Working and convening remotely/Zoom

Zoom Video Communications its a proprietary software who provides communications software that combines video conferencing, online meetings, chat, and mobile collaboration. Zoom replaced Blue Jeans as an officially supported Wikimedia Foundation tool in June 2019.

Please note that if a meeting is scheduled without a password, anyone can join the Zoom meeting if they innocently miskey or maliciously guess a Zoom meeting ID. Confidential meetings should be set up with a password and locked by the host once all participants join.

Quick tips when you enter Zoom edit

1. Pop up screens: Hover over at top of the pop-up area and you will see:

  • Line: click to minimize pop up
  • Square: Pop up minimizes to speaker camera
  • Rectangle: pop-ups multiple participants
  • Click and drag at top of pop up to move off-screen

2. At the top of the Zoom screen: Hover over to see these features:

  • Mouse: (In presentation mode) you can accept to control the presentation screen, this will free the next slide command and delay.
  • Locating chat feature
  • Break out sessions
  • Poll (this can be used for anonymous questions)
  • Dropdown menu to pause recording, stop recording, and to mute all participants.

3.  At the bottom of the Zoom screen: Hover over and you will see:

  • slide information (forward, back, choose slide #)
  • a pointer button
  • a text box to write presentation details.

YouTube Tutorials edit

Zoom's YouTube channel has a short training video for several concepts.

Join a Meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFhAEoCF7jg

Meeting Controls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w_pRMBEALE

Scheduling a Meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAYv8sVPTxU

Scheduling a Meeting with Google Calendar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0XmIIXcrEY

Breakout Rooms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_O7rDILNCM

Closed Captioning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a06O8JmpPZA

Recording a Zoom Meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYzPS28rg7E

All About Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG3GiwHXp5s

Joining & Configuring Audio & Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqncX7RE0wM

Sharing Your Screen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wsWpnqE6Hw

Sharing Multiple Screens Simultaneously: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt-tcvaQ9I4

Account type feature comparison edit

There are 2 types of user accounts available, Licensed and Basic.

  • Basic: A basic user is user without a paid license. A basic user can host meetings with up to 100 participants. If 3 or more participants join, the meeting will time out after 40 minutes. They cannot utilize user and account add-ons such as large meeting or webinar.
  • Licensed: A licensed user is a paid account user who can host unlimited meetings on the public cloud. They can host meetings with up to 300 participants. licensed users have these additional features available:
    • Customize Personal Meeting ID
    • Record to the Zoom cloud
    • Be an alternative host
    • Assign others to schedule and schedule on behalf of
    • Utilize account add-ons such as conference room connector
    • Be assigned user add-ons such as large meeting, webinar, or personal audio conference
    • Customize Personal Link

Zoom user types feature comparison chart edit

Licensed vs. Basic user comparison
Type of user Licensed Basic
Customize Personal Meeting ID  Y  N
Record meetings to the Zoom cloud  Y  N
Record meetings locally to computer  Y  Y
Be an alternative host  Y  N
Assign others to schedule and schedule on behalf of  Y  N
Account add-ons  Y  N
User add-ons, such as large meeting, webinar  Y  N
Customize personal link  Y  N
Host unlimited 1:1 meetings  Y  Y
Host unlimited group meetings (3 or more people)  Y  N
Supports up to 100 participants  Y  Y
Supports up to 300 participants  Y  N
Unlimited meeting length  Y  N

Joining a Meeting edit

There are a few different ways to join a meeting. Please note that the Zoom desktop client will provide better performance and more features.

Calendar invitation edit

Click the join link in your email or calendar invitation.

Mac or Windows edit

  1. Open the Zoom desktop client.
  2. Join a meeting using one of these methods:
    • Click Join a Meeting if you want to join without signing in.
    • Sign in to Zoom then click Join.
  3. Enter the meeting ID number and your display name.
    • If you're signed in, change your name if you don't want your default name to appear.
    • If you're not signed in, enter a display name.
  4. Select if you would like to connect audio and/or video and click Join.

Linux edit

  1. Open the Zoom desktop client.
  2. Join a meeting using one of these methods:
    • Click Join a Meeting if you want to join without signing in.
    • Sign in to Zoom then click Join.
  3. Enter the meeting ID number and name.
    • If you're signed in, change your name if you don't want your default name to appear.
    • If you're not signed in, enter a display name.
  4. Select if you would like to connect audio and/or video and click Join.

