Setup your selfie kit for live video meetings with two devices

If you're looking to capture the best picture quality while also viewing your audience on a large computer screen zoom interface, you'll want to set up with two devices—your phone and your computer.

Note: You're going to join the zoom meeting twice, using two devices (your phone and computer). We suggest doing a quick test run to get comfortable with it, but it's easier than it sounds!

Join zoom on your computer

First, join the zoom meeting on your computer. This will be your main display for viewing all participants.

Mute yourself in the zoom app on your computer in the bottom left of the zoom window so you don't get a terrible screeching noise when you join from your phone, and turn off your video. (See screenshot below.)

Turn off the sound (speakers) on your computer to avoid an echo once you finish setup.

Lastly, if you'd like to see all participants, turn the computer zoom to gallery view instead of speaker view. This setting appears on the top right of the zoom window. (See screenshot below.)

Join zoom on your phone

Next, join the same zoom link on the zoom app on your phone (and have your phone placed in the tripod, angled to capture you in your best frame and lighting). Make sure you're not signed into the same account on both devices. Stay signed out of zoom on just one device, it doesn't matter which, or Zoom will kick you out of the first device.

You'll have the camera and microphone on your phone on, and the sound on and up so you can hear it. You'll want to position the phone and computer as close as possible - the farther apart they are from each other, the more you'll present a "side angle" view of yourself and the less eye contact with the camera/audience you'll have.

Skip the lapel microphone for the zoom setup, since it will disrupt the sound coming out of your phone's speakers.

Setup Summary

With this setup, your microphone and camera will capture you from your phone, sound will come out of your phone, and the interface you look at will be on your computer. The result is better video quality and more control over the picture/framing, with the better computer zoom interface for you to see your audience or those you're interacting with.