The pandemic has changed pretty much every aspect of our lives – but most importantly, how we interact with the people around us. Now that physical interactions have become a social taboo, understanding how to fulfill our need to socialize has become more difficult than ever before.
Remember how, on real-life first dates, you could tell if someone was interested in you by physical cues – like touching? Sigh…
Now that social distancing appears to be the new norm, we must adapt our body-language reading skills for video dates on Zoom and FaceTime.
However, don’t get too worried. Even if you can only see your date’s face (or shoulders if you’re blessed with a great Zoom angle), you can still learn a lot about someone’s interest in you.
The key is to pay attention to the other person’s hand expressions, face positions, facial expressions, and micro gestures. Keep reading to learn how to tell if a guy likes you via Zoom!
Table of Contents
1. He’s Blinking Very Quickly

While blinking is a basic human function, the rate at which someone blinks can be very revealing. If they blink gently, it indicates that they’re uninterested. On the other hand, high-speed blinking is a sign of anxiety – but it can be positive stress, such as excitement or nervousness to make a positive impact on you.
You can easily tell how quickly someone is blinking just by watching their screen.
2. He Turns Red as a Tomato When You Join

Is there a simple way to tell if a guy is interested in you? Blushing. It is associated with adrenaline and cortisol hormone levels, which are released when people are excited, under pressure, anxious, embarrassed, or stressed.
While it might be a terrible sign that you are giving your crush a tension rash, if they end up looking a little flushed when they talk to you or when you prompt them to say something, it’s good news.
3. They’re Constantly Smiling

How can you distinguish between a genuine smile and an “I’m smiling to be courteous” smile? Look for crinkling around their eyes. If someone is constantly smiling at you, they’re probably interested in you.
Another great way to tell if he’s interested in you or likes you is to see if and how their facial expressions change when you participate in the meeting.
If it stays more or less the same, it could be a sign of trouble. However, if he starts smiling, you could start planning your first date – because that guy is super interested in you.
4. They Raise Their Eyebrows Slightly When Talking to You

Okay, this indicator might sound fake to some – but it works. When body language cues are out the window, most people express themselves a little bit more through their facial expressions.
A tell-tale sign of affection or interest can often be as subtle as raising their eyebrows when talking to you.
The brow is another clear indicator of sexual interest. Quick-brow lifts make a person appear more bright and enticing. If their brows remain slightly raised throughout your conversation, it means they find you very interesting.
5. They Tilt Their Head

Tilting your head is a sign of involvement and shows you’re engaged and paying attention. In the world of dating, it also indicates openness and being okay with being vulnerable. The angled head uncovers the carotid artery on the side of the neck and may indicate submission and a readiness to be vulnerable.
6. They Nod Their Head (a Lot) When You’re Talking

Small head nods accompanied by a smile are a sign of reassurance and indicate that you’re bonding. On the other hand, slow and prolonged nods can be a sign of agreement and insight, indicating to the speaker that it’s necessary to take their time thinking and that you’re engaged.
7. They Talk to You Outside of Zoom

If someone is really interested in you and wants to know you better, Zoom won’t be enough for them. They’ll ask for your number and slide into your DMs to have a chance to know you outside of your Zoom session.
They might start the conversation by talking about work or school, but they’re really just looking for a window to talk to you more.
8. They Reply to You Promptly – and With Interest

If someone is genuinely interested in you, they won’t make you wait. They frequently respond within minutes of receiving your message. If they’re unable to do so due to a lack of time, they’ll let you know.
A person who adores you looks forward to talking to you. He won’t play games with you and won’t make you wait or rethink their affection for you.
9. They Use a Lot of Emojis (and Stickers)

Even though communication is virtual, emojis can already tell you whether someone enjoys spending time with you or not, and how the emojis become more ‘romantic’ over time. Now that facial expressions are out of the window, using emojis or stickers to convey how you’re feeling is a much-researched sign.
So, be aware of the emojis they send you, whether they are hearts or smiley faces or maybe even the eggplant emoji.
This is one method of determining whether or not someone takes the time to write their texts.
10. They Pay Extra Attention When You’re Participating

We tend to be impatient when it comes to conversing with someone online. We can either send a long chat or just send small paragraphs. The simple truth is that the more we start liking someone, the more likely we will overflow their inbox.
If someone likes you, they’ll pay close attention to you. They’ll make certain that they back-read all of your chats and respond to each and every one of them (if they can). They’ll make certain that the conversation continues.
11. They Let You Choose the Mode of Communication

