Technical Difficulties During a Video Interview: What to Say
A calm recovery playbook for technical difficulties during a video interview: exact scripts for frozen video, dropped calls, lag and dead laptops, plus an email.
You are halfway through your best answer and the screen freezes. Or the interviewer’s mouth is moving and no sound comes out. Or the call simply ends and a “reconnecting” spinner takes its place. Technical difficulties during a video interview feel catastrophic in the moment, mostly because you cannot see how the other person is reacting.
They are almost never catastrophic. What follows is a scenario-by-scenario playbook with the exact words to use, so that when something breaks you are reading from a script instead of improvising while your heart rate climbs.
The short answer: say what happened in one sentence, fix it or rejoin within about a minute, and pick up where you left off. If you cannot get back in, email the interviewer immediately and offer a phone call. Interviewers expect occasional glitches. They remember how calmly you handled it far more than the glitch itself.
Prevention in three lines
The general setup checklist lives in our video interview tips. For recovery specifically, three things matter:
- A backup device (your phone with the meeting app installed and signed out of anything personal) charged and within reach.
- A hotspot ready to go, with your phone’s hotspot name and password already known, not looked up mid-crisis.
- The interviewer’s email and a phone number saved before the call, from the invite or the recruiter’s signature.
Frozen video or audio drops: technical difficulties during a video interview, scenario by scenario
These are the most common problems, and the fix is nearly always the same: name it briefly, give it a few seconds, then act.
Your video freezes but audio still works
If you can still hear them and they can hear you, the call is fine. Keep talking. If they mention it, say:
“It looks like my video froze. I can still hear you clearly. Would you like me to keep going while it catches up, or turn my camera off and on?”
If it does not recover in 20 or 30 seconds, turn your camera off and back on. If it still freezes, offer to continue with audio only for a few minutes. That is better than a stuttering picture.
Their audio drops out
If you see their lips moving and hear nothing, do not guess at the question. Wait two seconds, then:
“I’m sorry, I lost your audio for the last few seconds. Could you repeat the question?”
If it keeps happening, check that your speaker setting has not switched to another device, especially if you use wireless earbuds. Turning on live captions, if the platform offers them, gives you a second way to catch what they said.
They cannot hear you
You will usually notice this when they start leaning toward their screen or typing in the chat. First check the obvious: are you muted? Did your earbuds disconnect? Then type in the chat so they know you are on it:
“Sorry, fixing my mic now, one moment.”
If switching the microphone in settings does not fix it within a minute, leave and rejoin. Many audio problems clear up on a fresh connection.
Lag that causes you to talk over each other
A small delay means you both start talking at the same time, both stop, and both say “sorry, go ahead.” It is awkward but very fixable.
- Name it once. “There seems to be a little delay on the line. I’ll make sure to pause at the end of my answers.”
- Leave a full beat after they finish before you start, and a clear stop at the end of yours.
- End answers with a cue so they know you are done: “That’s the short version. Happy to go into more detail on any part.”
- If you are interrupted, yield. Stop, let them finish, and then say, “To finish my earlier point quickly…”
If the lag is severe enough that every exchange collides, see the phone rule below.
What to do if Zoom crashes during an interview or you get kicked out
The call ends, the app closes or your internet cuts out. The clock matters here.
Within the first 60 seconds: rejoin from the same link. Do not stop to write an email first. Most reconnections happen in under a minute, and the interviewer is probably still in the meeting waiting for you.
When you are back, keep it short:
“Sorry about that, my connection dropped. The last thing I remember saying was about the budget process. Should I pick up there?”
Naming where you left off saves them from trying to remember, and shows you are still focused on the conversation, not the glitch.
If you cannot rejoin within about 60 seconds: switch to your hotspot or backup device and try again. While that is connecting, send a two-line email or text if you have their number:
“My connection dropped and I’m rejoining from my phone now. I’ll be back in about a minute.”
That way they are not left wondering whether you have disappeared. If you are on Zoom specifically, our Zoom interview tips cover the settings worth checking before the call.
Your laptop dies or the interviewer’s tech fails
Your laptop dies
Do not try to diagnose it. Grab your backup device and join from the meeting link there. If you cannot find the link quickly, email the interviewer right away with your phone number and ask them to call you. When you are back:
“Apologies, my laptop shut down. I’m on my phone now and ready to continue.”
You will be on a smaller screen with a less flattering camera angle. That is fine. Prop the phone at eye level and keep going.
The interviewer’s tech fails
This happens more than candidates expect, and it is a quiet chance to look good. Stay in the meeting, do not leave, and give them a minute or two. If they drop off, send a calm message:
“No problem at all, I’m still in the meeting and happy to wait. If it’s easier, you can also call me at [your number].”
When they return, do not make them apologize at length. “No worries, these things happen” and move on. The way you respond to their problem tells them a lot about what you would be like to work with.
The phone rule: when to switch
Here is a simple decision rule. Offer to switch to a phone call when either of these is true:
- The same problem has happened twice, even if each time was brief.
- A single problem has lasted more than two or three minutes with no improvement.
Say it plainly, as an offer, not an apology:
“I’d rather give you a clear conversation than a choppy one. Would it work to continue by phone? I can call you, or you can reach me at [your number].”
Most interviewers will take you up on it. Many video platforms also have a phone dial-in number in the invite, which keeps everyone in the same meeting. A phone interview has its own rhythm, and our phone interview tips cover how to adjust when you lose the visual channel.
How to email an interviewer about technical issues
If the call cannot be resumed, send this within five minutes. Not an hour later, and not after you have calmed down. Speed is part of the message.
Subject: Our 2:00 interview, connection issue
Hi [name],
I’m sorry our call cut off. My connection dropped and I wasn’t able to rejoin. I’m still very interested in the role and would be glad to continue whenever works for you.
I’m available now by phone at [your number], or I’m happy to reschedule at a time that suits you.
Thank you for your patience, [Your name]
Keep it at that length. Do not explain your router, your internet provider or your laptop’s battery. One sentence of explanation, one sentence of interest, a clear next step.
A line for the thank-you email
If the interview did recover, mention it once in your thank-you note and then move on to substance:
“Thank you again for your patience with the connection issue partway through. I especially enjoyed our conversation about how the team plans its quarterly priorities.”
That closes the loop gracefully and turns the focus back to the actual interview. For the rest of the note, see our guide on how to follow up after an interview.
How you handle it is part of the interview
A technical problem is one of the few moments in an interview that is not rehearsed. Interviewers see you react to something unexpected in real time, which is close to what they want to know about you on the job. A calm one-sentence explanation, a quick fix and a smooth return to your answer can tell them more about your composure than any prepared story.
The hard part is staying steady when your adrenaline spikes. That is a practiced skill, and interview prep coaching is a good place to build it, with mock interviews over video and direct feedback on how you sound under pressure. If you have an interview coming up, take the two-minute quiz and get matched with a coach.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if my internet cuts out during a video interview?
Rejoin from the same link right away. If you are back within about a minute, say briefly that you lost connection and ask them to repeat the last question. If you cannot get back in, switch to your phone's hotspot or another device, and send the interviewer a short email saying you are reconnecting and offering a phone number. Keep apologies to one sentence and return to the interview.
Will technical issues hurt my chances in an interview?
Rarely on their own. Interviewers run video calls all day and have lost connection themselves. What they notice is how you respond: whether you stay calm, communicate quickly and get the conversation back on track. A candidate who handles a dropped call smoothly can come across as more composed than one whose call went perfectly. Long silence or repeated apologizing does more harm than the glitch.
How do I email an interviewer about technical difficulties?
Send it immediately, keep it to three or four sentences, and make the next step easy. Say the connection dropped and you could not rejoin, that you are still very interested, and offer two options: continuing now by phone at a number you give, or rescheduling at their convenience. Do not explain the technical cause in detail. Use a subject line that names the interview and time.
Should I switch to a phone call if video keeps failing?
Yes, once the same problem has happened twice, or once for more than a couple of minutes. Offer it plainly: you would rather give them a clear conversation than a choppy video one, and ask whether they can call you or whether you should dial in by phone. Most interviewers prefer a good audio call to fighting the connection, and many video platforms offer a phone dial-in number.