Phone & Tablet

Beginner

7 min read 6 stepsMay 8, 2026Verified May 2026

How to Set Up a Video Call With Your Pet Sitter

Plain-English steps to start a video call so you can see your pet, your sitter, and your home while you are away, with simple apps that work for both sides.

At a Glance

Test Your Phone's Camera and Microphone

~47s

Open the camera app on your phone and switch to the front-facing mode by tapping the flip arrows in the corner. Look at the picture. Is your face clear? Is the lighting good? Move to a spot where light falls on your face, not behind you. Tap the red button to record a short video, then play it back. Listen for your voice and any background noise. If the video looks blurry, wipe the camera lens with a soft cloth like the corner of a cotton shirt. Dust and fingerprints are the most common cause of fuzzy video. If the audio is too quiet, check the microphone holes at the bottom and top of the phone, which can get plugged with lint from a pocket.

Quick Tip

Charge your phone to at least 50 percent before a long call. Video calls drain the battery faster than text or voice calls.

Pick One Video App and Stick With It

~48s

If both you and your sitter have iPhones, FaceTime is the simplest choice because it is built in. Open the FaceTime app, tap the plus sign, type the sitter's name, and tap to start a call. If you or the sitter has an Android phone, FaceTime no longer works for everyday calling between the two of you. Use WhatsApp instead. Download WhatsApp from the App Store or Google Play, sign in with your phone number, and add the sitter as a contact. Both Google Duo, which is now called Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams also work cross-platform. Whatever app you pick, both sides need the same app. Send a short test call before the trip to make sure everything works.

Warning

Avoid downloading a brand new app the day your sitter takes over. Set up the test calls at least three days early, so any login problems have time to resolve.

Share the Right Contact Information With the Sitter

~50s

Before the trip, sit down with the sitter and exchange phone numbers and the app you both agreed to use. For FaceTime, the sitter calls your phone number or your Apple ID email. For WhatsApp, the sitter adds your phone number to their contacts and then taps the new chat icon to find you. Save the sitter's number in your contacts under a name you recognize quickly, like Pet Sitter Mary, instead of only Mary. That way you can pick the right person from a long list when you are tired in a hotel room. Tell the sitter the best times to call: morning before you leave for breakfast, mid-afternoon for a check-in, or evening before bed. Pick one main time and a backup so the sitter has a clear plan.

Quick Tip

Add a small picture of the sitter to their contact card if your phone supports it. Faces are faster to recognize than names in a list.

Find a Quiet, Well-Lit Spot for Your Calls

~48s

Pick a corner of your hotel room, cruise cabin, or vacation rental that is well lit and has a stable internet connection. Sit so that a window is in front of you, not behind, which keeps your face from going dark. Hold the phone at chest height with both hands, not too close to your face. If the audio is poor, plug in headphones with a microphone, which often improves both directions of the call. Most hotels have decent WiFi that supports video calls. If the WiFi is slow, switch to your cellular data on a strong signal. Remember that international roaming can be expensive if you travel abroad, so check your carrier plan first or buy a local SIM card for the trip.

Warning

Public WiFi at a coffee shop or airport can be unreliable for video calls. Move closer to the router or pick a quieter time of day.

Make the Call Pet-Friendly

~48s

When the sitter answers, ask them to hold the phone low so you can see your pet. Many pets recognize their owner's voice from a phone speaker and look up at the screen. Speak in your usual greeting voice, the same way you do when you come home. Some pets will respond happily, others will look confused and walk away. Both reactions are normal. Use the call to confirm three things: did your pet eat today, did they drink water, and did they do their normal bathroom routine. If the sitter is doing a Drop-In Visit, ask them to show you the food bowl and water bowl so you can see they are filled. Keep the call short, around five minutes, to avoid stressing a sensitive pet.

Quick Tip

Do not bark, meow, or make exaggerated noises through the phone. It can confuse some pets and make them search for you in places you are not.

Handle Common Problems Quickly

~51s

Sometimes the call drops, the video freezes, or the audio cuts out. The fix is usually one of three things. First, hang up and call again. A fresh connection often clears up trouble. Second, switch from WiFi to cellular data or the other way around. Tap the WiFi icon in your phone settings to turn it off briefly. Third, restart your phone, which fixes about half of stubborn app issues. If the sitter is having problems, walk them through the same three steps over a regular phone call. Agree on a backup plan in case the video call cannot connect: a quick voice call or a few photos in a text message will give you most of the comfort of a video call when technology fails.

Warning

If you cannot reach the sitter at all and a few hours have passed, call the emergency contact you both agreed on before the trip. A neighbor or family member with a key can do a wellness check.

You Did It!

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Leaving a beloved pet with a sitter is hard, even when the sitter is wonderful. The cure for that worry is a regular short video call where you can see your dog wag her tail or watch your cat lounge in his usual sunny spot. A two-minute video call once a day calms most pet owners in a way that text messages never quite manage. The sitter benefits, too, because seeing your face reminds your pet of you and often settles a nervous animal during a long stay.

Video calls are a small piece of technology with a big emotional return. The phones in your pocket and your sitter's pocket already have everything you need. You do not have to buy new devices, learn a complicated app, or pay for any service in most cases. Most sitters expect a daily check-in and welcome the connection. Many will offer to start the call themselves at the same time each day, often after the morning walk or before bedtime, so the call becomes a routine that fits into the sitter's schedule.

The two most common video apps in the United States are Apple FaceTime, which is built into every iPhone, and WhatsApp, which works on both iPhone and Android. Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams also handle video calls, though those are more common for work. Pick the app that you and your sitter both already use, because asking either side to install a new app right before a trip is a recipe for technical headaches at the worst time.

This guide walks you through testing your phone, picking the right app, exchanging contact information with the sitter, scheduling a daily call, and handling common problems like poor video quality. Test the system with a friend a few days before the sitter takes over, so you both feel comfortable. Set aside about 30 minutes for the first test and 5 minutes for each daily call after that.

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Official Resources

Apple Support — iPhone Google Help — Android Samsung Support

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