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As one of the most popular video conferencing platforms to emerge during the pandemic, Zoom is well-known to many users. However, there’s often curiosity about whether they are utilizing all its features effectively.
If you’re new to Zoom or unsure how to maximize its capabilities, this guide will cover everything you need to know about using Zoom.us.
Understanding what your Zoom account can do during virtual meetings helps ensure clear communication and keeps everyone on the same page. Keep reading to discover how Zoom can enhance your personal or business interactions as a meeting management tool.
Joining a Zoom Meeting
Joining a meeting is simple — just use your web browser and click on the invitation link provided by the host. Follow the prompts to enter the meeting. When using the desktop or mobile app, you can join by entering the Meeting ID shared by the host, which is visible in the top-left corner of their Zoom window when the meeting is scheduled or ongoing. One advantage of meeting IDs is that if a host schedules a recurring meeting, participants can always join the same virtual room using the same personal meeting ID.
Once in the app or browser, input the Meeting ID sent by the host to join. This ID is displayed in the top-left corner of the host’s screen during scheduling or live meetings. A major benefit is that once a recurring meeting is scheduled with a fixed personal meeting ID, participants can join the same virtual room repeatedly with the same ID.
Basic In-Meeting Controls
Depending on your role — admin or participant — available features may differ. As an admin, you’ll manage certain settings like muting others, starting or stopping video feeds, and recording sessions. For participants, standard controls include:
- The mute icon allows you to toggle your microphone on or off, based on your device’s audio input settings.
- The video camera icon enables you to turn your webcam on and change virtual backgrounds through your account settings.
Participants can also chat and share files privately or with the entire group during a meeting. The screen-sharing icon lets you display your screen to others, which is especially helpful when giving presentations or demonstrating a process. Additionally, you can activate a whiteboard for collaborative brainstorming or note-taking during screen sharing sessions.
The record icon allows you to start or stop recording the meeting, saving the session locally or in the cloud if you’re using a paid plan. For accessibility, you can enable closed captions during the session, which is valuable for those with hearing impairments or for better understanding speech with accents or background noise.
This guide offers quick tips for navigating Zoom meetings effectively. It covers essential in-meeting controls and features that can enhance your virtual collaboration.
- Next, you can utilize breakout rooms to split participants into smaller discussion groups by creating separate virtual spaces.
- Request remote control—this feature allows someone to take control of another participant’s computer, which is useful for technical assistance or demonstrations.
- Zoom apps—the Zoom marketplace provides various integrated applications that can help you accomplish multiple tasks during a meeting.
- End meeting button—this function immediately terminates the session for all attendees, typically used by hosts to conclude a meeting.
Using Chat and Reactions During a Zoom Meeting
Nonverbal feedback tools, like reactions, are excellent for expressing your responses without interrupting the speaker. You can find these options in the bottom toolbar of the Zoom window. For example, you can type emojis or “reactions” in the chat to show your feelings, and use the virtual “raise hand” icon if you want to ask a question without disrupting the flow of conversation. As a host, you have the ability to enable or disable reactions and hand raise features during the session. Moreover, participants can exchange files through the chat feature if the option is enabled, but keep in mind that opening a file from the chat does not automatically save it—you’ll need to manually save any files you want to keep on your device.
Sharing Your Screen, Video, or Audio for Collaboration
Sharing your screen is a common way to collaborate in a Zoom meeting, whether you’re presenting slides, demonstrating something on your computer, or co-browsing a website. To share your screen:
- Click the green “Share Screen” button with the upward arrow.
- Select the screen or application you want to display—this applies to devices running Android, Mac, or Windows.
- You can stop sharing anytime by clicking the red “Stop” button on the control panel.
- If needed, you can also share audio files to play music or sound effects during your presentation.
Remember, if you’re sharing your entire desktop, it’s a good idea to close other applications that might display notifications or contain sensitive information, as everything visible on your screen will be seen by all participants. Additionally, screen sharing is compatible with iOS and Android devices, enabling you to share your iPhone or Android phone screens during a meeting, or even present slides as virtual files to facilitate seamless presentations.
Sharing Your Screen and Files
Once in a Zoom meeting, you can share different types of content. Options include sharing your entire screen, specific application windows, or a portion of your screen. You can also share your background, switch to sharing from a second camera, or share files directly from services like Dropbox and Google Drive. As the meeting host, you have control over who can share their screen, and these permissions can be adjusted based on the account, group, or individual user settings.
