As more and more people continue to work and communicate remotely, video conferencing has become an essential tool in our daily lives. Zoom, in particular, has emerged as a popular choice for virtual meetings, webinars, and remote collaboration. However, not everyone is familiar with all of the features and tricks that can help enhance their Zoom experience. In this article, we’ll explore 15 tips and tricks for Zoom that can help you get the most out of your meetings and ensure a safe and secure experience.
CHANGE YOUR NAME ON ZOOM:
You can change your name on Zoom either temporarily, or permanently. For a temporary change, hover over your name and click More > Rename. For a permanent change, go to the Zoom web portal, sign-in to your account, click Profile, and click Edit.
CHANGE YOUR ZOOM BACKGROUND:
Consider switching up your Zoom background to transport yourself to the beach, outer space, or any other place you can imagine. To do this, customize your virtual background by following these simple steps: Settings > Virtual Background then Select a preset image, or upload your own image by dragging and dropping the file onto the virtual background screen, or click on Choose Files and upload your custom picture that way. To blur your background, click on Settings, select Backgrounds & Filters, then click the Blur option. This is a great alternative when you want to maintain some privacy and hide your surroundings.
CHANGE YOUR ZOOM PROFILE PICTURE:
You can add a profile picture for an individual meeting or permanently:
To add a picture for a single meeting, click the Participants button at the bottom of the screen, then hover over your name and go to More > Add Profile Picture, choose the picture you would like to use and click Open.
To change your profile picture permanently, go to the Zoom web portal, sign in, click Profile, and click Edit in the top right corner. There will be an empty photo avatar, click Change then Upload. Choose the photo you would like and click Open. You may readjust the picture and crop accordingly, then click Save.
CHANGE YOUR PROFILE PICTURE TO A FUN AVATAR:
Zoom offers the option to use avatar filters during meetings, adding to the already enjoyable experience of unique backgrounds. To access this feature, click on your profile icon, then navigate to Settings > Background & Filters and choose Avatars. A variety of animals are available for selection to represent you in the meeting.
TURN ON THE BEAUTY FILTER
The Touch Up My Appearance feature smooths over your any imperfections to make you look great. Click on your profile picture then click Settings, click the Video tab, then click Touch up my appearance. Adjust the slider until you achieve the effect you want. Zoom will remember your preferences and will automatically apply the effect next time you join a meeting.
SWITCH TO DARK MODE:
To save yourself eye strain from a long day in front of a screen, switching to dark mode is a wonderful solution. To switch to dark mode in Zoom, click on your Profile Picture, then click Settings. In the Theme section location on the General tab, you may choose Dark mode here.
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS:
Zoom has a long list of handy keyboard shortcuts available to help you navigate without using your mouse. Some of the most convenient keyboard shortcuts include:
- Alt+V: Start/stop video
- Alt+A: Mute/unmute audio
- Alt+F: Enter or exit full screen
- Alt+H: Open or close meeting chat panel
For a full list of Zoom Keyboard Shortcuts (approximately 50 different keyboard shortcuts are listed here)
MUTE AND UNMUTE YOURSELF WITH THE SPACE BAR:
If you’re asked to speak, there’s no need to frantically search for the microphone button. You can simply press and hold the spacebar on your keyboard to swiftly toggle the mute and unmute functions of your microphone.
MUTE YOUR AUDIO AND TURN OFF CAMERA BY DEFAULT:
You can turn these options off by default so that you don’t have to do it manually every time you join a meeting.
Mute Audio by default: Go to Settings > Audio > Mute microphone when joining a meeting.
Mute Video by default: Go to Settings > Video > Turn off my video when joining a meeting.
CHANGE YOUR SCREEN TO GALLERY VIEW:
Gallery view displays participants’ thumbnail images in a grid pattern and adjusts as people join or leave the meeting. The number of participants shown on one screen varies based on your CPU and can range from 25 to 49. If there are more attendees than can fit on one screen, additional pages are created. By clicking the right or left arrows, you can cycle through the pages and view up to 1,000 thumbnails. When someone speaks in Gallery view, their video is moved to the current page you are viewing and highlighted. To change your screen from Speaker View to Gallery view, simply toggle the option in the top right of the screen while you are in a meeting.
ENABLE LIVE TRANSCRIPT
To activate captions on Zoom, click “Live Captions” at the bottom of the screen. You can then choose to assign a typist, use a third-party app, or enable Zoom’s caption tool. After turning on “Live Transcript,” click “View Full Transcript” to read with timestamps. To keep a copy, select “Save Transcript” when the meeting ends.
WHITEBOARD
With Zoom’s Whiteboard feature, multiple participants can collaborate on a shared canvas that’s accessible even after the meeting ends. To activate it, ensure that you have the latest Zoom version, then select “Whiteboards” from the bottom of the menu screen. Choose “New Whiteboard,” click “Open and Collaborate,” and decide if participants can edit or view your board. When done, select “Close Whiteboard” to save it for future use.
SHARE YOUR SCREEN
To share your screen during a Zoom meeting, click the “Share Screen” icon on the toolbar located at the bottom of the meeting screen. You can opt to share either your entire desktop or just one of the open windows. Click the “Stop Share” button located at the top of the screen when you wish to revert to being a regular meeting participant. This feature can also be used when you want to watch a movie or play a game with others.
VANISHING PEN
Zoom’s Vanishing Pen is a convenient tool that lets you highlight text or objects or draw on a shared screen without the need to erase afterwards since it fades away. To use it, share your screen, click “Annotate,” select “Spotlight,” and then click “Vanishing Pen.”
RAISE A HAND OR USE EMOJI REACTIONS
In a Zoom meeting, you can use emoji reactions to express yourself without interrupting the conversation. Simply click the “Reactions” tab at the bottom of the screen and choose from various options like thumbs-up or clapping. The selected emoji will disappear after 10 seconds. If the host enables nonverbal feedback, you can use the “Raise Hand” emoji to signal that you have a question or comment. This will display a small hand icon next to your name, letting the host know that you want to speak. You can also use other emoji reactions, such as “Slow down” or “No” to convey your thoughts and ask for clarification.