Web browser edit

Note: Joining via web browser is not recommended because it is very feature-limited and very buggy in comparison to the desktop application. (no audio at all, for some)

  1. Open any browser (Chrome, Safari, IE, Edge, Firefox).
  2. Go to https://join.zoom.us
  3. Enter your meeting ID provided by the host/organizer.
  4. Click Join.
    • You might be prompted to open the Zoom client, if you have previously installed it.
    • You might briefly see a screen that says "If nothing prompts from browser, download & run Zoom." and then be automatically re-directed to zoom.us/download -- After you are redirected, click "Back" in your browser, and then
      1. click the link that says "If you cannot download or run the application, join from your browser."
      2. You will need to grant permissions for using your webcam, to the website.
      3. If you are using Safari or Firefox, you can only get audio through a telephone connection.

Web browser extension edit

Optionally, you can install the browser extension for Firefox or Chrome, from https://zoom.us/download

Note that it will grant Zoom permissions to: Access your data for calendar.google.com, and accounts.google.com, and www.google.com

Scheduling a Meeting edit

Zoom offers multiple methods to schedule a meeting. A host has control over the options for their scheduled meetings except for settings that an administrator has locked for all users in the account or for all members of a specific group.

  • Schedule from the Zoom desktop client or mobile app
  • Schedule from the Zoom Web Portal
  • Schedule from plugin (Chrome, Outlook, Firefox)
  • Schedule for someone else - PDF Guides for Executive Assistants (Outlook, Google)

Mac or Windows edit

  1. Open your Zoom client and sign in to Zoom.
  2. Click on the Schedule icon. This will open the scheduler window.
  3. Select your meeting settings. Note that some of these options might not be available if they were disabled and locked to the off position at the account or group level.
    • Topic: Enter a topic or name for your meeting.
    • Start: Select a date and time for your meeting. You can start your meeting at any time before the scheduled time.
    • Duration: Choose the approximate duration of the meeting. This is only for scheduling purposes. The meeting will not end after this length of time.
    • Time Zone: By default, Zoom will use your computer's time zone. Click the drop-down menu to select a different time zone.
    • Recurring meeting: Choose if you would like a recurring meeting (the meeting ID will remain the same for each session).
    • Video
      • Host: Choose if you would like the host video on or off when joining the meeting. Even if you choose off, the host will have the option to start their video.
      • Participant: Choose if you would like the participants' videos on or off when joining the meeting. Even if you turn off, the participants will have the option to start their video.
    • Audio: Choose whether to allow users to call in via Telephone only, Computer Audio only, Both, or 3rd Party Audio
    • Advanced Options: Click on the arrow to view additional meeting options.
      • Require meeting password: You can select and input your meeting password here. Joining participants will be required to input this before joining your scheduled meeting. Note: The meeting password must meet these requirements.
        • 10 characters maximum
        • Passwords are case sensitive
        • We recommend using alphanumeric characters and these special characters:  @ * _ -
        • The Zoom desktop client allows alphanumeric characters and these special characters: @ * _ -
        • The Zoom web portal allows any characters, but the these characters are not allowed: & <> \
      • Enable join before host: Allow participants to join the meeting without you or before you join. The meeting will end after 40-minutes for Basic (free) users if 3 or more people join the meeting.
      • Mute participants on entry: If join before host is not enabled, this will mute all participants as they join the meeting.
      • Use Personal Meeting ID: Check this if you want to use your Personal Meeting ID. If not selected, a random unique meeting ID will be generated.
      • Record the meeting automatically: Check this if you want the meeting to be automatically recorded. Select if you want it to be recorded locally (to your computer) or to the cloud (zoom.us/recording).
      • List on Public Event List: Post the meeting on the public meeting/webinar list so that anyone can view it. We recommend you add a meeting password to secure your meeting.
      • Schedule For: If you have scheduling privilege for another user, you will be able to choose who you want to schedule for from the drop-down menu.
      • Alternative hosts: Enter the email address of another Zoom user with a Pro license on your account to allow them to start the meeting in your absence. Read more about Alternative Host.
    • Calendar: Select a calendar service to add the meeting to and send out invites to participants.
  4. Click Schedule to finish, and open the selected calendar service to add the meeting. Note:
    • If you are scheduling a recurring meeting, you will need to set the recurrence in your calendar service.
    • Choosing Other Calendars will allow you to copy and paste the scheduled meeting information such as date, time, and meeting URL.

