Several years ago, countries around the globe began switching to remote work for obvious reasons. As the ‘new normal’ persists, the working force worldwide is working remotely or choosing hybrid work. Under these unprecedented circumstances, our reliance on online tools increased as none had imagined. Zoom emerged as the winner in the world of online apps. This is why we prepared this article about the best Zoom tips and tricks.
Today, Zoom is used by professionals from all industries. Whether you head a global team, are a small business owner, or teach students, you might turn to Zoom sooner or later. Zoom app is user-friendly, feature-rich, and, most importantly, offers a basic free plan for everyone. If you don’t want to invest money into video conferencing but still need to use it, opting for Zoom is a safe and reliable choice.
Zoom software is easy to use as well. You can use the web version or download the mobile app to conduct calls on the go. You can also integrate Zoom with other tools, such as a time-tracking app, to optimize your team’s productivity.
That was a quick review of Zoom’s wild success. Now we offer you a comprehensive list of Zoom tips and tricks you can use immediately to improve and speed up your Zoom experience. Let’s start with the most essential Zoom tips!
If you are attending a professional Zoom meeting and want to set your username right, there are two ways to do it. This video conferencing app lets you change your name temporarily or permanently.
If you are only looking to change the name for one particular Zoom meeting, go to the tab called "Participants". It can be found at the bottom of your screen. Press "More" and then press "Rename". Enter the username you want and press "OK".
To change your Zoom name permanently (for every Zoom meeting), go to the "Profile" section. Click "Edit", add the name you want, and press "Save Changes".
You can set a temporary or permanent profile picture on Zoom, just like you can for your username.
For a temporary picture, click the "Participants" tab at the bottom of your screen. Press "More" and then press "Add Profile Picture". Select the image you want from your system and press "Open".
Go to the " Profile " section to change your picture permanently (for all future Zoom meetings). Click "Edit", choose the picture you want from your system, and press "Open".
As with the username, you can change your permanent profile picture whenever you want using the steps described above.
Did you know Zoom offers you a chance to be more gender-inclusive? The app lets the users customize their profile details, including the preferred pronoun. It’s quite a neat way to reflect and meet the needs of the modern world, where individuals have more autonomy over how they want to be addressed.
To let other meeting participants know your preferred pronoun, go to the "Profile" section and simply enter the pronouns you use. In addition, the app allows you to share your pronouns with other meeting participants in several ways.
Although setting virtual backgrounds is one of the handiest features of the Zoom web portal, only some users seem aware of it. Working from a comfortable home has its perks. Do you want to attend a Zoom call on your comfy couch rather than your work desk? You’re welcome to do so. But what about the huge pile of clothes decorating the background? Don`t worry! Zoom takes care of it.
Choosing virtual backgrounds lets you set the professional touch to your official online Zoom meetings. You can select any locations Zoom offers, from a solid-colored wall to a galaxy of shining stars. Go to "Settings" and enable your virtual background with a single click. It’s super easy to get on quick calls with zero embarrassments.
Working from home allows you to relax. For example, most girls don’t feel the need to put on makeup to look presentable. But what do you do when a sudden video conference call is scheduled?
With Zoom, you can take care of your appearance in seconds. The app has a built-in "touch-up" feature. You can use it to brighten up your face, eliminate the dark circles under your eyes, and have a fresh look.
You just need to go to the "Video" section in your Zoom settings and tick the "Touch up my appearance" option. In such a way, you can save time and look your best with minimal effort.
Teams in different industries use more than one software to manage and run various operations daily. It becomes difficult to switch between apps to perform different tasks. For example, if you run a consultancy or are a personal trainer, you might use a scheduling tool like Sprintful to manage your client bookings. Since many of these appointments or sessions now occur online, you automatically need a video conferencing tool to talk to your clients. This is where Zoom integrations come to the rescue.
This is one of the most important Zoom tips. Zoom has a handy app marketplace that lists the different apps you can access without switching between apps. You can connect your scheduling app’s calendar directly to your Zoom and set automatic Zoom meetings effortlessly. Share the Zoom link with your clients and hold online meetings without hassle.
Do you have weekly appointments with a particular client or daily conference calls with your teammates? It is a tiring process to set meetings every week for the same person/people. With Zoom, you don’t have to create a new meeting every day or every week.
You can simply choose the convenient option of "Recurring meeting". Note that recurring meetings use the same URL every time, so you don't need to share meeting URLs for each session.
If you have meetings with the same group on the same day of the week but at different times, use the "No Fixed Time" option. This way, you can customize and set the meeting time depending on your need.
Just as there can be more than one host for a real-life meeting, there can be two hosts for virtual meetings. With Zoom, you can use co-host sessions where more than one person is at the helm of the meeting. Go to the "Meeting Settings" option and enable the "Co-Host" option.
How can you add someone you want to co-host a Zoom call with? Start by inviting him or her to your Zoom session. Once he or she has joined, hover your cursor over their name, click on the three dots that show up, and add them as a co-host.
Another way to add your co-host is by going to "Participants", selecting "Manage Participants", and clicking on "More". The co-host option will appear, and you can add the person you want. Please note that this feature is only available for those who use the Pro, Business, or Education Plan.
Sometimes, you need to share your screen with your meeting participants. To share your screen during a Zoom call, simply press the "Share Screen" option that appears at the bottom of your screen. As soon as you press it, you can either share your entire screen or a particular window you have opened on your system.
Our Zoom tips are a treasure trove for any Zoom user. One of Zoom's most convenient features is recording your meeting sessions. Zoom helps you record your calls for absent attendees or simply for archival purposes. It is especially useful for teachers and students.
Go to the "Recording" option in your settings tab and enable the option to record videos. You can choose to store the recording locally (on your computer). You can also save it in the cloud (on the online storage server Zoom offers (only for paying members)).
