Connecting to Zoom
Here are instructions for using Zoom for the first time.
First, choose what device to use:
- Best option is usually a PC or Mac computer with camera and microphone (“webcam”). Most laptops have them. Desktop computers sometimes have an external one that can attach to the monitor.
- iPhone, iPad, Android smartphone, Android tablet and Chromebook devices work well, though their smaller screens can make it harder to see everyone.
- If you have a PC or Mac without a webcam, you can use the computer browser (Firefox, Chrome, etc.) to see & hear everyone and call in using a phone for us to hear you.
- You can use an ordinary phone or cellphone to talk and listen – it works the same as a regular conference call.
Second, get started:
Usually an email with a Zoom invitation will include a link to join a meeting with a single click. That link will include the meeting ID. If the meeting has a password, the link will also usually include the password (in a coded form). For instance, the link might look like
Click on that link. It will open the Zoom website in your browser. The website will look to see if you have the Zoom application already installed. If the application is available, it will start the application and take you directly into the meeting or its waiting room.
If the app is not installed, on a PC or Mac the browser will invite you to download and install the Zoom application. It will ask you for an email address and to pick a password and then automatically go to the meeting.
On a smartphone or tablet it will open the Apple App Store or Google store to get the Zoom software to install. It will ask you for an email address and to pick a password.
In both cases, if it does not open the meeting automatically, just start the app and type in the meeting id and password, such as
Meeting ID: 851 5372 9447 and Password 123
Ignoring the link – Getting the app directly
Suppose you get the email invitation on one device (say, your desktop computer) and want to join the meeting on another device (say, your smartphone). In that case, just go to the Apple or Google store, and get the Zoom app. Then open the app and enter the meeting ID and password.
Audio Mystery
On some devices it will ask if you want to use “internet audio” or “dial in”. Choose “internet audio”. If that does not work (mysteries of the internet!), try dialing in with your phone or another phone, as described in the next paragraph.
Browser & Phone Options
If you don’t have a webcam (or don’t want to install the app) you can still join the meeting by clicking the link and using your computer browser and your phone.
- The Zoom browser window will ask you to download the app. Ignore that suggestion and skip down to the fine print underneath: “If you cannot download or run the application, join from your browser.” (That fine print may not appear at first. You may have to click “download” and then cancel it to get the fine print to display. {“Why?” you ask. Zoom only knows.})
- Click the highlighted text in “join from your browser” and you’ll be presented with a Zoom meeting page on the browser.
- Sign in with your name and join the meeting.
- You will be prompted to use your phone to dial in using one of the phone numbers and enter the meeting id and password. It will also ask for your “participant ID”, but it will let you to skip that. (There is a technical note below that describes the special case when entering the participant id can be very helpful; but it is never required.)
- Note 1: Some Zoom features are only available via the app, but the basic things work fine on the browser.
- Note 2: On a PC, the Chrome browser will allow you to use your computer’s microphone. None of the other browsers (such as Firefox) will do that, meaning you must use a phone to dial in.
Finally, if you just want to use a phone (without a computer), just call in using one of the phone numbers and enter the meeting ID and password.
Then your in!
Wisdom takes practice
In many cases the meeting organizers will specify a time (perhaps earlier that same day) to “make a practice run”. That is usually a good idea since fixing “newbie” problems can be disruptive in a large meeting. To minimize such disruption, organizers may require a “practice run” as a prerequisite for being allowed to join a meeting.
In a year of intense Zoom use, I’ve found that about 60% of the people have little trouble and most of the rest get past the problems pretty quickly.
Zoom Etiquette
Please be aware of your TV or other sound sources and turn them off or down. The dog barking? The baby crying? If you figure any of those out, let us know.
More difficult is “feedback”. This is where the output of one device picks up your voice and feeds it into your microphone, resulting in loud sounds. It typically only happens when you are using two microphone devices at the same time, such as a PC/laptop and a phone. To fix, mute all microphones and all speakers. Then experiment with turning on only one pair, one microphone and one speaker.
Generally, try to keep your own microphone muted unless you are actively engaged in a conversation. On a desktop or laptop you can use the space bar to temporarily un-mute your device.
What about your video? Off or on? If you are actively engaged in listening, your image of rapt attention will encourage others to join in. If there is lots of non-listening visual clutter in the view of your camera, it is helpful to stop your video while you continue to listen (or eat or undress or …).
Mike
[Techy note on “participant ID”: When a device with a camera gives the option to “use internet audio” or “dial in”, there can be special cases where it is better to “dial in”. When that happens, the Zoom meeting will show a single participant as two, one for the video image and a second for the dial-in phone call from that person. This can be confusing to other participants. To fix this, the person can see the participant ID when joining. Entering the ID when dialing in allows Zoom to match the two inputs and show them as a single “participant”]