Web browser edit

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal
  2. Click Meetings, and click Schedule A Meeting.
  3. Select the meeting options.  Note that some of these options might not be available if they were disabled and locked to the off position at the account or group level.
    • Topic: Enter a topic or name for your meeting.
    • Description: Enter in an option meeting description.
    • When: Select a date and time for your meeting.
    • Duration: Choose the approximate duration of the meeting. This is only for scheduling purposes. The meeting will not end after this length of time.
    • Time Zone: By default, Zoom will use the time zone set in your profile. Click the drop-down menu to select a different time zone.
    • Recurring meeting: Check if you would like a recurring meeting(the meeting ID will remain the same for each session). This will open up additional recurrence options.
      • Recurrence: Select how often you need the meeting to recur: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or No Fixed Time. It can recur up to 50 times. If you need more than 50 recurrences, use the No Fixed Time option.
      • The other recurrence options will depend on how often the meeting recurs. You can configure the meeting to end after a set amount of occurrences or have the recurring meeting end on a specific date.
    • List this Meeting in Public Event List: If your account has the Public Event List enabled, check this option to include this meeting in the list.
    • Registration: Check this option if your meeting will require registration. Instead of a join link for your participants, you will be provided a registration link. Read more about meeting registration. If registration is required and the meeting is reoccurring, choose one of these options:
      • Attendees register once and can attend any of the occurrences: Registrants can attend all of the occurrences. All dates and times of the meeting will be listed and the registrant will be registered for all occurrences.
      • Attendees need to register for each occurrence to attend: Registrants need to register separately for each occurrence to attend. They can only choose one date and time on the registrant page.
      • Attendees register once and can choose one or more occurrences to attend: Registrants register once and can choose one or more occurrences to attend. They will need to select which dates and times they would like to attend and they will only be registered for those occurrences. They can choose multiple options.
    • Host Video: Choose if you would like the host video on or off when joining the meeting. Even if you choose off, the host will have the option to start their video.
    • Participant Video: Choose if you would like the participants' videos on or off when joining the meeting. Even if you choose off, the participants will have the option to start their video.
    • Audio Options: Choose whether to allow users to join using Telephone only, Computer Audio only, Telephone and Computer Audio (both), or 3rd Party Audio (if enabled for your account).
    • Dial in From: If Telephone or Telephone and Computer Audio is enabled for this meeting, click Edit to select the dial-in countries that you would like included in the invitation. By default, this includes your Global Dial-In Countries listed in My Meeting Settings.
    • Require meeting password: You can select and input your meeting password here. Joining participants will be required to input this before joining your scheduled meeting. Note: The meeting password must meet these requirements.
      • 10 characters maximum
      • Passwords are case sensitive
      • We recommend using alphanumeric characters and these special characters:  @ * _ -
      • The Zoom desktop client allows alphanumeric characters and these special characters: @ * _ -
      • The Zoom web portal allows any characters, but the these characters are not allowed: & <> \
    • Enable join before host: Allow participants to join the meeting without you or before you join. The meeting will end after 40-minutes for Basic (free) users if 3 or more people join the meeting.
    • Mute participants upon entry: If join before host is not enabled, this will mute all participants as they join the meeting.
    • Use Personal Meeting ID: Check this if you want to use your Personal Meeting ID. If not selected, a random unique meeting ID will be generated.
    • Enable waiting room: Allows the host to control when participants join the meeting by placing them in a waiting room.
    • Only signed-in users can join this meeting: Restrict access to the meeting so that only signed-in using can join.
    • Default to HD Video: If you enable this option, the participant view will always default to HD video automatically (if the feature is available in the Account Settings).
    • Record the meeting automatically: Check this if you want the meeting to be automatically recorded. Select if you want it to be recorded locally (to your computer) or to the cloud(zoom.us/recording).
    • Schedule For: If you have scheduling privilege for another user, you will be able to choose who you want to schedule for from the drop down.
    • Alternative Hosts: Enter the email address of another Zoom user with a Pro license on your account to allow them to start the meeting in your absence. Read more about Alternative Host.
  4. Click Save to finish.

Once finished, you can either select a calendar option to add the scheduled meeting to your calendar or select Copy The Invitation to send out the invitation to your Zoom meeting.

Copy the Invitation will open up a window where you can copy the full invitation to send out via email.

Linux edit

  1. Open the Zoom desktop client.
  2. Join a meeting using one of these methods:
    • Click Join a Meeting if you want to join without signing in.
    • Sign in to Zoom then click Join.
  3. Enter the meeting ID number and name.
    • If you're signed in, change your name if you don't want your default name to appear.
    • If you're not signed in, enter a display name.
  4. Select if you would like to connect audio and/or video and click Join.

