How to handle an awkward silence in a video call
Give the pause a little room. If you can’t tell whether someone is thinking or lost audio, ask “Did that come through?” before starting a new topic.
Bring a backup topic to the next callMake the problem smaller
If the person is thinking, give them time. If the question was hard, offer an example and a narrower version. “What do you usually make on weekends?” is easier than “Tell me about your food culture.” If neither person can hear, use chat or reconnect.
Restart from something already shared
Borrow a detail from earlier: “Before we switched topics, you mentioned an old cinema. Is it still there?” If you need a moment yourself, say “Give me a second; I’m trying to remember the name.” That makes the pause less ambiguous for the other person.