Pinning and Spotlighting Participants
During a Zoom call, you can keep the focus on specific participants by “pinning” or “spotlighting” their video feeds. To do this, click the video camera icon, tap the three dots, and select ‘Pin’. When a participant is pinned, their video remains visible on your screen even if they are not speaking. The host can pin up to nine participants at once, while regular attendees can usually pin only one person. The spotlight feature elevates a participant’s video to be the largest on the screen, regardless of who is speaking, but only the host or co-host can activate this. Spotlighting overwrites any individual pin, ensuring the selected participant remains prominent until the host removes the spotlight.
Zoom Meeting Layouts and Viewing Options
Zoom offers different layout options to customize what you see during a meeting. The most common views are gallery view and speaker view. To switch between them, click the icons in the toolbar. Gallery view displays small tiles for all participants; it can show up to 49 people simultaneously. Speaker view highlights only the person currently speaking. Keep in mind, if you record the meeting in gallery view, the recording will default to showing only the speaker view. You can also choose to see only participants who have their cameras on, filtering out those with their video turned off, which displays black screens for inactive cameras.
Scheduling a Meeting via Web or Desktop
To set up a meeting using the Zoom web portal or desktop application, open the Zoom app and log into your account. After signing in, select “Schedule a Meeting” on the main screen. Enter all necessary details such as the meeting title, date, time, duration, and whether a password is required for added security. This process makes it easy to plan and organize your meetings in advance.
You can also download the Zoom application for quicker access.
Using the Zoom app allows you to start or join meetings without needing to open a web browser each time.
For guidance on how to schedule Zoom meetings tailored to your needs, check out our detailed instructions.
Inviting Participants Before and During Zoom Meetings
During a Zoom session, you can invite participants in several ways: from the web portal, the desktop application, or directly through the meeting toolbar. When using the web portal, simply click on “copy invitation” to share the meeting link with others. Keep an eye out for the password included in the invitation details, and make sure it’s shared properly so attendees can join securely.
You can also add the meeting to your calendar apps like Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, or Yahoo Calendar>. This allows you to send invites through your calendar as you would with any other event. If inviting someone from the desktop client, click on “Meetings,” then select the upcoming meeting, copy the invitation, and send it via email or message directly.
While a meeting is in progress, you can invite additional participants by using the pop-up menu in the meeting window to share the join link or open the participant list, which offers various options for inviting others.
Zoom Security Essentials
The term “ZoomBombing” describes malicious disruptions during Zoom meetings, often involving uninvited individuals crashing the session or displaying inappropriate content. Zoom has implemented three key security measures to protect meetings:
Prevent
When starting a new meeting, enabling the waiting room feature holds attendees until the host admits them. Additionally, setting a passcode or requiring login through a specific account helps restrict entry, ensuring only authorized individuals can join. Always verify the invitation details and refuse entry to unrecognized participants if necessary.
Act
Hosts can use the shield icon during a meeting to lock the session, preventing new participants from joining. This icon also allows the host to remove disruptive participants or temporarily suspend activity for everyone if needed.
Report
By clicking the shield icon, you’ll also find the report option, which allows you to flag participants for inappropriate behavior. Select the participant to report, provide specific details about what happened, and submit the report. Reports can also be filed after the meeting concludes.
Using Breakout Rooms During a Meeting
Another useful feature during a Zoom session is creating breakout rooms. To do this, click on the breakout rooms icon and choose how many rooms you want to create. You can then either manually assign participants to specific rooms or allow Zoom to automatically distribute them. The host has the ability to move between different rooms and broadcast messages to all breakout rooms simultaneously, facilitating smooth group interactions.
When the breakout session ends, participants will be returned to the main meeting.
Running a meeting or webinar on Zoom is straightforward, but there are some important points to remember. Always test your audio and video equipment before beginning to ensure everything functions smoothly. If you’re sending out invitations, make sure to share the meeting details in advance so attendees have time to prepare. It’s also essential to be mindful of potential security risks and take steps to protect your session. If you’re seeking additional features beyond those available in the free version, upgrading to Zoom’s Pro or Enterprise plan could provide a better experience, offering more tools for effective virtual meetings.
Further information can be found on StepThroughThePortal.com: Did you know there are several Zoom alternatives that might better suit your needs? Check out this overview of the best Zoom alternatives of 2025. For a detailed comparison between Zoom and its top competitors, you might find these articles helpful: