You have been invited to a Zoom call. Now what?

2020 – we all had to learn to do things differently –
one area being the area of digital communication. 

Zoom is not just a buzz word – it’s a way to participate in online social meetings, family quiz nights, educational lectures, workshops and training sessions, and, and, and… 

We invite you to come and learn
how to use Zoom in our Zoom 101 class..

 

 

Zoom has become a Buzz word during the past year. You may not have been invited to a meeting yet, but this guide will help you to prepare. Follow the instructions. In this age of social distancing, many groups are choosing to meet virtually, and Zoom is one of the most popular ways to do this.

Zoom is a computer program used to hold online virtual meetings. You can use Zoom on a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, or a desktop computer (if you have a camera, speakers, and a microphone). It uses your computer’s or phone’s camera to show live video of all attendees. Zoom uses your computer’s or phone’s microphone to let you talk to other meeting participants.

 

DOWNLOAD ZOOM

 

Zoom is a program that runs on your computer, phone, or tablet. You must download this program from the Zoom website. The free version of Zoom should meet all your needs.

If you’ve received an email invitation to a Zoom meeting, click the link that says, “Join Zoom Meeting.” If this is the first time you’ve used Zoom, this link will take you to a website where you can download the Zoom program or app, depending on what device you’re using.

On an iPhone or iPad: Go to the Apple App Store and search for “ZOOM Cloud Meetings.” Click “Get” to download and install the Zoom app.

On an Android phone or tablet: Go to the Google Play App Store and search for “Zoom Cloud Meetings.” Click “Install.”

On a computer: On the Download Center website (https://zoom.us/download), click “Download” in the “Zoom Client for Meetings” section.

Click the blue Download button to download Zoom from the website https://zoom.us/download

After Zoom is downloaded, you must install it onto your computer.

If you have an Apple computer, like a MacBook: Double-click the file called Zoom.pkg, which is typically saved to your Downloads folder. The installer program opens and guides you through the process.

If you have a PC: Double-click the file called ZoomInstaller.exe file to install the program.

 

JOIN A MEETING

 

After you install Zoom, you can click the link in your invitation email.

Click the link in an invitation email:  If you have an email invitation, click “Join Zoom Meeting” in that email. This takes you to the Zoom website.

When you are on the Zoom website, if you are asked if you want to open Zoom, click

“Open zoom.us.”

Zoom opens, showing you a preview of your camera image.

Then click either “Join with Video” or “Join without Video.”

If you use video, other people in the meeting will see you. If not, they will just see your name.

Next, Zoom asks about audio. Click “Join with Computer Audio” so you can hear and be heard in the meeting.  (highlighted in blue)

 

PARTICIPATE IN A MEETING

 

Once you’ve joined the meeting, you can see and hear other participants. Each participant is represented by a square that displays their face (if they’ve chosen to join with video) or just their name.

If you’re in a large meeting, make sure your microphone is muted. The mute button, which looks like a microphone, is in the bottom left corner of the Zoom screen. If the microphone has a red line through it, you’re muted, and no one in the meeting can hear you.

Click the button again to unmute yourself if you want to talk in the meeting.

If the microphone has no red line through it, you can be heard in the meeting.

Only one person in the meeting can talk at a time. Zoom indicates who is speaking by highlighting their image with a yellow square.

There is also a chat feature in Zoom, where you can type messages to other participants. Participants can send messages to everyone in the meeting, or just certain participants. However, after the meeting, the host can view the transcript of all chats, so it’s not entirely private. If there is a message for you in the chat, a notification appears on the Chat button, which looks like a speech bubble. Click that button to open the chat window.

 

LEAVE A ZOOM MEETING

 

Click “Leave Meeting” on the bottom right corner to leave the meeting.

The best way to learn is to follow these steps and join a meeting. Ask someone to help or practice a session with a friend or family member. Then join a session. The more you join and engage, the more your skills will improve. Zoom has opened a whole new world of opportunity for so many. Become a ”Zoomer“ today.

 

Article by Lynda Smith, 50Plus-Skills

 

 

 

 

Relevant articles:

https://youve-earned-it.co.za/entrepreneurs/are-you-a-digital-immigrant/

https://youve-earned-it.co.za/site/50-plus-skills/