Fed up with endless Zoom calls where colleagues go round in circles and your mandatory attendance seems questionable? Don't worry — Zoom Escaper is here to liberate you from your video call nightmares.
This free web widget gives you access to an array of noises that can be used as a plausible excuse for why you need to drop off a video call immediately. These sound effects include a dog barking and a baby crying, and there's even one that distorts your audio to simulate a bad internet connection.
- How to change your Zoom background
- These are the best video chat apps you can use right now
- Plus: Dropbox makes its password manager free — but there's a catch
Most of the sound effects included in Zoom Escaper seem like pretty decent excuses to leave a Zoom call, although for the crying baby noise, you will actually need your colleagues to believe you have a baby first.
However, we’re not convinced the included urination sound effect will do much more than get you referred to the HR department.
Installing Zoom Escaper is super simple. First, you download a free bit of audio software known as VB-Audio; this will allow you to route your audio through the Zoom Escaper website. From there, just change your audio output on Zoom itself and then play whichever of the effects you desire.
The widget was created by Sam Lavigne, who has developed a reputation for making kooky web applications including one that scans your PC for Zoom and automatically deletes it — he really doesn’t seem to like video conferencing.
He’s also previously created a website that will force your computer to run hot and slow in order to decrease your productivity and give you an excuse to bunk off work.
Speaking to The Verge, Lavigne explained that the purpose behind his web programs is “Deliberate slowdown, reducing productivity and output, self-sabotage, etc.”
We have yet to test Zoom Escaper ourselves, but we do have a team meeting later today, so we'll report back if there are more crying babies present than usual.