Meeting Controls edit

Host controls allow you as the host to control various aspects of the Zoom Meeting, such as managing the participants.

Host meeting controls edit

The host controls will appear at the bottom of your screen if you are not currently screen sharing.

  • Mute/Unmute: This allows you to mute or unmute your microphone.
    • Audio Controls (click ^ next to Mute/Unmute): The audio controls allow you to change the microphone and speaker that Zoom is currently using on your computer, leave computer audio, and access the full audio options in the Zoom settings.
  • Start/Stop Video: This allows you to start or stop your own video.
    • Video controls (click ^ next to Start/Stop Video): If you have multiple cameras on your computer, you can select which Zoom is using, access the full video controls, and select a Virtual Background.
  • Invite: Invite others to join your meeting.
  • Manage Participants: Opens the Participants window.
  • Lock the meeting: Prevents anyone new from joining
  • Polling: Allows you to create, edit, and launch your polls. The options to create or launch polls will open up the Zoom web portal in your default browser.
  • Share Screen: Start sharing your screen. You will be able to select the desktop or application you want to share.
  • Screen Share controls (click ^ next to Share Screen): Select who can share in your meeting and if you want only the host or any participant to be able to start a new share when someone is sharing.
  • Chat: Access the chat window to chat with the participants.
  • Record: Start or stop a cloud or local recording.
  • Closed Caption: If you have enabled closed captioning for your account, click here to access the closed caption options.
  • Breakout Rooms: Start breakout rooms.
  • More: Clicking on More will give you access to additional options.
  • End Meeting: This will end the meeting for all participants. If you want to have the meeting continue, you should give another participant host control before leaving the meeting.

When you are screen sharing, the controls will appear at the top of your screen, but you can drag it to another location.

Breakout Rooms edit

Breakout Rooms allow you to split your Zoom meeting in up to 50 separate sessions. The meeting host can choose to split the participants of the meeting into these separate sessions automatically or manually, and can switch between sessions at any time.

  • Up to 50 breakout rooms can be created
  • Max 100 participants in a breakout room
  • Breakout room participants have full audio, video and screen share capabilities

If the meeting is being cloud recorded, it will only record the main room, regardless of what room the meeting host is in. If local recording is being used, it will record the room the participant who is recording is in. Multiple participants can record locally.

Managing Breakout Rooms edit

  1. Start an instant or scheduled meeting.
  2. Click Breakout Rooms.
  3. Select the number of rooms you would like to create, and how you would like to assign your participants to those rooms:
    • Automatically: Let Zoom split your participants up evenly into each of the rooms
    • Manually: Choose which participants you would like in each room
  4. Click Create Breakout Rooms.
  5. Your rooms will be created, but will not start automatically. You can manage the rooms prior to starting them by following the instructions below.

Options for Breakout Rooms edit

  1. After creating the breakout rooms, click Options to view additional Breakout Rooms options.
  2. Check any options that you would like to use for your breakout rooms.
    • Move all participants into breakout rooms automatically: Checking this option will move all participants into the breakout rooms automatically. If this option is unchecked, the participants will need to click Join to be added to the breakout room.
    • Allow participants to return to the main session at any time: If this option is checked, the participants can move back to the main session from their meeting controls. If this is disabled, they need to wait for the host to end the breakout rooms.
    • Breakout rooms close automatically after x minutes: If this option is checked, the breakout rooms will automatically end after the configured time.
    • Notify me when the time is up: If this option is checked, the host will be notified when the breakout room time is up.
    • Countdown after closing breakout rooms: If this option is checked, the participants will be given a countdown of how much time they have left before being returned to the main room.
  3. Follow the steps below to assign participants to rooms or click Open All Rooms to start the breakout rooms.

Assigning Participants to Rooms edit

To assign participants to your rooms, select Assign next to the room you wish to assign participants to and select participants you want to assign to that room. Repeat this for each room.

Once a participant has been assigned (manually or automatically), the number of participants will show in place of the Assign button.

Preparing Breakout Rooms edit

After manually or automatically assigning participants to rooms, you can rearrange the participants. Participants who are not assigned to breakout sessions will remain in the main meeting when the rooms are started.

