power, RAM, and other specifications play a big role. Encoding and decoding high-resolution video in real-time requires significant computing resources. An older computer, one with minimal RAM, integrated graphics, lots of background processes, full hard drives, malware, or other performance issues can overload your machine and lead to video call lag.
App/Service Issues
The video calling app or service itself could also be the source of lag if their servers are overloaded or experiencing issues. Apps may have bugs, stability problems, or may not be optimized to work properly on certain devices. Using an unsupported or outdated version of the app can also lead to suboptimal performance.
Device Incompatibility
Trying to use certain older smartphones, tablets, or computers that don’t fully support the video calling platform can result in a laggy experience. Most modern devices should be fine, but very old hardware may struggle with video call duties.
How to Fix Video Call Lag
Luckily there are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and improve laggy video calls:
Check Your Internet Connection
- Run a speed test to check your available bandwidth and look for packet loss or high ping/latency.
- Connect your computer directly to your router with an Ethernet cable, instead of using WiFi.
- Restart your modem and router to clear any issues.
- Contact your ISP if you consistently get poor performance across speed tests.
Reduce Local Network Congestion
- Close any other programs using bandwidth like streaming, downloads, etc.
- Ask others on your local network to reduce bandwidth usage during your call.
- If on WiFi, ensure you have a strong signal and are close to the router.
Use Wired Network Connection
- For desktops and laptops, use Ethernet instead of WiFi whenever possible.
- For mobile devices, disable WiFi and use your mobile data connection if it is faster.
Adjust Video Call Settings
- Reduce video resolution/quality settings in the app.
- Disable HD video and use standard definition if available.
- If internet bandwidth is very limited, try an audio-only call.
Close Other Apps and Tabs
- Close any unnecessary programs running in the background.
- Quit browser tabs and windows not needed for the call.
- Restart your device to clear any memory issues.
Update Your Operating System, Drivers, and Apps
- Check for any available OS and driver updates and install them.
- Update your video calling app to the latest optimized version.
- Update your device to the latest firmware/OS if possible.
Check Hardware Compatibility
- Verify that your device meets the minimum requirements for the video calling platform.
- Consider upgrading devices that are very outdated and don’t support modern video calling features.
Adjust Camera Settings
- On mobile devices, clean the camera lens which could be blurry.
- For webcams, adjust angle and settings in the software settings.
- Make sure proper camera is selected if you have multiple.
Change Physical Locations
- Move closer to your WiFi router or cellular tower for better connectivity.
- Avoid areas with physical obstructions or interference like walls or microwave ovens.
- Step outside or move rooms to improve bandwidth availability.
Disable VPN Connections
- VPN software can throttle bandwidth and increase latency.
- Disable your VPN before joining the video call.
Clear Cache and Saved Data
- Clear cached data for the video calling app in your device settings.
- Uninstall and reinstall the video calling app.
Disable Background Apps
- Force quit or disable any non-essential apps running in the background.
- Temporarily disable antivirus, firewalls, and other network software during the call.
Close Other Tabs & Programs
- Close all unnecessary browsers, tabs, and programs using the network.
- Restart your device before joining the call to clear any memory issues.
Preventing Video Call Lag
Making the following tweaks to your system can help minimize lag during future video calls:
- Optimize router settings for video calling needs.
- Set QoS settings on router to prioritize video traffic.
- Use 5Ghz WiFi instead of 2.4Ghz if available.
- Buy a newer, faster router if yours is outdated.
- Upgrade to a faster internet plan with your ISP.
- Use a wired Ethernet connection for computers whenever possible.
- Reduce unnecessary clutter and background processes on your device.
- Close other apps and browser tabs before joining calls.
- Keep your device OS and video calling apps updated.
- Replace older smartphones, tablets, and computers unable to handle modern video calls.
Conclusion
Video call lag can be frustrating, but is often fixable with some targeted troubleshooting. Start by checking your internet connection strength and stability. Reduce local network congestion, disable WiFi in favor of wired or cellular connections if possible, and adjust video call quality settings. Updating software, closing other apps, changing locations, and altering camera settings can also help. For prevention, optimize your network, declutter your device, and upgrade outdated hardware. With the right fixes and optimal setup, you can get back to smooth, lag-free video calls.