How to Use a Teleprompter on Zoom, Google Meet & Teams

Video meetings have become a permanent part of how we work, and let's be honest: delivering a polished presentation while staring at a webcam is harder than it looks. You lose the natural feedback of an in-person audience, you can't read the room, and one stumble can throw off your entire flow. That's where a teleprompter setup for video calls changes everything. With the right configuration, you can read your script word for word while maintaining the illusion of natural eye contact, and nobody on the other end will ever know.

The Second Monitor Method

The most reliable way to use a teleprompter during a video call is to set up a second monitor directly below your webcam. Here's how it works. Position your webcam at the top edge of your primary monitor, or place it on a small shelf just above your second screen. Open your teleprompter app on that second monitor, set it to display your scrolling script, and adjust the window size so the text sits as close to the webcam lens as physically possible.

The goal is to minimize the distance between where you're looking and where the camera is. When that gap is small, your eyes only shift slightly when glancing at the text, which most viewers won't notice at all. If you position the prompter too far below or to the side of the camera, your audience will see you constantly looking away, which defeats the entire purpose.

For the best results, use a dedicated teleprompter app like PrompterPro on a tablet rather than a full monitor. Tablets are thinner, easier to position, and you can mount them directly beneath your webcam with a small stand or even some books.

Using a Browser-Based Teleprompter

If you don't have a second monitor or tablet, you can use a browser-based teleprompter in a specific window arrangement. On a single monitor, reduce your browser window to about a third of the screen height, position it at the very top of your display directly below the webcam, and keep your video call window below it. Use a tool like Teleprompter Mirror or Padlet's teleprompter, set the text background to a subtle color, and adjust the opacity if the app supports it.

This isn't as clean as the dual-monitor setup, but it works in a pinch. The key is keeping the text as close to the lens as possible and making sure the prompter window doesn't appear in your screen share.

Hiding the Teleprompter During Screen Shares

This is the biggest concern for most people: what happens when you need to share your screen? If your teleprompter is visible, your cover is blown. Fortunately, every major video platform gives you options.

On Zoom, use the "Share a specific window" option rather than "Share entire screen." Share only the window that contains your presentation or slides, not the window with your teleprompter. The teleprompter stays visible to you but hidden from everyone else. If you're sharing your entire screen, resize the teleprompter window to a thin strip and position it at the very top of your display, above the area most viewers will focus on. Zoom also has a "Hide floating meeting controls" option that helps keep things clean.

On Google Meet, use the "present a window" option instead of "present your entire screen." This works the same way as Zoom: only the selected window is visible to participants, so your teleprompter remains private. Google Meet also supports presenting a single Chrome tab, which is useful if your slides are browser-based.

Microsoft Teams offers similar window-level sharing. Click the share button, select "Window," and choose only the application you want to present. Your teleprompter stays on your screen without being broadcast to the meeting.

The Present Window Trick for Each Platform

Here's a clever workaround that works across all three platforms. Open your presentation slides in one window and your teleprompter in another. Position them side by side on your screen. When you share, select only the slides window. Now you can see both your slides and your script simultaneously, while your audience only sees the slides. This is especially useful for longer presentations where you need to reference detailed talking points for each slide.

Sounding Natural During Meetings

Even with a perfect teleprompter setup, your delivery matters just as much as your technology. The most common trap is falling into a reading cadence that sounds mechanical and scripted. To avoid this, write your meeting scripts in a conversational tone. Use shorter sentences. Include natural transitions like "So let's talk about" or "Here's what I mean by that." Pause between sections, even if the script doesn't explicitly call for it.

Another technique is to memorize just the first and last sentence of each section. This way you can glance at the prompter for the details but deliver your transitions naturally from memory, which breaks up the "reading" feel and makes the whole presentation seem more spontaneous.

If someone asks a question or the conversation goes off-script, don't panic. Simply pause the teleprompter, respond naturally, and resume when you're ready. Most modern teleprompter apps let you pause and restart with a keyboard shortcut, so you don't have to reach for your mouse or tap your screen during the call.

Practice Before the Real Thing

I always recommend doing at least one full run-through with your teleprompter before an important meeting. Record yourself using your webcam and watch it back. Pay attention to your eye movement: are you looking at the camera most of the time, or are your eyes drifting to the text? Is your tone natural or does it sound like you're reading? Small adjustments to font size, scroll speed, and prompter positioning can make a dramatic difference.

With a little practice, using a teleprompter on video calls becomes second nature, and you'll wonder how you ever presented without one. Your meetings will be tighter, your delivery more confident, and your ideas will come across exactly as you intended them.