How to Use Zoom
Joining a doctor's appointment, a family catch-up or a work call? Learn how to get in, be heard, share your screen and host your own meeting, and what to do when nobody can hear you.
Get ready before the meeting
You can join a Zoom meeting three ways:
- The Zoom Workplace app on a computer, phone or tablet. Free from zoom.us/download, the App Store or Google Play. It has every feature and is the most reliable.
- A web browser, with nothing to install. Handy on a borrowed computer, but it has fewer features.
- A plain phone call, using the dial-in number in the invitation. You'll hear and speak, but won't see anything.
You don't need a Zoom account to join someone else's meeting, though signing in gives you the smoothest experience. To host meetings you'll need a free account.
Join a meeting by link or ID
With an invite link (easiest)
- Click the link in your email, text or calendar invite.
- Your browser asks to open Zoom. Click Open. No app? Look for Join from your browser at the bottom of the page (the host has to allow this).
- Check your camera and microphone in the preview, type your name if asked, and click Join.
- Click Join with Computer Audio if Zoom asks, so people can hear you.
With a meeting ID
- Open the Zoom Workplace app and click Join on the Home tab. In a browser, go to join.zoom.us.
- Type the meeting ID (the long number in the invitation) and click Join.
- Enter the passcode from the invitation when asked.
By phone
Dial a number from the invitation, then enter the meeting ID and passcode when prompted, followed by #. If you're already in the meeting on a computer, you can enter your participant ID instead to link the call to your video.
“Waiting for the host” or “Please wait”? You're in the waiting room. The host lets people in one by one. Stay put; you don't need to do anything.
The meeting toolbar
Along the bottom of the meeting window is the toolbar. Move your mouse if it's hidden. Since late 2025, Zoom keeps only the essential buttons on it and tucks the rest under More; you can right-click or drag to pin your favorites. Click each button below to see what it does.
Everyone can see it.
Click any button
Nothing here connects to a real meeting. It's safe to click everything.
| Shortcut | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Mute / unmute | Alt+A | ⌘+⇧+A |
| Start / stop video | Alt+V | ⌘+⇧+V |
| Share screen | Alt+S | ⌘+⇧+S |
| Talk while muted | Hold Space (push to talk, if turned on in settings) | |
Share your screen, chat and react
Share your screen
- Click Share (the green arrow) in the toolbar.
- Pick a single window, like one browser window or one document, rather than your whole screen. That way pop-up messages and other windows stay private.
- Want to play a video with sound? Turn on Share sound before clicking Share.
- When you're done, click Stop Share at the top of the screen.
Before sharing: close email, banking and anything private. Turn on Do Not Disturb so message previews don't pop up on screen.
Chat
Click Chat to open a panel where you can type messages. Choose Everyone or a single person in the “To” box. Great for sharing links, or asking a question without interrupting.
Reactions and raise hand
Click React (on some setups it's under More) to send a quick 👍 or 👏 that floats over your video for a few seconds. Raise Hand stays up until you or the host lowers it, so it's the polite way to ask to speak in a big meeting.
Captions: having trouble hearing? Look for Captions (often under More) to show live subtitles, if the host allows them.
Host your own meeting
- Sign up for a free account at zoom.us and sign in to the Zoom Workplace app.
- Meet now: on the Home tab, click New meeting. Later: click Schedule, pick a date and time, and save.
- Invite people: open Participants › Invite, then copy the invite link and paste it into an email or text. People with the link can join.
- Let people in: if the waiting room is on, you'll see a notice. Click Admit.
- Stay in charge: Host tools (sometimes under More) lets you lock the meeting, turn the waiting room on, and choose whether people can share or unmute.
- Finish: click EndEnd meeting for all, or Leave meeting and pick a new host to keep it going.
| Role | What they can do |
|---|---|
| Host | Everything: end the meeting, record, assign co-hosts. Only one per meeting. |
| Co-host | Manage people (mute, remove, admit, breakout rooms). Can't end the meeting for everyone. |
| Participant | Mute themselves, video, chat, react, share screen (if the host allows). |
Free plan limit: on Zoom's free Basic plan, each meeting can last up to 40 minutes with up to 100 participants. Paid plans remove the time limit.
Fix common problems
- Look for a Join Audio button in the toolbar. If it's there, you haven't connected sound yet; click it and choose Join with Computer Audio.
- Click the small arrow next to Audio (or Mute) and pick the right Speaker, like your headphones instead of a monitor with no speakers.
- Turn up your computer's volume and make sure it's not muted.
- Check the microphone icon: a red line means you're muted. Click Unmute.
- From the arrow next to Audio, pick the right Microphone.
- Give Zoom permission. Mac: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, and switch on Zoom. Windows: Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone, and allow desktop apps.
- The host may have muted everyone. Raise your hand or use chat.
- Close other apps that might be using the camera (Teams, FaceTime, a browser tab).
- Check camera permission in the same Privacy settings as above, under Camera.
- On a Mac, screen sharing needs permission under Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording. Quit and reopen Zoom after allowing it.
Two devices in the same room are both connected to audio, or someone's speakers are feeding into their microphone. Wear headphones, and if you joined on two devices, mute one and turn its volume down.
Choppy video? Turn off your video to save bandwidth, move closer to the Wi-Fi router, or see speed up your Wi-Fi.
FAQCommon questions
Is Zoom free?
Joining is always free. Hosting is free on the Basic plan, with meetings of up to 40 minutes and 100 participants. Longer meetings need a paid plan.
Do I need an account to join?
No. You can join from an invite link or meeting ID without one. The host can, however, require people to sign in.
Can people see me as soon as I join?
Only if your video is on. The preview screen before you join shows your camera and lets you turn video off first. Check the camera icon: a red line through it means video is off.
How do I change the name people see?
Open Participants, hover over your name, click More › Rename. The host can turn this off.
Is it safe to click a Zoom link?
Real Zoom links start with https:// and end in zoom.us (for example us02web.zoom.us/j/…). Be wary of links from people you don't know, or messages that ask you to “update Zoom” from a strange website. Our guide to spotting scam messages can help.