  • Move to (participant): Select a room to move the participant to.
  • Exchange (participant): Select a participant in another room to swap the selected participant with.
  • Delete Room: Delete the selected room.
  • Recreate: Deletes existing breakout rooms and creates new ones.
  • Add a Room: Add another breakout room.
  • Open All Rooms: Start the rooms. All participants will be moved to their respective rooms after confirming the prompt to join the breakout room. The host will be left in the main meeting until manually joining one of the rooms. The participants (and the host when manually joining a room) will see the following message shown when joining the breakout room.

Managing Breakout Rooms in Progress edit

Once the Breakout Rooms have been started, the participants will be asked to join the Breakout Session. The host will stay in the main meeting until joining a session manually. If a participant has not joined the session yet, it will be noted by (not joined) next to their name.

  • Join: Join the breakout room.
  • Leave: Leave the room and return to the main meeting (only shows when in a breakout room).
  • Close All Rooms: Stops all rooms after a 60 second countdown, shown to the host and participants, and returns all participants back to the main meeting.

Ask for Help edit

Participants in breakout rooms can request that the meeting host join their meeting by clicking Ask for Help.

The host will be prompted to join the room where the request originated from. Click Join Breakout Room to join the room.

Broadcasting a Message to All Breakout Rooms edit

The host can broadcast a message to all breakout rooms to share information with all participants.

  1. Click Breakout Rooms in the meeting controls.
  2. Click Broadcast a message to all, enter your message and click Broadcast.
  3. The message will now appear for all participants in Breakout Rooms.

Closed Captioning edit

Closed captioning allows you or another meeting attendee, assigned by the host, to add closed captioning in a meeting. In a webinar, closed captioning can be typed by the host, co-host, or a panelist assigned by the host.  You can type the closed captions directly via Zoom or you can integrate a third party service.

Prerequisites edit

  • Zoom PC or Mac version 3.5.37712.0111 or higher (enter or view caption)

Starting Closed Captioning in a Meeting edit

  1. In a Zoom meeting or webinar that you are hosting, click Closed Caption.
  2. Select if you will type the Closed Captions, if you would like to assign someone to type or if you are using a Third Party provider
    • I will type: This will open up the closed captioning window.
    • Assign a participant to type: This will open up the participants window. Hover over the participant's name and click on More. Choose Assign to Type Closed Caption.
    • Use a 3rd Party CC service: This will give you a URL that you can provide to the 3rd party service to enter captions.
  3. If you are the host and you choose to type the Closed Captions, the Closed Caption box will open automatically. You will type the caption in the box and press Enter to submit it.

Entering Closed Captions as a Participant edit

  1. Once the host assigns you the ability to type closed captions, a notification will appear in your meeting controls.
  2. Click Closed Caption.
  3. This will open up the closed caption box. You will type the caption in the box and press Enter to submit it.

Recording a Zoom Meeting edit

Consent to be Recorded edit

Attendees can be prompted to provide their consent to be recorded in a meeting or a webinar. If this setting is enabled attendees will receive a notification when a recording starts or if they join a session that is already being recorded. The attendee can either consent to stay in the session or leave.

Providing consent as an attendee edit

1. The following message will appear when joining a session that is being recorded or if a recording is started during a session.

2. Click Continue to consent to be recorded. Click Leave Meeting to opt out and exit the session.

Reporting on attendee consent edit

  1. Login to your account on wikimedia.zoom.us.
  2. Click Reports.
  3. Click the Usage or Active Host report. This will vary based on your account access.
  4. Once you input criteria to generate a meeting list, click the number in the participants column to generate a detailed report.You will see a section for recording consent in the window that is displayed.

Cloud Recording edit

When you record a meeting and choose Record to the Cloud, the video, audio, and chat text are recorded in the Zoom cloud. The recording files can be downloaded to a computer or streamed from a browser. To manage your recorded meetings or share a recording with others, log in to your account and navigate to the My Recordings page. Zoom also offers local recording, which saves the recording files to your computer.

Starting a Cloud Recording edit

Note: Only hosts and co-hosts can start a cloud recording. If you want a participant to start a recording, you can make them a co-host or use local recording.

To record a meeting to the cloud:

  1. Start a meeting as the host.
  2. Click the Record button in the Zoom toolbar.
  3. Select Record to the Cloud to begin recording.
  4. To stop recording, click Pause/Stop Recording or End Meeting.

Once the recording has been stopped, the recording must be processed before viewing. Zoom will send an email to the host's email address when the process is completed.

Note:

  • For recording on mobile, see Recording on iOS and Android.
  • You can record the meeting in different layouts including active speaker, gallery view, and shared screen. Learn more about recording layouts.

