Where Should You Actually Look During a Video Call? The Camera-Eye Contact Problem
During a video call, look mainly where the conversation requires your attention, and use the area near the camera when you want to address the other person directly. That usually means moving naturally between the person’s face, the lens area, and any material you are discussing. Staring into the webcam for the entire call can make you appear attentive while making it harder to notice the other person’s reactions.
The camera-eye contact problem comes from a physical mismatch. The lens records your face, while the face you want to look at appears somewhere else on the screen. Looking at that person’s eyes therefore doesn’t always look like eye contact to them. Good positioning can reduce the mismatch, but a useful conversation still involves more than gaze direction.
Why looking at a face can look like looking away
In a room, the person you are attending to is also the person seeing your gaze. In a conventional video call, the camera and their on-screen face occupy different positions. If their video sits near the bottom of a large display, looking at it can make your eyes appear noticeably lowered.
The gap becomes larger when you put the call on a second monitor while the camera remains on your laptop. You may be watching the speaker closely, yet the transmitted image shows your face turned sideways. The other person can’t necessarily see what you are looking at.
This is why “just make eye contact” is incomplete advice. You are balancing the information you need to receive with the impression your camera sends. Adjusting the setup can make that balance easier than trying to control every eye movement.
Move the conversation closer to the camera
Place the main speaker’s video window near the camera where your software and screen layout allow it. On a laptop with a top-center camera, a smaller window near the upper middle of the display may reduce the distance between the face and the lens.
Keep the face large enough to read comfortably. Shrinking the window until you can barely see expressions defeats the purpose. If you use a separate camera, consider placing it near the display you actually watch rather than leaving it beside a screen you rarely use.
Bring short notes near the same area when you need them. A few prompts are easier to consult than a full script spread across another monitor. If the task requires looking away to inspect a document, you can briefly explain that you are checking it.
Use the camera area when addressing a person directly
A greeting, an important explanation, or a closing question can be a useful moment to look near the lens. You don’t need to hold the position rigidly. The purpose is to make the address feel clear while continuing to speak comfortably.
For example, during a presentation you might look near the camera while stating the main recommendation, then return to the audience view to notice reactions. During a one-to-one conversation, you may naturally spend more time looking at the person’s face while they speak.
Avoid turning this into a fixed schedule such as looking at the camera every few seconds. That adds a performance task to a conversation that already requires attention. Choose the moment based on what you are saying and what you need to observe.
Looking exactly into the lens isn’t a universal solution
A 2025 Journal of Vision study by Alice Gao and colleagues examined perceived eye contact when a person’s image is captured by a camera and displayed on a screen. Their results favored gaze slightly below the lens over gaze directly into it for the perception they measured. The finding challenges the idea that the exact center of a camera is always the best target.
That doesn’t establish one correct screen coordinate for every person, device, or meeting. Perceived gaze depends on the image and viewing arrangement, and a controlled judgment of eye contact is different from the success of a real conversation. Treat the result as a reason to test your setup, rather than as a demand to calculate a precise angle before each call.
A practical starting point is the camera area, followed by feedback from a short recording or a trusted colleague. Small adjustments can matter more than trying to maintain an unnatural stare.
Look at the speaker when you need to listen
Facial expression, mouth movement, and timing can help you follow what someone is saying. Looking away from the screen to maintain a camera-facing appearance may remove information you need. This matters especially when the audio is unclear, the subject is sensitive, or visual speech cues support your understanding.
Listening should remain the priority. Let your gaze move to the face, the shared document, or the relevant part of the screen. A brief nod or a verbal response can communicate attention without requiring you to stare toward the lens.
Don’t infer that someone is disengaged merely because their gaze looks unusual. They may be using multiple displays, reading captions, taking notes, or managing an accessibility need. Gaze is one imperfect cue among several.
Handle group calls differently from one-to-one conversations
In a group call, participants may see different layouts. The person you are looking at might appear in one corner of your screen and somewhere else on another participant’s display. Your gaze cannot reliably identify a single recipient for everyone.
Use names or clear turn-taking language when directing a question. “Maya, could you explain the testing result?” is more dependable than looking toward a video tile and assuming everyone knows whom you mean. Leave enough space for the person to respond, particularly when the call has a delay.
When presenting to a group, use the camera area for direct address and check the participant view at natural transitions. You can also pause to invite questions rather than trying to read every small facial expression while speaking. Clear organization helps remote listeners keep track even when visual cues are limited.
During screen sharing, prioritize the shared task
If you are explaining a spreadsheet or demonstrating software, you need to look at the work. Pretending to maintain eye contact while operating unfamiliar controls can cause errors and make the explanation harder to follow. Tell listeners what you are checking and describe the relevant change as it happens.
Keep the shared area readable and remove unrelated windows before the call. A participant trying to locate a tiny field on a crowded screen has a more immediate problem than the direction of your gaze. Our article on too many competing visual targets applies to screen sharing as well as slides.
Return to the audience view after a demonstration or at a decision point. Ask a specific question that checks whether the important step was clear. That gives the conversation a place to resume rather than letting the screen share become an uninterrupted monologue.
Reduce self-view when it becomes a distraction
Your own image can be useful while checking framing and lighting. During a conversation, however, it may draw attention toward how you look instead of what the other person is saying. If your call software allows it, hide your self-view after checking the setup.
Hiding self-view usually changes what you see, not whether other participants can see you, but confirm the behavior in your application. Keep essential controls accessible and check that you haven’t turned off your camera unintentionally.
You don’t need a perfect background or constant self-monitoring to have a useful call. A stable camera position, a visible face, and understandable audio give you a practical foundation. For the speaking side, see how to speak clearly during a presentation.
Test the setup with a short, realistic recording
Record a brief explanation while looking at the on-screen face position you normally use, then try the camera area. Watch the recordings at an ordinary viewing size. Check whether one version looks more directly addressed and whether the change makes speaking or listening uncomfortable.
Include a glance at your notes and a moment of looking at shared material. Those movements belong to real calls, so a test that excludes them may give you an unrealistic target. If you ask someone for feedback, ask what they could follow and whether any gaze shift was confusing.
The best arrangement lets you receive information and make your meaning clear without constant effort. Place people and notes sensibly, use direct address when it matters, and let your eyes move when the task requires it. A responsive conversation is more valuable than an uninterrupted camera-facing pose.
