Zoom Tips and Hints
By Randy Weinberg
As you prepare to participate in Osher@CMU courses online, please consider the tips, hints and advice below. We hope you will find the experience as easy, enjoyable and productive as possible.
Osher@CMU will be using the Zoom platform for online courses. Zoom is an easy to use real-time video conferencing tool. Zoom can be downloaded and installed easily on your computer or mobile devices.
Click here to skip to help with mobile devices.
Download and Install Zoom
- Windows and Mac: https://zoom.us/support/download
- iOS (download 'ZOOM Cloud Meetings' from App Store): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id546505307
- Android (download 'ZOOM Cloud Meetings' from Google Play): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.zoom.videomeetings
After you have installed Zoom on your computer or mobile device, join a test meeting to try out your audio and video and familiarize yourself with the meeting controls: https://zoom.us/test
(If you want to initiate your own zoom meetings, you can sign into Zoom with your Google or Facebook credentials or you can create your own free account.)
Join a Meeting
Join Using a Link
If you were sent an invitation or link to join a Zoom meeting, just click the link and follow the on-screen instructions to join the meeting. You will receive email invitations to join online Osher @ CMU classes in which you are enrolled.
Join Using a Meeting ID
If you were sent a 9, 10 or 11 digit meeting ID to join a meeting, open the Zoom Application, click the blue Join a Meeting button and enter the 9 or 10 digit Meeting ID. Click Join. (Meeting IDs will typically be sent by users with free accounts rather than institutional accounts.)
Meeting Controls
Familiarize yourself with meeting controls available at bottom of the screen:
Mute / Unmute: Mute and unmute your microphone.
Start Video / Stop Video: Turn your camera on or off.
Invite: Invite others to join your meeting.
Participants: See who's currently in the meeting.
Share Screen: Start a screen share (if the host allows). You will be able to select the desktop or application you want to share.
Chat: Chat is a good way for you to quietly post questions or comments without interrupting the meeting. Type your message in the text box and press Enter. You can send a private message to a single person or to Everyone by clicking the down arrow in the To: field.
Leave Meeting: Leave the meeting while it continues for the other participants. (Only the host can end the meeting.)
The Gallery View / Speaker View at the top right corner of your screen toggles your view of the speaker(s).
These controls are explained fully on the Zoom site:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/200941109-Attendee-Controls-in-a-Meeting
Learning Zoom - Additional Resources:
The Zoom website provides a great deal of help on its own site (see below). This is the definitive source, so please view any videos or read any online help that applies. And, DO PRACTICE beforehand. (YouTube also has a number of videos on using Zoom.)
Getting Started: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697
Zoom Help Center (short videos - one minute each): https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us
Testing Audio and Video:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362283-Testing-computer-or-device-audio
Background noise or feedback:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/202050538-Audio-Echo-In-A-Meeting
For new mac users: If you have newly installed Zoom or upgraded your macOS, you may need to authorize Zoom to use your microphone. If this is the case, open the control panel / security & privacy / privacy / microphone / and give Zoom permission to use the microphone.
New to Working from Home? Interesting Article: Some Tips to Help You Meet Like a Pro; Good advice on setting up, using web cam and microphone, getting dressed, minimizing distractions, etc.
https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/03/09/working-from-home-tips-to-meet-like-a-pro/
If all else fails: You can always phone into a Zoom meeting if computer connection, audio or video doesn't work properly. Dial in phone numbers are provided in the meeting invitation.
Suggestions For Online Participation
- Get your tech ready early. Well in advance of class, consider re-starting your computer (always good advice, right?), and make sure you address any software updates that might cause an interruption.
- Plug in your tech. If you’re using a laptop or tablet, plug it in, as video will use your battery quickly.
- Use a headset if you have one. Get your headset ready and on. This can really help sound quality, decrease distractions, and keep class discussions private, if you don’t have a quiet or private physical space.
- Tidy your computer desktop. If you will be sharing your screen, pre-set the applications, tabs, and windows you will be using, and close any tabs or windows you don’t want others to see.
- Log in early. Many Osher online courses will be open early. If the host has allowed early login, do so. Take a moment to test your microphone and video one more time.
- Mute your microphone when not speaking. This is important to avoid unintended interruptions and distracting background noise (including typing on your keyboard). The Mute control is at the bottom left of your screen.
- Stop your video if you must move around your quarters during the meeting.
- Use the Chat feature to ask questions without interrupting the speaker.
- Look your best. Lighting should come from in front of you or from the side, in order to best light your face. Keep your background clear of distractions. Look at your webcam, not at the screen
- Finally, be sure to run a virus checker on your computer periodically. Your computer needs protection, too. Beware of email scams and sites offering deals simply too good to be true.