Viewing Cloud Recordings edit

  1. Log in to wikimedia.zoom.us and navigate to My Recordings. Note: If your meeting has not finished converting, the recording will show in the list with a Processing Recording label. Once the recording has finished converting, you will be able to view, share, download or delete your cloud recording.
  2. Click the meeting topic to display the available file types of the recorded data, based on the settings you have enabled:
    • Shared screen with speaker view: MP4 file with audio and video showing both active speaker view and shared content.
    • Shared screen with gallery view: MP4 file with audio and video showing both gallery view and shared content.
    • Active Speaker: MP4 file with audio and video showing the active speaker view only.
    • Gallery View: MP4 file with audio and video showing the gallery view only.
    • Shared Screen: MP4 file with audio and video showing the shared screen only.
    • Audio only: M4A file with a recording of the audio.
    • Audio transcript: VTT file with a transcript of the audio only.
    • Chat file: Text file with the transcript of in-meeting chat.
  3. Click a file to play the recording or see the text of the chat. You can also download, share, or delete recordings.
  4. (Optional) If you want to trim the recording of a shared video so that it starts and ends at the times you specify, you can set a playback range. See Cloud Recording Playback for details.

Sharing Cloud Recording edit

Since cloud recordings are stored online, you can share a link and allow others to view your recording.

  1. Locate the meeting topic on the My Recordings page.
  2. Click Share in the last column of the recording you want to share.
  3. Click Copy To Clipboard to copy the public link.
  4. (Optional) You can change these settings to restrict access to your recording:
    • Share this meeting: Select Internally (account members only) to only allow account members to view or download the recording.
    • Viewers can download: Turn off the toggle if you do not want views to be able to download the recording.
    • On demand (registration required): Require visitors to fill out a registration form before viewing the recording.
    • Password protect: Require visitors to enter a password before viewing the recording.

Protecting Cloud Recordings edit

You can password protect the recording to limit who can download or view your cloud recording

  1. Locate the meeting topic on the My Recordings page.
  2. Click Share next to the recording you want to password protect.
  3. Enable Password protect by clicking the toggle.
  4. Enter the password you want to use and click Save.

Local Recording edit

Local recording allows users to record meeting video and audio locally to a computer. The recorded files then can be uploaded to a file storage service like Google Drive, or a streaming service like YouTube, or Wikimedia Commons.

Note: Local recording is not supported on iOS and Android. Use cloud recording if you are using a mobile device.

Starting a Local Recording edit

The host must record the meeting or grant the ability to record to a participant.

  1. Start a Zoom meeting as the host.
  2. Click the option to Record.
  3. If there is a menu, select Record on this Computer.
    Hosts will see the following recording indicator in the top-left corner while recording is active.
    Participants will see the following indicator in the top-left corner while the recording is active.
  4. Click Participants to see which users are currently recording.
    Note: Dial-in participants will hear a message informing them that the meeting is now being recorded unless disabled by the host.
  5. After the meeting has ended, Zoom will convert the recording so you can access the files.
  6. Once the conversion process is complete, the folder containing the recording files will open. Note: By default, the audio/video file (MP4) will be named Zoom_0.mp4. The audio only file (M4A) is named audio_only.m4a.

Note:

  • If the meeting unexpectedly shuts down or if the conversion process is interrupted, the recording files could become corrupted and non-recoverable.
  • If the conversion process is not successfully after the meeting has ended, you can try to convert the files again by navigating to the recording location and double clicking the recording files.
  • You can record the meeting in different layouts including active speaker, gallery view, and shared screen. Learn more about recording layouts.

Stopping or Pausing a Local Recording edit

During a Zoom recording, a user can Stop or Pause the recording. If a user stops the recording and starts it again, a new video file will be created for the next recording segment. If a user pauses the recording and starts it again, Zoom will record to the same video file for the recording segment.

  1. After a recording has been started, click Pause or Stop Recording at the bottom.
    The recording can also be stopped or paused by clicking the indicator in the top left corner.
  2. When a recording is paused, the following indicator will be displayed in the meeting.
  3. To resume the recording, click Resume Recording at the bottom. The recording can also be resumed by clicking the indicator in the top left corner.

Assigning Recording Privileges to a Participant edit

  1. In a Zoom Meeting click on Manage Participants.
  2. In the Participants menu navigate to the user who will be granted recording privileges. Click More next to their name.
  3. Select the option to Allow Record.
    The participant will receive a notification.
  4. When a participant is recording, the participant menu will display a recording icon next to the user's name.
  5. To disable the participant's ability to record, click More next to the name, then click Forbid Record.

