Staying in touch is easier than ever before thanks to the advent of the Internet. With video chat tools, you can see family and friends thousands of miles away with the click of a few buttons. Zoom is an online video conferencing platform. Aside from screen sharing options, you can also use whiteboard features to answer questions in an online class.
You can even use Zoom to conduct virtual telehealth visits with your doctor. The possibilities are endless with this video platform. The Zoom app offers both free and paid, or Pro, versions. With the free version, you can host or join a video call with up to meeting participants. On the free plan, meetings are limited to 40 minutes, but you can simply start a new call to get around the time limitation.
Zoom add-ons allow you to record and store conversations. In these meetings, you can see and hear other attendees. You can join by using a webcam, using the video conferencing app on your phone, or calling in from your phone.
You can join Zoom meetings without an account, simply by clicking the Zoom meeting invitation. You can also join a meeting by entering the meeting ID. Zoom is compatible with computers and mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets like the iPad. You can download and install the app on your browser whether you have Microsoft or Apple software. The company also offers extensions for Safari and Chrome so you can navigate to the site with the click of a button.
Enter your email address to sign up. You can also choose to sign in with Google or Facebook by clicking the respective links.
Follow the download and installation instructions on your screen. Once the app is installed, login using your sign up credentials.
Once you've downloaded the Zoom app, joining meetings is quick and easy. To join a Zoom meeting from the desktop app or your computer, click the invitation meeting link you received from the meeting host. Enter the meeting ID and adjust the join options if you want to manually connect to audio or if you want to turn off your video. Click join to gain access to the meeting.
You can also use the other icons to mute your microphone and to share content. As Zoom gained popularity during the coronavirus COVID pandemic, the video conferencing platform experienced cyber-attacks. These security issues are known as Zoom bombing, where uninvited participants share unwanted and inappropriate content.
To make the platform safer, the company instituted password protection for meetings. Use these buttons to turn video and sound on or off. Here, you can test your microphone and speakers and change to a different option if needed. Follow the prompts to test your audio. You can also use these tools to turn video or sound on and off throughout the video call. If you're not concerned about video, you can join a Zoom call by dialing in from your phone. To do this, dial the phone number that you received in the invitation email.
To schedule a meeting, follow the steps below. Log in to your Zoom account. Change the topic of the meeting or your personal meeting ID if desired and enter the date, time, and duration of the meeting.
You can also make it a recurring meeting and choose how often the meeting should occur — every week or month for example. Adjust settings including requiring a meeting password or change the video and sound options. Click save to schedule the meeting. Once the meeting is scheduled, you can add it to your Outlook, Yahoo, or Google Calendar.
You can also copy the meeting invitation to share with anyone you are inviting to join the meeting. Close all other video chat apps such as Skype and Google Hangouts before joining a Zoom call. These tools may also try to connect to your video and audio inputs at the same time as Zoom, resulting in audio and video malfunctions.
Try not to sit directly in front of a window as the bright lighting can make your face appear dark. If you want to have some fun, you can use virtual backgrounds in the Zoom app. When it comes to video, camera positioning is everything. Some people who make a video conference call for the first time put the phone up to their ear. Position the camera at eye-level for the best video quality. You can use a stack of books or a computer stand to raise your device to eye level.
You can use a phone accessory like a pop socket or a tripod to elevate your phone to eye-level for video calls. A pop socket is a small piece of plastic that attaches to the back side of your phone. It pops out like a small accordion, making it easier to grasp the phone, or you can use it as a phone stand. Background noise can also cause interference in Zoom video calls. Try to join calls in a quiet space. Zoom video meetings are a great way to check-in with friends and family. You can also use these video meetings to join online courses, participate in a virtual Bible study, or get prescriptions through telehealth programs.
It takes just a few clicks to download and install the app, and scheduling or joining a group meeting is even easier. Just use the invitation link to gain access and enjoy new opportunities to stay connected. Snug Safety is currently available for iPhone and Android. What Is Zoom? Zoom Meetings "Zoom meetings" simply refers to anytime you use the video platform to meet with others.
How To Download and Install Zoom. How To Use Zoom. Joining a Meeting To join a Zoom meeting from the desktop app or your computer, click the invitation meeting link you received from the meeting host.
Successful Video Tips. Download Snug Safety today!
Virtual Backgrounds | Zoom.Download Zoom Cloud Meetings for Windows |
Paid members can also benefit from VoIP connectivity , ensuring seamless communication among colleagues. When it comes to call and video quality, Zoom leads from the front. However, the video conferencing app runs much faster as a standalone program. While most companies consider one of the paid subscription plans, Zoom Meetings offers some useful features with the free account. For instance, you can access Zoom Rooms to host virtual meetings with up to people. The participants are visible on-screen in a grid-style display.
Unfortunately, free users get only limited time for the meetings or conferences. Having said that, there are no time restrictions on one-on-one video calls. As such, the free version of the app becomes an excellent choice for individuals only interested in informal chats and video calls. Zoom app is a feature-loaded video conferencing tool and messaging solution for Microsoft Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
Within a short period of time, it has become a convenient way to connect with your team remotely. In recent times, there have been some privacy concerns about using Zoom. The video conferencing tool has been criticized for leaking user data to third-party vendors. While the company claims to focus on strengthening privacy and security, you might want to consider a few alternatives. For a long time, Skype for Business has been a reliable platform for video conferencing, direct messaging, and virtual meetings.
