How to Improve the Video and Audio Quality of Webex and Google Meet
Use the following 5 tips to improve the video and audio quality of your Webex and Google Meet Sessions.
- (Webex Only) – Why You Should Use the Desktop / Mobile Application instead of a Web Browser.
- How to improve the Internet speed on your device in the place where you Webex or Google Meet.
- What everyone should do with their device 5-10 minutes before they join a meeting.
- Some options you have if you are using a cell phone data plan or cellular hotspot to connect to a meeting.
- How using headphones with built-in microphone can improve the experience of a remote meeting for everyone.
1). WEBEX ONLY – Use the Desktop / Mobile Application instead of a web browser.
- The Webex Meetings application gives the best user experience possible.
- EVSC APPLE IPADS (K-2): Students using EVSC iPads already have the Webex Meetings app installed on their device. They can install updates for the app from the Student App Portal if the app doesn’t update itself automatically when they restart the iPad.
- If a student is using an iPad/iPhone from home, they will need their parent to install the app from the Apple App Store.
- CHROMEBOOKS (3-12): Students should use the Webex Meetings app from the Google Playstore.
- WINDOWS / MACOS: Everyone should use the Webex Meetings app to join meetings.
- Staff are the only users that login to the Webex app. All other users join meetings using the GUEST option in the app.
2). How is your Internet speed in the place where you Webex or Google Meet?
- Cisco has a website where you can test your Internet speed – https://mediatest.webex.com/#/main.
- If you find that your test results are poor, try doing the test in another room to see if the results improve.
- What can cause fair or poor results:
- Your distance to the Wi-Fi router. Move closer to router. Test again.
- The number of walls between your device and Wi-Fi router can diminish the signal strength. Move to a closer room. Test again.
- Your modem and/or Wi-Fi router has not been reset recently. Turn them both off and back on to see if that improves your speed. Test again.
- NOTE: Depending on your service provider and hardware, restarting your modem and router can take 5-15 minutes.
3). Restart your device AND turn off as many applications that you can before joining a meeting.
- START FRESH! Restarting clears your device’s memory and gives it a fresh connection to the Internet.
- Close UNNEEDED Applications
- Chrome is a BIG consumer of computer memory and Internet speed. Not only does having multiple windows and tabs open consume memory and Internet, all the extensions you have installed in Chrome use resources too.
- If you need to have Chrome open for Google Meet for instance, close as many windows and tabs as you can to free up resources.
- CLOSE other applications on your device that you don’t need running.
- Apple iPad – Double-click the Home button to see all active apps and swipe up on the app tiles to turn them off.
- Chromebook – Click on any active apps in the Apps Shelf and then close using the X button in the top-right corner.
4). If you are on a mobile device, are you using a home’s cable Internet Wi-Fi OR a cell phone data plan or cellular hotspot?
- Test your device’s Internet speed.
- If you are using a cell phone data plan OR a cellular hotspot to join a Webex or Google Meet, it is suggested that you NOT turn on your webcam.
- If you are using a cell phone data plan OR a cellular hotspot AND using your webcam, if the audio cuts in and out, turn off your webcam and try speaking again to see if that improves the quality of your audio.
- AUDIO-ONLY MODE (WEBEX) – If you are using a cell phone data plan OR cellular hotspot and you’re struggling to hear anything, you can use the Audio-Only mode available in the Webex app so you can still listen and participate.
- Apple iOS – Swipe on the screen (left to right) to enable Audio-Only mode.
- Android / Chromebook – Tap/Click the 3-dots button in the toolbar and then tap/select Audio-Only Mode.
- Google Meet currently does NOT have an Audio-Only mode.
5). For the best audio, use a set of headphones with built-in microphone .
Webex and Google Meet use software to filter out background noise and sometimes it can soften your voice when using the microphone built-in to your device.
- If all you have is the microphone in your device, make sure that you:
- speak in the direction of the microphone.
- don’t move around in your seat or swivel – which causes your mic to have trouble focusing on your voice as the sound changes direction.
- keep background noises at a minimum.
- speak in a volume that Webex puts your voice at the front.
- Do you have any earbuds from an iPhone or Android? These earbuds work great and have a microphone built right in.
- Using headphones with mic can eliminate some background noise such as keyboard typing or other people in your room making noise that can be distracting to attendees. If someone else in your meeting room is speaking and you don’t have headphones on, be courteous and mute your microphone.
- If you find that the microphone in your headphones does not work when you plug them into your computer, it may be because:
- the headphones are not working properly.or are broken. Try another pair of headphones.
- the headphone jack in the computer does not allow for the use of that particular microphone. You might need a USB solution.
- Buy a USB adapter with a TRRS headphone jack. Here’s one that’s cheap that you can try.
- Buy a set of headphones (with mic) that plug-in using USB connection. Logitech is a good brand that makes affordable USB headphones.
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