Guide · 5 min

Video chat privacy: what to check before a stranger sees you

Most leaks are boring: a work badge on the desk, a family photo, a notification with someone’s real name. Fix those before you match.

Look behind you

Sit with a blank wall if you can. Hide mail, ID, school logos, street signs in the window, and anything that says where you live. A virtual background is fine; a messy real room is a map.

Mute the rest of the phone

Lock notifications or use a browser that does not flash message previews on screen. People have been identified from a single Slack ping.

Headphones, not speakers

Speakers let the stranger hear your house — a TV in the next room, someone calling your name. Headphones keep the chat in one place.

You can skip video

Talzy is not video-only. Use text or voice when the room is not private. Next is always faster than arguing.

Assume a screenshot

We do not continuously record calls. That does not stop the other person from capturing their screen. Read can someone record a video chat if you need the blunt version.