Unfortunately, the program experiences a lot of connectivity issues, which disrupt the overall experience. Facebook Messenger is also trying to build a full-fledged collaboration tool. For gamers, Discord has been a good choice, since it focuses on group chats, allowing players to stay engaged while playing their favorite titles. The program comes with a simple interface, lets you download transcripts of calls, and supports HD video calling.
With a paid subscription, you get access to even more features, allowing Zoom to function as a powerful digital communication platform. Compared to other social and communication tools, Zoom app is a free, simple, and feature-packed application.
Without a doubt, this app is one of the leading video conferencing tools out there. Have you tried Zoom Meetings? Be the first to leave your opinion!
Laws concerning the use of this software vary from country to country. We do not encourage or condone the use of this program if it is in violation of these laws. In Softonic we scan all the files hosted on our platform to assess and avoid any potential harm for your device. Our team performs checks each time a new file is uploaded and periodically reviews files to confirm or update their status.
This comprehensive process allows us to set a status for any downloadable file as follows:. We have scanned the file and URLs associated with this software program in more than 50 of the world's leading antivirus services; no possible threat has been detected. Based on our scan system, we have determined that these flags are possibly false positives. The app will now connect you with the meeting.
At any time during the meeting, you can also record your conversation or chat with the participants. The app also provides controls to mute the audio or disable video while hosting the meeting. Furthermore, You'll be able to see the number of participants in your meeting directly from the hosting screen. These extensions are useful to schedule a Zoom meeting, without using the native app. However, you'll still need to the app to participate in an existing meeting or to host a new one.
Zoom is available for as a free download, though the Basic plan that's available for free has a 40 minutes limit on group meetings. However, you can host up to participants in a group meeting and can host unlimited one-to-one meetings. Zoom also has Business and Enterprise plans for an enhanced usage. The latter gives you the ability to add up to participants without requiring the Large Meeting add-on that is required in case of the Pro and Business plans.
We discussed this on Orbital , our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS , download the episode , or just hit the play button below. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Zoom lets you join an existing meeting without signing up You can sign in to your Zoom app to start a new meeting Zoom app also lets you schedule a future meeting.
Launch the Zoom app on your computer. Now, press the Join a Meeting button from the default screen. You can also change your name from that screen and enable or disable the options to connect to your audio and show your video. You'll now need to press the Join button from the screen to join the meeting.
Further reading: Zoom Meetings , Zoom app , Zoom , virtual meetings. Jagmeet Singh Email Jagmeet. Related Stories. Tech News in Hindi. More Technology News in Hindi. Latest Videos. More Videos. Popular Gadgets.
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Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more. Despite a few security wobbles, Zoom remains a firm favourite with people looking to video chat with friends, family and colleagues. The software is reliable and requires virtually no tech-savvy to operate. First, you need to set yourself up with a Zoom account, which you can create here. Related: Zoom vs Google Meet. They should also be able to find a unique meeting ID for the video chat.
If they need to grab the details from a live call, the ID will appear on the top of their video — ask them to ping this over to you. Related: Best ways to video chat. There is a way to start and join Zoom calls without downloading anything, but you will need to sign up for an account.
Annoyingly, this applies to people who just want to participate in a call too — you can either avoid downloading the app and sign up to join a call, or avoid signing up and download the app to join calls. From here, it gets a bit fiddly. Click on the highlighted blue text shown below in a screengrab , and you should be able to launch your call via the web. Related: Is Zoom safe? The bad news is you definitely do need an account to host a meeting. Your host should know your meeting ID. If they invited you to the meeting via email, you should find the details there, or give them a nudge to send the digits across in a separate message.
Related: How to delete a Houseparty account. One thing you can do to improve security is to set a password before your meeting starts and distribute to participants. This should let you type in a personalised code that people will need to input before joining your call. Related: How to use Google Meet for free. Waiting rooms are automatically turned on in Zoom, which means that your participants will have to wait for your grand arrival before the video call kicks off.
As a final side-note, Zoom is free for 40 minutes on group calls, but you can schedule as many meetings as you like. If you need to make longer calls, or if you need something that can host more than people, you might need to fork out for one of the payment plans. Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest.
To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct. We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. Founded in , Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy. Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1, products a year.
In this article… 1. How to start a Zoom meeting 2. How to join a Zoom meeting 3. How to use Zoom without the app 4. How to use Zoom without an account 5. How to set meeting passwords on Zoom 6. How to turn off Zoom waiting rooms Share:. How to start a Zoom meeting First, you need to set yourself up with a Zoom account, which you can create here.
Related: Best ways to video chat How to use Zoom without the app There is a way to start and join Zoom calls without downloading anything, but you will need to sign up for an account. How to use Zoom without an account The bad news is you definitely do need an account to host a meeting. Related: How to use Google Meet for free How to turn off Zoom waiting rooms Waiting rooms are automatically turned on in Zoom, which means that your participants will have to wait for your grand arrival before the video call kicks off.
By Ruth Gaukrodger Senior staff writer. Ruth started her career at Metro newspaper, working as a staff writer for the features section. Editorial independence Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. Professional conduct We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Why trust our journalism?
