How to Fix Lag and Choppy Video on Zoom or Microsoft Teams

Conquer the Freeze: Quick Fixes for Choppy Video Calls

There is nothing more frustrating than your screen freezing right when you are about to make an important point on a Zoom or Microsoft Teams call. Robotic audio, delayed slides, and the dreaded "Your internet connection is unstable" warning can derail any meeting. Fortunately, you do not need to buy a new computer or upgrade to expensive internet to fix this. Follow this step-by-step guide to eliminate video call lag in under 10 minutes.

Step 1: Kill Background Bandwidth Hogs

Zoom and Teams require steady, uninterrupted upload and download speeds. Even if you have fast internet, background applications might be stealing your bandwidth.

• Close heavy browser tabs: Keep video streaming sites, cloud backups, and online games closed during your meeting.
• Pause active downloads: Ensure operating system updates, launcher updates, or large file syncs are paused.
• Connect via Ethernet: If possible, plug your computer directly into your router with an Ethernet cable. If you must use Wi-Fi, move as close to your router as possible to reduce packet loss.

Step 2: Turn Off HD Video and Virtual Backgrounds

Rendering virtual backgrounds and processing high-definition video takes a massive toll on your computer's processor and graphics card, leading to stuttering video.

• In Zoom: Go to Settings (the gear icon) and select Video, then uncheck the box for Enable HD. Next, go to Background & Effects and select None.
• In Microsoft Teams: Before joining a meeting, turn off Video effects (such as background blur or custom images). During a call, you can click the three dots for More, select Video effects and avatars, and choose to turn them off.

Step 3: Clear Your App Cache

Over time, both Zoom and Teams accumulate temporary files and cache that can cause the apps to lag, freeze, or even crash during calls.

• For Microsoft Teams (Windows): Close Teams completely. Press Windows Key + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams, and press Enter. Delete all files and folders inside this directory, then restart Teams.
• For Zoom: Open Zoom, click your profile picture, go to Settings, select Zoom Apps, and click Clear App Cache.

Step 4: Disable Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration offloads certain tasks to your graphics card. However, if your graphics card is struggling or outdated, this setting can actually cause severe video lag and screen-tearing.

• In Zoom: Go to Settings, click Video, and select Advanced. Uncheck the boxes for hardware acceleration under the options for sending, receiving, and processing video.
• In Microsoft Teams: Click the three dots next to your profile picture and select Settings, then go to General. Check the box that says Disable GPU hardware acceleration, then restart the app.

Step 5: Boost App Priority in Task Manager

If your computer is running slow, you can force your operating system to prioritize your video conferencing app over other background processes.

• On Windows: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Go to the Details tab, find Zoom.exe or Teams.exe, right-click it, hover over Set priority, and select Above Normal or High.
• On Mac: Close all other heavy applications (such as image editors or web browsers) to allow macOS to naturally allocate its system resources to your active video call.