Accessing Local Recording Files edit

By default, all recordings will be placed in a Zoom folder found in the following file path on these devices:

  • PC: C:\Users\User Name\Documents\Zoom
  • Mac: /Users/User Name/Documents/Zoom

To access recording files:

  1. Open the Zoom desktop client and click Meetings.
  2. Click the Recorded tab and select the meeting with a local recording. Note:
    • If you have a local recording that hasn't been converted to a video file yet, click Convert to convert the recording to a video file and display the options below.
    • If you only see the Open option, it means the recording is a cloud recording.
  3. You can access these options to manage your local recordings:
    • Open: Open the folder that contains the recording files.
    • Play Video: Play the recorded meeting using your computer's default media player.
    • Play Audio: Play the recorded meeting audio with your computer's default media player.
    • Delete: Remove the meeting from the recording list on the Zoom client. This does not delete it from the computer.
    • Refresh icon: Refresh the recording list if you don't see your recording.
  4. (Optional) Follow the steps to share a local recording if you want others to see your recording.

Note: If there are issues opening or playing the file, check the default recording location and ensure the files are in the correct place.

Recording File Formats edit

Zoom recordings use the following file formats:

  • MP4: Audio/Video file that is named zoom_0.mp4 by default. Each subsequent recording is in sequential order: zoom_0, zoom_1, zoom_2, etc.
  • M4A: Audio-only file that is named audio_only.m4a by default. Each subsequent recording is in sequential order: audio_only_0,audio_only_1, etc.
  • M3U: Playlist file to play all individual MP4 files (Windows only). Named playback.m3u by default.
  • TXT: Text file that is named chat.txt by default. This file contains the in-meeting chat messages.

Note: Screen sharing recording uses about 20MB of storage per hour while video recording uses about 200MB of storage an hour. This is an approximation, since the resolution and types of video or screen sharing content could change the amount of storage used.

Changing Local Recording Settings edit

To change local recording settings in the Zoom client:

  1. Open the Zoom client and click Settings.
  2. Click the Recording tab. This will open your recording options that you can change using the client. Note: Setting the default location to a cloud syncing folder (such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or One Drive), an external drive, or network storage device may cause issues with saving and converting the local recording. Zoom strongly recommends keeping the default location on a local drive for recordings.

Sharing Your Screen edit

Zoom allows for screen sharing on desktop, tablet and mobile devices running Zoom.

  • The host and attendee can screen share by clicking the Share Screen icon.
  • The host does not need to "pass the ball" or "make someone else a presenter" to share.
  • The host can "lock screen share" so no attendee can screen share.

Prerequisites edit

  • Zoom desktop client
  • Zoom mobile app

Share Screen on Desktop Client edit

  1. Click the Share Screen button located in your meeting controls.
  2. Select the screen you want to share. You can also choose an individual application that is already open on your computer, the desktop, a whiteboard, or an iPhone/iPad.
  3. (Optional) Enable these features:
    • Check Share Computer Sound: If you check this option, any sound played by your computer will be shared in the meeting.
    • Check Optimize for full screen video clip: Check this if you will be sharing a video clip in full screen mode. Do not check this otherwise, as it may cause the shared screen to be blurry.
  4. Click Share.

Screen Share Menu edit

When you start sharing your screen, the meeting controls will move into a menu that you can drag around your screen.

  • Mute/Unmute: Mute or unmute your microphone.
  • Start/Stop Video: Start or stop your in-meeting video.
  • Participants/Manage Participants: View or manage the participants (if the host).
  • New Share: Start a new screen share. You will be prompted to select which screen you want to share again.
  • Pause Share: Pause your current shared screen.
  • Annotate: Use screen share tools for drawing, adding text, etc.
  • More: Hover over move for additional options.
    • Chat: Open the chat window.
    • Invite: Invite others to join the meeting.
    • Record: Start recording locally or to the cloud.
    • Allow/Disable participants annotation: Allow or prevent the participants from annotating on your shared screen.
    • Show/Hide Names of Annotators: Show or hide the participants' name when they are annotating on a screen share. If set to show, the participant's name will briefly display beside their annotation.
    • Optimize Share for Full-screen Video Clip: Start optimizing for a video clip in full screen mode. We do not recommend using this if you are not sharing a full screen video clip, as it make blur your screen share.
    • End Meeting:  Leave the meeting or end the meeting for all participants.

