How to use the Zoom Meeting application on your computer

Virtual meetings are increasingly becoming a necessity during the coronavirus pandemic. Whereas just a few months ago people preferred to meet clients offline, now, with lockdowns imposed around the world, a large number of professionals are opting for online solutions to stay in touch. Meanwhile, many schools and educational institutions have started using video conferencing apps to connect with students virtually. Zoom has become one of the popular video conferencing solutions. One of the reasons behind its popularity is cross-platform support. However, Zoom also offers features such as the ability to join meetings through a web browser and share your screen with up to 100 participants. All of this makes it a strong alternative to competitors like Google Hangouts Meet and Microsoft Teams.

Zoom is available for mobile and desktop users. Attendees can also connect with their Zoom meeting host directly from their web browser. Additionally, the Zoom app allows you to add up to 100 participants to a single meeting, and this can be further increased to up to 500 members using the Large Meetings add-on. Of course, some recent privacy concerns have hampered the growing success of the Zoom app around the world. However, the development team claims it has started going all-in on enhancing privacy. This could end up making Zoom a more robust virtual conferencing solution.

That being said, you might just be wondering how you should get started with Zoom. So here we are with a step-by-step guide on how to use the Zoom app on your desktop. To make it easier for you, we’ve provided steps for both Windows and Mac devices. Before starting our tutorials, you can also download the latest Zoom client for your desktop directly from the official website.

Zoom also lets users join meetings through a web browser, rather than downloading its app on their computers.So in this case all you need to do is just open the given meeting link and your browser will display a page where you will get Join from your browser associated. You’ll then see a screen where you just need to enter your name to join the meeting. It is important to note that the link to join from your browser is provided by the host and may not be available for all meetings.

If you have a Zoom account, you can follow the steps below to join a Zoom meeting. Signing in gives you more options.

1. Launch the Zoom application on your computer.
2. Now, click login button to log in with your existing account.You can also press the free registration Links available on the login screen. Alternatively, you can use your existing single sign-on (SSO) credentials or use an existing Google or Facebook account.
3. Once logged in, you can click the join in button on the home screen.

A popup will appear on the screen asking you to enter a meeting ID or personal link name. You can also add your name on a screen that the meeting host and other attendees can see. Also, you can turn off video or audio by clicking the checkbox provided.
The app will now connect you to the meeting.

How to Host a Zoom Meeting on Windows or Mac

Here are the steps to quickly start a Zoom meeting on your desktop.

1. Launch the Zoom application on your computer.
2. Now, click login button in case you are not logged in.
3. You will get home screen from where you need to tap new meeting button. You also have the option to disable video by clicking the down icon below the New Meeting button.
4. Once you click the button, Zoom will load a screen giving you details such as meeting subject, host name, password, PIN for phone and room system, invitation URL, and participant ID. You can also invite others from the same screen. Likewise, there will also be an option to share your screen.
5. After the meeting, you can click the meeting dismiss button to end it.A dialog box will pop up on the screen, from which you can click end everyone’s meeting Terminate it for all participants.You can also leave the meeting when you are done and press the leave the meeting A button in a popup dialog. This will continue the conversation between the participants, while you will be able to log out.

You can also record your conversation or chat with attendees at any time during the meeting. The app also provides controls to mute the audio or disable the video while hosting a meeting. In addition, you can see the number of participants in the meeting directly from the host screen.

How to schedule a Zoom meeting on Windows, Mac

1. Launch the Zoom application on your computer.
2. Log into the app with your existing credentials or create a new account.
3. You will now need to click the schedule button to schedule a meeting.
4. The app will display a pop-up screen that lets you enter a subject for the scheduled meeting, select an appropriate date and time, create a password and select options to enable or disable the meeting for phone or computer users.
5. Once you’ve filled in all the details, you’ll have the option to set up iCal, Google Calendar, or other calendar invitations.
6. Now you need to press the schedule button to schedule your meeting.
7. Your scheduled meetings will appear on the home screen of the Zoom app.You can also go to the Meeting Label.

To simplify the experience, Zoom also offers browser extensions for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. These extensions can be used to schedule Zoom meetings without using the native app. However, you still need the app to join existing meetings or host new ones.

Zoom is free to download, but the free Basic plan has a 40-minute limit on group meetings. However, you can host up to 100 participants in group meetings and unlimited one-on-one meetings. If you want more, you can opt for the Pro plan, which increases the meeting duration limit to 24 hours and includes administrative controls and features such as custom personal meeting IDs and user management for $14.99 per month per host (Approximately Rs 1,100). Zoom also has business and enterprise plans for enhanced use. The latter enables you to add up to 500 participants without the large meeting add-on required by the Pro and Business plans.

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