Guide

How to make eye contact on video calls

On a video call, looking at someone's face on your screen makes it look as if you're looking away. Here's how to set up your camera, light and notes so you come across as engaged and confident.

Updated 2026-10-16 · by Kalyan Kaushik K N

Why eye contact is harder on camera

In a room, you look at someone's eyes and they can see you're looking at them. On a video call, their face is on your screen and your camera is somewhere else: usually above the screen, sometimes below it or off to the side. When you look at their face, they see you looking slightly down or away.

Most people on calls accept this, so it isn't a disaster. But in an interview, a pitch or a presentation, the people who look at the camera when it counts come across as noticeably more present and confident. The good news is that it's mostly a matter of set-up and habit.

Step 1: put the camera at eye level

Camera height affects everything else. A laptop on a desk puts the camera below your eyes, so you end up looking down at it and the viewer looks up at you.

Raise the laptop so the camera is level with your eyes, or very slightly above. A stack of books or a laptop stand works fine.
With an external webcam, mount it on top of your monitor, centred, at eye level.
Sit about an arm's length away. Too close and your face fills the frame; too far and you look distant.

Step 2: move the call window next to the camera

The closer the other person's face is to the lens, the smaller the gap between "looking at them" and "looking at the camera".

Drag the video call window to the top centre of your screen, just under the camera.
If your app lets you, shrink your own self-view or hide it. Watching yourself is one of the biggest causes of drifting eyes.
In gallery view with many people, pin the speaker you most need to watch and place them near the camera.

Step 3: know when to look at the lens

You don't need to stare into the lens the whole time; it can feel stiff, and you also need to read people's reactions. A practical balance:

Look at the lens when you're speaking, especially for your main points, your opening and your closing. This is what makes the other person feel you're talking to them.
Look at the screen when you're listening, so you can see their face and react naturally.
Glance back to the lens at the start of each answer or each new point.

A small sticker or arrow next to the camera can remind you where to look, especially in the first few minutes when nerves are high.

Step 4: light your face from the front

People can't see your eyes if your face is in shadow.

Face the light. A window in front of you, or slightly to one side, gives soft, even light.
Avoid a bright window behind you. The camera adjusts for the bright background and your face goes dark.
Use a lamp if needed. Place it behind your screen, pointing towards you. Bounce it off a wall if it's harsh.
Avoid lighting from directly above, which casts shadows under your eyes.
Watch for glare on glasses. Tilt the light or the screen slightly until the reflection moves away from your eyes.

Step 5: frame yourself well

Good framing makes eye contact easier to read.

Your eyes should sit roughly a third of the way down the frame.
Show your head and shoulders, with a little space above your head.
Centre yourself; don't sit off to one side.
Keep your hands visible now and then when you gesture, rather than out of frame the whole time.

Using notes without looking away

Notes are fine, but reading them breaks eye contact.

Put notes close to the camera. A few words on a sticky note next to the lens, or in a small window just under it, means your eyes barely move.
Use bullet points, not sentences. You should be able to glance, take in the point, and look back.
Look down, then up, then speak. Read the next point, return your eyes to the lens, and only then start talking.
Don't read a script. Viewers can tell when your eyes are moving left to right across a line.

Common mistakes

Watching your own video. It's distracting and pulls your eyes away from the camera.
A second monitor off to the side. If the call is on one screen and the camera is on another, you'll look away for the whole call. Keep the call on the screen with the camera.
Looking down at the keyboard while thinking. Look up at the lens or briefly away to the side instead.
Darting eyes. Moving between the lens, the screen and your notes every second looks nervous. Hold each look for a full thought.
A dark face. If your eyes can't be seen, the best eye contact won't help.

A set-up checklist

Camera at eye level, about an arm's length away.
Call window at the top centre, near the camera.
Self-view hidden or made small.
Light in front of you, nothing bright behind you.
Head and shoulders in frame, eyes about a third of the way down.
Short notes placed next to the camera.
A reminder to look at the lens when you speak.

Practise it out loud

Eye contact is a habit, and habits improve when you can measure them. Kayavak measures how much of the time you look at the camera, which stands in for your interviewer or audience. While you practise there's an eye-contact meter and gentle nudges such as "Come back to the camera", and afterwards the report shows your eye contact alongside a timeline of moments to review. Try it in interview practice or presentation practice, and download Kayavak free.