Annotation edit

Select Annotate to begin annotating on your shared screen.

This will open the annotation menu.

You can use the following annotation tools:

  • Mouse: Deactivate annotation control and switch back to your mouse pointer.
  • Select: Select, move, or resize your annotations.
  • Text: Insert text.
  • Draw: Insert lines, arrows, and shapes.
  • Stamp: Insert predefined icons like a check mark or star.
  • Spotlight/Arrow: Turn your cursor into a spotlight or arrow.
  • Eraser: Click and drag to erase parts of your annotation.
  • Format: Change the formatting options of the annotation tools.
  • Undo: Undo your latest annotation.
  • Re: Redo your latest annotation that you undid.
  • Clear: Delete all annotations.
  • Save: Save all annotations on the screen as a screenshot. The screenshot is saved to the local recording location.

Dual Monitors edit

If you are using a dual monitor set-up, you can turn on the Use Dual Monitors feature to see the screen sharing on one monitor and participants on the second.

Sharing Multiple Screens Simultaneously edit

Hosts using the Zoom desktop client can allow multiple participants share their screens simultaneously during a meeting. This can be useful for a real-time comparison of documents or other materials by participants.

Enabling Simultaneous Screen Sharing as the Meeting Host edit

  1. Start your Zoom meeting as the host.
  2. Click the arrow to the right of Share Screen, then select Multiple participants can share simultaneously.

This allows multiple participants to share their screen at the same time.

Note: Zoom Rooms and participants using the Zoom mobile app can only share if no one else is sharing.

Sharing Screens at the Same Time edit

Any participants (including the host) using the Zoom desktop client can click Share Screen to begin sharing. Even if a someone is already sharing a screen, another participant can begin sharing.

Depending on their setup, participants will see the following:

  • Participants using dual monitors can see the two most recently shared screens on each monitor.
  • Participants using a single monitor see the most recently shared screen. Participants can select View Options to change the screen they are viewing.
  • Participants using the Zoom mobile app see the most recently shared screen. They cannot change the screen they are viewing.

As the host, you can choose to switch to the option One participant can share at a time for any portion of the meeting. See the instructions on how to share a screen when only one participant can share at a time.

Limitations edit

Sharing multiple screens simultaneously has the following limitations:

  • When you enable the option to share multiple screens simultaneously, the options Share computer audio and Optimize for full-screen video clip are not available.
  • Participants using the mobile app cannot share when anyone else is sharing.

Zoom Scheduler Chrome Extension edit

The Zoom Scheduler Chrome Extension allows participants to schedule Zoom meetings directly from Google Calendar. Using the extension, you can start an instant meeting or schedule a future meeting. The meeting join link and details are sent via a Google Calendar invitation so the attendee can join with a single-click from the calendar.

Prerequisites edit

  • Google Chrome
  • Zoom Chrome extension from the Google Chrome Web Store
  • Zoom account with Google, work email and password, or Single Sign On (SSO) login
  • Using Google Calendar to schedule meetings

Installing the Extension edit

Before you can schedule meetings using the Chrome extension or directly in Google Calendar, you need to install the Zoom Scheduler extension from the Chrome Web Store. Click Add to Chrome in the upper right of the extension window.

Using the Extension edit

  1. The Zoom Chrome extension will install an icon next to your Chrome address bar. If you click the Zoom button, the Chrome extension will open. Sign in to your Zoom Account.
  2. Once signed in, you will have additional options in the Chrome Extension:
    • Schedule a Meeting: Click Schedule a Meeting to open up a new event on Google Calendar.
    • Start a Meeting: Hover over Start a Meeting to choose to start with video or start without video. Learn more about instant meetings.
    • Name/email address: Click on your name or email address to open your Zoom profile page.
    • Gear icon: Click on the Gear icon to open the Zoom meeting settings.

Scheduling a Meeting From Google Calendar edit

You can also make any Google Calendar invite a Zoom Meeting.

  1. Create a new calendar event or edit an existing calendar event.
  2. Open the additional options for the event.
    • For a new calendar event, click More Options.
    • For an existing calendar event, click the Pencil icon.
  3. Click Make it a Zoom Meeting. This will create a Zoom meeting and populate the meeting details in the description.
  4. Click Save.

Note: If you are rescheduling a Zoom meeting from Google Calendar, edit the calendar entry and change the meeting date/time. Do not drag and drop the calendar event or copy the meeting details to a different calendar entry.