Before your Zoom meeting
- Run the camera and mic test above. Fix any picture-quality tips (lighting is the big one).
- Close other apps that use the camera — only one app can use it at a time.
- Open Zoom → Settings → Video and pick the same camera. Turn on HD if your connection is good.
- Open Settings → Audio: choose the same microphone and speaker, and use Test mic / Test speaker.
Zoom can't see your camera
- Select the camera in Settings → Video (Zoom sometimes picks a virtual camera).
- Mac: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera → turn on zoom.us, then restart Zoom.
- Windows: Settings → Privacy & security → Camera → allow desktop apps.
- If even this page can't open the camera, see camera not working.
People can't hear you on Zoom
- Check the mute button in the meeting toolbar, and your headset's mute switch.
- In Settings → Audio, select the microphone that moved the meter in this test.
- Turn off "Automatically adjust microphone volume" if your level jumps around, and set it manually.
- Echo? Use headphones. If two people in the same room join the same meeting, only one of them should have mic and speakers unmuted.
Zoom settings worth knowing
- Settings → Video → Adjust for low light brightens a dark room; Touch up my appearance softens the picture.
- Zoom's own test meeting: open zoom.us/test to join a meeting alone and check video and audio inside Zoom.
- Face a light source; camera at eye level.
- Use a headset mic for clearer voice and no echo.
- Record a 5-second clip here — if the recording check says background noise is high, Zoom's noise suppression can help, but a quieter room helps more.