How to Look Better on Zoom Settings: 6 Changes to Make
If you want to know how to look better on Zoom settings-wise, make six changes: turn on HD video, switch on "Touch up my appearance" at a low level, set "Adjust for low light" to auto, understand what "Mirror my video" does, fix your framing and camera height, and set the same options in the Zoom phone app. It takes about five minutes and you only do it once.
Most people never open the video settings at all. That's why the default Zoom look is a bit soft, a bit dark and shot from below.
If you've fixed every setting and still don't love what you see, Glowmaxx can tell you which lever outside the software (light, angle, skin, hair or grooming) is holding you back. Start my glow-up
Where to find Zoom video settings
On the desktop app, click your profile picture, then Settings, then Video (some versions split appearance options into Background & Effects). During a meeting, click the small arrow next to Start/Stop Video and choose Video Settings. Zoom updates its menus often, so if a label is slightly different, the Settings search bar usually finds it.
Here are the six changes, in order of impact.
| # | Setting | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HD | Settings > Video | Sends a sharper image when your connection allows |
| 2 | Touch up my appearance | Settings > Video | Light skin smoothing with a strength slider |
| 3 | Adjust for low light | Settings > Video | Brightens the image in dim rooms |
| 4 | Mirror my video | Settings > Video | Flips your self-view only |
| 5 | Framing and camera | Your desk | Angle and distance, the biggest real-world fix |
| 6 | Phone app settings | Zoom app > Settings > Meetings | Same fixes on mobile |
1. Turn on HD video
Tick HD in Video settings. Your camera and internet decide whether you actually get HD, but leaving it off guarantees you won't.
Zoom settings for better video quality
- Close other apps using your camera or bandwidth (streaming, big downloads).
- Sit closer to your Wi-Fi router or use a cable if you can.
- If your laptop camera is very old, an external webcam is the one upgrade that settings can't replace.
This is often the answer to "why do I look better on Zoom than Teams," or the other way around. Different apps compress video differently and have different defaults, so the same camera can look sharper in one than another. Check the HD setting in whichever one looks worse.
2. Touch up my appearance
This is the closest thing to a Zoom filter that makes you look better without looking fake.
How to use it
- Tick Touch up my appearance.
- Drag the slider to about a quarter of the way.
- Look at your preview and move your head. If your skin smears or your edges blur when you move, lower it.
Other Zoom video filters
Zoom also has Video Filters and Studio Effects (eyebrows, lip color, facial hair) in Background & Effects. They're fun for a group chat call. For a class or a meeting, stick with a low touch-up; heavy effects tend to flicker at the edges.
3. Adjust for low light
Set Adjust for low light to Auto, or choose Manual and slide it up in a dim room.
It helps, but it's a boost, not a lamp. Pushing it hard adds grain. The better move is real light in front of you: face a window or put a lamp behind your screen, just above eye level. Settings tidy up a picture; light makes the picture.
This is where most people get stuck: you can change settings all day, but you can't tell by looking whether your face is dull because of the lighting, your skin, or the angle. Glowmaxx scores one selfie on five levers you can change, each 1-10 with a one-line note, and gives you three moves for today aimed at the lowest. Start my glow-up
4. Mirror my video: what it changes
Mirror my video is on by default. It only changes what you see, not what others see.
- On: your self-view looks like a mirror, which feels familiar.
- Off: you see yourself the way everyone else does.
Neither makes you look better to others. But if you hate your self-view, leaving mirroring on can make you less self-conscious, and that shows. A relaxed face looks better than a tense one checking itself.
Hide self-view
Right-click your own video and choose Hide self view. People still see you, you just stop staring at yourself. A lot of people find this makes them look better on Zoom calls simply because they stop tensing up.
5. Framing and camera position
No setting beats a good camera angle. This is the real answer to "how do I make me look better on Zoom."
How to look better on Zoom camera angles
- Camera at eye level. Put the laptop on books or a box. Looking down into a low camera adds chins and shows your ceiling.
- Arm's length back. Too close and the wide webcam lens enlarges your nose and forehead.
- Head and shoulders in frame, with a little space above your head.
- Center yourself in the box.
Where should I look during a Zoom meeting?
Look at the camera when you're speaking and at the screen when you're listening. A trick: drag the Zoom window so the speaker's video sits right under your webcam. Then looking at them almost looks like eye contact.
For a no-makeup version of this setup, see how to look good on Zoom without makeup.
6. Settings on the Zoom phone app
On your phone, open Zoom, tap Settings (or More > Settings), then Meetings.
- Turn on Touch up my appearance and set the slider low.
- Turn on HD video if your version shows it.
- Check Mirror my video if you want the familiar view.
- In a meeting, tap More > Background & Effects to blur your background.
Phone framing
Don't hold the phone. Lean it on a stack of books at eye level, a little more than arm's length away, in landscape if you're presenting and portrait if it's a quick call. The phone tips in our FaceTime guide work exactly the same on Zoom mobile.
What Reddit gets right (and wrong)
"How to look better on Zoom" Reddit threads mostly agree: raise the camera, face a window, get a cheap light. That's right. What they skip is that settings like HD and touch-up are free and take a minute, and that low-light boosts can't replace real light. Use both.
Know what to fix after the settings are right
Now you know how to look better on Zoom settings: HD on, touch-up low, low light on auto, mirroring understood, camera at eye level, phone app matched. What settings can't tell you is which part of your own look is weakest today. Take one selfie in your Zoom spot and Glowmaxx gives you a glow score out of 100 across skin, hair, grooming, posture and angle, and light and fit, plus three moves for today. It's in your browser, nothing to install.
FAQ
What is the best Zoom setting to look better?
Turn on HD and "Touch up my appearance" at a low level, and set "Adjust for low light" to auto. Then raise your camera to eye level, which matters more than any checkbox.
Why do I look better on Zoom than Teams?
Apps compress and process video differently, and their default settings differ. Zoom's touch-up and low-light options may be on in one app and not the other. Check HD and lighting settings in whichever app looks worse.
Does "Mirror my video" change how others see me?
No. It only flips your own self-view. Other people always see the unflipped version.
Is there a Zoom filter to look better?
"Touch up my appearance" is the most natural option. Zoom's Video Filters and Studio Effects are more playful and can look obvious in a meeting.
How do I look better on Zoom on my phone?
Turn on touch-up in the app's Meetings settings, blur your background during a call, and prop the phone at eye level instead of holding it low. Face a window if you can.