Video calls give you something a phone call never does: a face to read. That helps a lot. But Zoom, Teams, and FaceTime bring their own problems, so calls can still wear you out. Here is why, and how to make them easier.
On a plain phone call you lose the speaker's face, and lip cues are a big part of how you follow speech. A video call hands those back. You can watch the mouth and the expression, which fills in words your ears miss.
That is a real advantage. For many people, a video call is easier to follow than the same conversation on the phone.
Video calls are not the same as talking in person. The sound is compressed to travel over the internet, which thins out the detail your brain uses to fill gaps.
On top of that, the picture and sound can drift out of sync, so the lips do not quite match the words. A bad connection adds echo and dropouts. And group calls bring back the overlapping-voices problem.
Compressed audio that loses detail
Lag between the lips and the sound
Echo and dropouts on a weak connection
Several people talking over each other on group calls
A few settings make a real difference, and most take a few seconds. Turn them on before the call starts.
Turn on live captions. Zoom, Teams, Meet, and FaceTime all offer them
Switch to speaker view so the person talking fills the screen
Stream the call to your hearing aids or processor over Bluetooth, or use headphones
Find a quiet room with good light on your own face too
The other side of the call matters too, and most people are happy to help once you ask.
On a group call, ask people to take turns and to unmute only when they speak. It cuts the crosstalk and makes the whole thing easier to follow.
Even with the picture, a video call still leans on your ears to carry compressed, sometimes lagging sound. Following a voice through that is a skill your brain can build.
You start with a clear single voice in quiet, then add difficulty a little at a time. That works on the same skill a call uses: holding onto one speaker when the audio is less than perfect.
SoundSteps uses single-voice and conversation practice, which line up with what calls ask of you. You start calm and build up at your own pace.
It will not fix a laggy connection. What it can do is help your brain get better at following a voice when the sound is imperfect, so the next call feels a little less draining.
FAQ
Usually, yes. A video call gives you the speaker's face, so you get lip cues and expressions back. Those fill in words your ears miss, which a plain phone call cannot offer.
The audio is compressed, the picture and sound can drift out of sync, and weak connections add echo and dropouts. Group calls also bring back overlapping voices.
Turn on live captions, switch to speaker view so the talker fills the screen, and stream the call to your hearing aids or use headphones. A quiet, well-lit room helps too.
Streaming to your hearing aids or processor over Bluetooth sends the sound straight to both ears. If your devices do not stream, headphones over a quiet room are the next best option.
Yes. Following one voice through compressed, imperfect audio is a skill. Practice that starts with a clear voice and adds difficulty gradually trains exactly that.
Related reading
Why calls are hard, what helps today, and how practice builds the skill.
Learn the trust and progression logic behind the first sessions.
Set expectations for short, calm, repeatable listening practice.
What listening fatigue is, how to pace it, and where practice can help.
Keep listening practice short enough to repeat and trust.
SoundSteps
Take the free listening check, then practice following one clear voice. Start in quiet and build from there.
SoundSteps is designed for hearing training and practice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. Consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