In this digital age, there are numerous ways to talk with someone. You can either text one another, send jokes, chat, go on video conferences, or call each other.
The two of you should use a medium and platform that is comfortable. Some people, for instance, don’t like calling others – while some love having long-winded conversations on Zoom.
If someone likes you, they’ll adopt to your preferred mode of communication. Are you the type of person who sends out a lot of text messages? They’ll react and keep you updated. Do you want to make late-night phone calls? Done and dusted. They don’t mind, as long as the two of you are talking.
12. They Mirror Your Actions

Have you caught him imitating or “mirroring” you? For example, they take a sip of their coffee right after you took a sip of yours – or switch off their camera right after you switch off yours. This is known as mirroring.
Mirroring is often subconscious, and has been linked to empathy and interest. When you mirror someone by mimicking their speech or manner of speech, for example, you are indicating that you sympathize with them and ultimately want to get along with them.
13. They Pin Your Screen

Let’s be honest: we’ve all pinned the screen of our crush while attending Zoom sessions. This is how you can tell they’ve pinned you too.
While this isn’t a precise science, if your crush pins your screen, there could be a couple of ways to know.
To make this work, first ensure that the person has their camera turned on and pays close attention. Then, cover your desktop camera or brighten a headlamp on your device to see if the light on their screen changes. If it does, it could mean you’ve been pinned to their screen.
Another way to do it is to turn off your webcam and observe if your crush’s body language changes, such as blinking or turning off their camera.
14. They Send You Private Messages

This one is self-explanatory, but if someone individually messages you during a Zoom call, there’s a high likelihood they like you, provided the message isn’t solely about work.
Because zoom tiredness is real, if they’re making an effort to directly message you, congratulations – you may have just made a communication channel.
If this guy is sending you private messages making fun of the instructor or saying something hilarious about your boss’s background, it means he is making an effort to make you (and you alone) laugh.
15. They Put a Lot of Thought into Their Zoom Meeting Background

We’ve all learned the proper Zoom etiquettes by this point. If he’s Zooming in bed or in a cluttered room, he’s probably not interested in a date. If he does the opposite, he most likely took the time to ensure that he chooses a background that looks as good as he does.
16. They Dress Up for the Zoom Meetings

It’s true that putting effort into looking good for a Zoom meeting can be a rarity. For most of us, it means just brushing our teeth and maybe combing our hair.
However, if this guy puts in the effort to look good, it means he wants to make a long-lasting positive impression. Of course, for most guys, putting effort into how they look means tousling their hair and wearing a nice shirt, so be on the lookout for those subtle changes.
Socializing On Zoom: A New Normal
In a world where online meetings and Zoom is the best bet, conversations and interactions look different than ever before. Many of us had our graduations online, attended weddings online, and even saw funerals take place on Zoom.
This also means that how to behave on Zoom is of the utmost importance. Most of us take a lot of stress trying to be the perfect online versions of ourselves when socializing with people in these online meetings. This is, of course, because we want our digital persona to be a positive one.
The Difference Between An In-Person Meeting And A Meeting On Zoom
Consider this: On Zoom, we are nothing more than a head, chest, and shoulders in a rectangular box. Because nothing below that part of our bodies is visible on the screen, visual images are limited to a myopic two-dimensional version. You can’t actually tell if their arms are crossed tightly if they’re anxiously tapping their foot, or even if they’re wearing trousers because you can’t see them.
Before COVID, when we met in person, we were physiologically in the same place as the other individual. We could see what the other individual looked like and how they behaved. We were given clear visual, auditory, and physical cues.
With Zoom, that’s an impossibility.
Romance In A Pandemic: Figuring Out If Someone Likes Us On Zoom
Whether you like it or not, meeting online isn’t the same as meeting in person — and there are some issues to overcome if you want to create a positive impression.
When we meet someone on Zoom, we lack many of the social cues that we normally use to decide whether we like someone. That means the other person’s “hints” when meeting us are also limited, making romantic meetings very confusing.
When we video chat, the perception can be awkward and lacking in depth. Misconceptions are possible, particularly misgivings of facial expressions and engaging cues to determine when the other person has finished talking.
Physical cues are also scarce these days. We’ve forgotten what it’s like to stand close to someone, to make eye contact while speaking, and to feel their energy when we shake hands. These gestures tell us how we feel when we are in the company of another person. All of this knowledge and more is used to determine how we feel about someone and whether or not we like them.
Remember, ladies – it’s all about the effort. While romance on Zoom might feel a little restricting, if you like someone or if they like you, the effort to adore them or get to know them better will come naturally.