How to make eye contact on video calls.

By the Ace Coach team · Updated October 2026

Why it's harder on video

On a call, the person you're talking to is on your screen, but the camera sits above it. When you look at their face, they see you looking slightly down. When you look at the camera, you can't see them. Everyone on video has this problem, which is why a little effort here makes you stand out.

You don't need to stare at the lens the whole time. Nobody holds eye contact nonstop in person either. What matters is looking at the camera on the lines that count: your first sentence, your key point and the end of your answer.

Set up your screen

• Raise the camera to eye level. A laptop on a desk points up at you and makes you look down. Stack it on books or use a stand.
• Move the call window under the camera. Drag the video to the top center of your screen, as close to the lens as you can. The closer their face is to the camera, the less your gaze drifts.
• Shrink your own view. Watching yourself is the biggest distraction on a call. Once you've checked your framing, hide your self view or make it tiny.
• Keep notes near the lens. If you use notes, put a few keywords just below the camera, not off to one side or down on the desk.

Practice the three moments

Record yourself answering a question for a minute with the same setup you'll use on the call. Play it back with the sound off and watch only your eyes. You're checking three moments:

1. The opening. Your first sentence should go straight to the lens. That's when they're forming an impression.
2. The key point. Look at the camera when you say your number or your main claim. It makes the line land.
3. The ending. Finish your answer looking at the camera, then pause. Looking away as you finish makes you seem unsure of what you said.

Glancing away while you think is normal. Looking up or to the side to remember something is natural. Long stretches of looking down, at notes or a keyboard, are what read as nervous.

Make it feel natural

• Put a small sticker next to the lens. It sounds silly, but a visual reminder works better than willpower in the middle of an answer.
• Talk to one person. Picture someone you like on the other side of the lens. It warms up your face as well as your gaze.
• Don't overcorrect. A fixed, unblinking stare is worse than natural glances away. Aim for the camera on the important lines and relax in between.

Camera height and light make a big difference too. The camera and lighting guide walks through a ten-minute setup.

Ace Coach tracks this for you. Its Face AI follows where you look, flags the moments you looked down and checks your camera height, so you know which lines to fix on the next take.