Working from home has become a necessity during the pandemic. Since things have had to change, you have probably heard of Zoom, a video-conferencing software application that lets you interact with coworkers or employers when in-person meetings are not possible.
Zoom has become an essential video-calling app for large and midsize businesses, allowing them to continue their daily workflows with minimal disruption.
Zoom is cloud-based and is used to hold meetings with others by video or audio, while also chatting online. Zoom video calls have become very popular as coronavirus lockdowns have kept us at home.
Zoom video calls are very easy to use. Just join the call, go to Share at the bottom, and select Desktop. Choose this if you want to share everything you do, or select an application to share with the other participants.
If you are hosting the Zoom video call, you can choose how many people can share their screens and who can do so at the same time by clicking the arrow and selecting that option.
Security Tips
Here are some privacy tips to help keep your Zoom video call secure. We recommend using your work email to sign up for Zoom, making sure you do not fall for fake Zoom apps, not sharing conference links on social media, protecting meetings with a password, enabling the waiting room, and finally, being careful when using the screen-sharing feature.
Basic Camera and Microphone Setup
When you make a Zoom video call, the app will ask to access your microphone and camera. To make sure your call works properly, you can test them first by clicking Settings, which will open the audio settings.
In the Microphone section, you will see a green input-level bar that moves when audio is detected. Click Test Microphone, and the audio will start recording.
To test your camera, click Settings and then the Video tab. This will show you a preview of your camera, and you can choose a different one if necessary.
Features and Differences Between Other Video-Calling Apps
Facebook has introduced a tool that lets users make video calls for free, with no time limit and up to 50 participants. Users can also add augmented-reality effects and immersive backgrounds generated by Artificial Intelligence.
Zoom includes a free version that allows video calls with up to 100 participants. To increase the limit to 300 or 500 people, you need to subscribe to one of the paid plans, which cost 14.99 and 19.99 dollars per month.
The free plan allows Zoom video calls for a limited time, with a limit of 40 minutes. The paid plan allows calls of up to 24 hours.
Messenger Rooms lets you share a room in news feeds, groups, and events so anyone can join the video call. Zoom video calls, on the other hand, are more private, and you need to copy the invitation link.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts can make Zoom a little easier to use, since you often repeat tasks such as muting and unmuting your microphone. Zoom offers shortcuts to help with this. Here are some to keep in mind.
To assign shortcuts in the Zoom desktop app for PC or Mac, click your profile picture, then Settings, and then Keyboard Shortcuts.
The Best Zoom Keyboard Shortcuts for PC |
| Alt + V: Start/stop video. |
| Alt + A: Mute/unmute audio. |
| Alt + F: Enter or exit full screen. |
| Alt + H: Show/hide the meeting chat panel. |
| Alt + U: Show/hide the participants panel. |
| Page Up / Page Down: Scroll through the pages in Gallery View. |
| Alt + F1: Switch to active speaker view in a video meeting. |
| Alt + Shift + T: Take a screenshot. |
| Alt + F2: Switch to Gallery View in a video meeting. |
The Best Zoom Keyboard Shortcuts for Android |
| Command + Shift + A: Mute/unmute audio. |
| Command + Shift + V: Start/stop my video. |
| Command + Shift + H: Show/hide chat. |
| Command + Shift + M: Minimize the meeting. |
| Command + U: Show/hide participant management. |
| Command + W: Close the front window. |
How to Install Zoom on Your Mobile Phone and PC
To install Zoom on a PC, go to https://zoom.us/download. You will find several options. The first one, “Zoom Workplace desktop app,” is the right choice for computers. Click “Download.” The download box will appear in the bottom-left corner of your computer, and you’re done—you’ll have Zoom on your PC.
Installing Zoom on your phone is easy. Just open the Play Store or App Store (for Apple devices), search for the app, and tap Download. It will then be ready to use.
How to Record My Zoom Video Calls
Zoom is a versatile, easy-to-use tool that lets you interact on video calls with people in different locations. It also lets you record calls with a simple setting.
Simply sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator to access the account settings and enable local recording. You can then easily record the video or audio of your online chat in real time. You can use this recording feature to save your video calls as a reminder in case you forget a task or piece of work you need to do.
YouTube Video: How to Use Zoom