You can view all the participants of your Zoom call, whether they have enabled their video camera or are only using the audio option. You can use the gallery view to see everyone attending a Zoom room. While only one or two people may speak simultaneously, you can see everyone participating in the meeting.
Click the "Gallery View" option in the top right corner of your meeting screen. You will see the screens of every participant if the number is under 50. If the number of attendees is 50 or more, their screens won’t be visible all at once.
Using Zoom’s breakout room feature, you can create smaller Zoom calls or breakout rooms with a maximum of 50 attendees in each. Go to "Account Management", and choose "Account Settings". Select the "Meeting" tab and choose "Breakout Room". This way, you can create Zoom breakout rooms automatically, with the participants added beforehand.
The other option is to allow your attendees to opt for the breakout room of their preference. If you’re the host, you have greater control and can access any Zoom room you want. You can also disable the breakout room feature at any time you want.
If you are conducting a huge Zoom meeting and find looking at every participant’s screen distracting, you can use the following option. It’s easy to hide the attendees who do not have their cameras turned on.
Go to "Settings", then "Video", and then choose the "Meetings" option. Enable the "Hide Non-Video Participants" option. Voila! Your screen is now clean, and you can easily focus on what’s being said instead of being distracted by visual noise.
You can hold a one-on-one personal meeting using the free plan for as long as you want. However, the Zoom app limits group meeting time to 40 minutes. Any Zoom meetings that are longer than that will have to be interrupted. We know how distracting it is.
You must pay up if you want to overcome the notorious 40-minute limit. Explore the pricing options on Zoom and choose one that fits your needs and budget. You will have access to unlimited time for group meetings and get some other useful features as well.
People say, "The more, the merrier". But Zoom`s downside is that it only allows up to 100 people if you are using the free (Basic) Plan. If you want to add more than 100 attendees to your online Zoom meeting, you must upgrade to the pricier plans.
Zoom’s Pro Plan allows 100 participants but you can increase the number to 1000 using the add-on. The Pro Plan, costing $149.90/year/user, allows for 100 attendees per Zoom meeting. The Business Plan, costing $199.90/year/user, allows 300 attendees per Zoom meeting. The Enterprise Plan allows for 1000 attendees per Zoom meeting.
Zoom desktop app usage is a necessity. Students use Zoom to attend online classes. However, it might be difficult for teachers to mark attendance manually with many attendees. With Zoom, you can easily access the list of participants who attended your Zoom meeting.
Zoom conveniently generates a meeting report after your Zoom call ends. You can get the attendees list by going to the "Reports" section in your "Zoom Account Management" tab. Choose "Usage Report", and go to the "Meeting" section. Then select the meeting you need the list for, choose the type of report you want to generate, specify the date, and create the report.
It takes a few clicks, and the attendee list is in your hands. Note that you can generate a list only if you are the meeting host and have purchased the right plan that allows this feature.
Did you know you can use Zoom to collect important data from your meeting participants?
For this purpose, create a form for the participants that they are mandated to fill out before they can enter the meeting. If this is a business meeting, you can ask them their name, company name, and the industry they work in. You can also add more fields per your requirement. You can use the "Custom Questions" feature and set the checkbox option to get straightforward answers.
This feature is also handy when you want to allow entry to a meeting after potential participants fill out and submit their forms. Note that this option is available in the Pro Plan.
If you take many Zoom video calls in a day, you might fear forgetting the name of whoever you are speaking to. Embarrassing, right? Zoom can help you neatly eliminate this problem.
Go to "Video Settings", then to "Meetings", and check the box "Always display participant name". All it takes is a single click to guarantee complete professionalism, no matter how busy you are!
When it comes to success, motivational gurus advise you to avoid shortcuts. But the same does not apply to Zoom, where nothing saves time like shortcuts!
It is a hassle to constantly click and tap to get things done. Here are handy keyboard shortcuts:
Our Zoom tips will make your life easier.
You can easily use emojis in your official or personal communication on Zoom. This is especially useful if you are communicating with people with whom you have a language barrier.
Depending on your need, you can send a like, a smile, or just a frustrated face. This cleanly eliminates the need to type long sentences to say what you want to. Cool, isn’t it?
Zoom offers its users yet another cool feature - a vanishing pen. It is in the annotations section of the app, and you simply have to click on it to start using it.
On a Zoom call, you might want to direct attendees' attention to a specific textual section or an object. This is where you can use the vanishing pen. As the name implies, you can highlight whatever text or object you want using this pen.
There is no need to erase or re-edit the content on your screen. It fades away automatically.
Zoom has an in-built reminder feature designed solely to alert you for an upcoming schedule you might otherwise totally forget. No one likes to miss meetings.
Go to the "General" settings and set up a reminder for yourself. Check the "Remind Me" box and specify how many minutes before an upcoming Zoom meeting you want to be alerted. It’s a convenient and quick way to stay on top of your day, no matter how busy it gets.
The Slack chat app is handy for streamlining internal communication within teams. You can chat with your team members, share your Zoom meeting link, and more. The great news is that Zoom offers Slack integration. The app is available on Zoom’s marketplace, and you can begin using it immediately.
Zoom gives you complete control to customize it for your specific usage and expand its functionalities per your requirement.
Zoom web portal has an irreplaceable Zapier integration, enabling you to connect and use multiple other apps easily. Whether it’s an accounting tool you want to integrate or a scheduling app like Sprintful, you can accomplish it all easily simply by using Zapier.
Did you know all the Zoom tips and tricks we shared above, or were some totally new to you?
We hope this article successfully introduced you to some lesser-known but highly useful Zoom tips. The Zoom tips we explored above will help you improve your communication, enhance your workflow and build better teams. Try all our Zoom tips today to save time like a time management pro!