Enlarge the “Chat” Text Size in Zoom
Zoom has a feature that lets you enlarge the text size of messages in the Chat. This may be useful when you use the Chat for questions and comments in class. There are two ways to enlarge the text size of messages in the Chat:
1) Use the Keyboard Shortcut: Once you have joined class, open the Chat. Press the control (“ctrl”) key on your PC’s keyboard – or the command (⌘) key on your Mac – at the same time as you press the plus sign (+) key. If you need to decrease the size of the text, press control or command at the same time as the minus sign (-) key.
2) Or, Adjust your Settings in Zoom: Open Settings and click on the Accessibility tab. You will see Chat Display Size, with a percentage below it. Click on the percentage to get a drop-down list of other size options shown in percentages. The percentages higher than 100% will make the text in the chat appear larger.
If you would like to practice this feature outside of class, or if you have questions about other features in Zoom, you are welcome to attend our Zoom training for members, offered every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 2pm via Zoom. Please email osher@cmu.edu for the code.
Zoom on Mobile Devices
We have seen a strong interest in using Zoom on tablets and smart phones. While the following information is intended to help you with using Zoom on mobile devices, we strongly advise that you use a computer instead of a mobile device if possible. From what we have seen so far, your Zoom experience will be better if you use a computer.
Tablets and smart phones have the same meeting controls in Zoom as desktop computers do. For a review of those controls, please see our Zoom Tips and Hints. The location of the meeting controls within Zoom will be displayed in different positions on your device, depending on which device it is, compared to where the controls are displayed in Zoom on a desktop computer.
Because the screens on tablets and smart phones are smaller than those on desktops, you may not be able to see all of your classmates at once, when you are in Gallery View. To see the rest of your classmates in Gallery View, swipe to see more pages of the videos of your classmates. All of your classmates are still there in the meeting with you; they just cannot all fit to be seen on the same Gallery View screen if it is a large enough class.
Download and Install Zoom on Your Device:
- System Requirements for iOS, iPadOS, and Android (read this before downloading the Zoom app): https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201179966-System-Requirements-for-iOS-iPadOS-and-Android
- iOS (download 'ZOOM Cloud Meetings' from App Store): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id546505307
- Android (download 'ZOOM Cloud Meetings' from Google Play): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.zoom.videomeetings
Please read the “System Requirements” link above, before downloading Zoom to your tablet or smart phone. Once you have checked to make sure your device has the proper prerequisites, you may download the 'ZOOM Cloud Meetings' app from the app store if you are using an iOS device such as an iPhone or iPad. If you are using an Android device, you may download the 'ZOOM Cloud Meetings' app from Google Play.
iOS
Getting Started: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362993-Getting-Started-with-iOS
Using the 'ZOOM Cloud Meetings' app from the App Store, you can join a Zoom meeting by clicking the blue “Join a Meeting” button. There, you will type in the meeting ID and password for your course, which you will receive before the start of class.
As you can see from Zoom’s page about getting started with iOS, you may need to go into your device’s settings to give Zoom permissions such as the ability to access your device’s built-in microphone and camera.
Controls: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/200941109-Attendee-Controls-in-a-Meeting
As you can see from the “iOS” section of Zoom’s page about controls, the meeting controls will be displayed like this on the bottom of your screen:
The “Leave Meeting” button will be in the top-right corner of your screen.
On an iPad, the meeting controls will be displayed at the top of your screen.
If you click on “More” and then “Meeting Settings,” and then click on “Always show meeting controls” then your controls will stay displayed on your screen. If you do not select that option, your controls will be hidden when you are not using them.
Follow the instructions in the link above from Zoom if you need to change your settings.
Android
Getting Started:https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/200942759-Getting-Started-with-Android
Using the 'ZOOM Cloud Meetings' app from Google Play, you can join a Zoom meeting by clicking the blue “Join a Meeting” button. There, you will type in the meeting ID and password for your course, which you will receive closer to the start of class.
Controls: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/200941109-Attendee-Controls-in-a-Meeting
As you can see from the “Android” section of Zoom’s page about controls, the meeting controls will be displayed like this on the bottom of your screen:
The “Leave Meeting” button will be in the top-right corner of your screen.
If you click on “More” and then “Meeting Settings,” and then click on “Always show meeting controls” then your controls will stay displayed on your screen. If you do not select that option, your controls will be hidden when you are not using them.
Follow the instructions in the link above from Zoom if you need to change your settings.