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How to join a Zoom meeting as a guest

Zoom is a bit easier to use if you install a desktop app and/or make an account. However, this is not necessary to join a meeting! Below you will find the instructions on the quickest way to join a meeting, without installing a program or making an account.

 

  • STEP 1: If you are the guest, you will receive a meeting invitation (via email, message or text) containing a Zoom link and underneath it the meeting ID (a number). Copy or write down this number - you will need it to join.

  • When you have the meeting ID, open your Internet browser and go to zoom.us/meetings. In the top right corner, click on "Join a meeting".

  • STEP 2: Copy or enter the meeting ID into the "Meeting ID" field and click "Join".

  • STEP 3: By default Zoom will try to launch in the app. You may see a pop-up window prompting you to download the Zoom app; to stay in the web browser, simply ignore this window and click anywhere on the web browser page to return to it - this will make the pop-up window disappear. Then click on the blue button saying "Launch meeting".

  • STEP 4: If any further prompts appear to download the app, ignore them and return to the web browser. Now you will see a line in small print that has appeared in the lower part of the screen saying: "Having issues with Zoom client? Join from your browser". Click on the blue words "Join from your browser".

  • STEP 5: Enter your name (in the form that you would like it to appear in the meeting) and click "Join".

  • You have successfully joined the meeting! If the meeting host has the waiting room option enabled, you may have to wait for them to let you in. When they do, you will see the main screen with a black toolbar with meeting options in the bottom of the screen - for more details on how to use these options see the section below.

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Use of the different functions in the meeting

You will see the meeting options, such as the camera/microphone settings, on the toolbar below the screen. Note that the toolbar is hidden by default in the web browser version of Zoom; you can make it appear by moving your cursor (by moving your mouse or touching your touchpad).

The use of the symbols are explained in the next 8 steps. (Note: the example pictures were taken in the computer app version of Zoom, but the browser version will look similar.) Click directly onto the middle of the symbol for action. Some symbols have a small arrow next to them; if you click on it, a list of additional options opens.

  • STEP 1: Microphone and speaker settings. The two symbols on the very left side, the microphone and the camera, will let you modify the settings for those. Mute yourself by clicking directly onto the microphone symbol (circled in blue). The other(s) will not hear you anymore and a red line will appear across the microphone symbol. Click on it again to unmute. The small arrow next to the microphone opens the options for testing the microphone.

  • NOTE: it is useful to remember about this symbol during the meeting - check that you are unmuted when you want to speak (i.e. your microphone is on), and that you are muted when you would like to stay quiet.

  • If you click directly on the camera symbol, you can stop the video, and the other participants won't be able to see you (instead they will only see your name). Click on the same symbol to start your camera again. If your microphone is on, the other participants will still be able to hear you. The small arrow next to the camera opens the options for changing the video settings (for example, you can choose a virtual background).

  • STEP 2: Security. This is a "host" function, so you will not see it as a guest.

  • STEP 3Participants. If you click on "Participants", you will see who is in the meeting - in the example picture these are Sasha (the guest) and Paloma Talk (the host). At the bottom of the window you will see more options that you can click on (circled in blue). (Note: you might see the window as a side bar if your Zoom window is not maximised to sull screen.)

  • STEP 4: Chat. Using the chat function is a way of exchanging written messages with either one or all participants of the meeting. Click on "Chat" in order to start writing messages. You can chat at any time during the meeting. You can either message everyone who is on the meeting, or individual participants by choosing them in the drop down menu within the chat (this option is only available if there are several people on the meeting). In order to send a message, just type the text into the bottom box, make sure to select the correct recipient and then hit enter. In the example picture, Paloma Talk first sent "Hello" to everyone and then "Hello Sasha" to Sasha privately. You can also attach and send a file (circled in blue), and clicking on the three dots (circled in pink) will allow you to save the chat or adjust the participant chat settings (for example, you can block the chat during a lecture to avoid distracting the participants).

  • STEP 5: Share screen. You can use this function to show your computer screen or a white board to the other participants, for example if you would like to explain something. Click on the "Share screen" symbol and under "Basic" (option shown at the top), choose between the different options for sharing by clicking on the one you want. If you choose a program, for example Firefox, they will see a mirror image of that. If you choose "White board", you will then see the white screen you can draw and write on. Click on "Stop sharing" (in red, at the top) when you want to finish the screen sharing. Clicking on the little arrow next to the screen sharing symbol allows you to control the screen sharing options of the participants.

  • STEP 6: Recording. You can record your meeting or a part of it by clicking on the "Recording" symbol. Whilst recording, you will see the recording sign converted into a pause and stop sign (circled in blue). By pressing it you can pause or stop the recording. When you stop it, the recording will be saved as an mp4 file on your computer at the end of your meeting (in a folder called Zoom). If you decide to record your meeting, make sure that the other participants are aware and agree to it.

  • STEP 7: Reactions. If you click on the "Reactions" sign (circled in blue), you can send little emojis into the meeting (they will appear on top of your picture).

  • STEP 8: Leave the meeting. To leave the meeting, simply click on the "Leave" button. If you are a guest, this will not affect the meeting room for the other participants.

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Congratulations - you have reached the end of the Zoom tutorial!

You may have noticed that sometimes there are several ways to do something in Zoom and that there are plenty of advanced options, which may make things a little confusing. However using Zoom is quite straightforward once you get used to its interface, and we do hope that this tutorial helped you to achieve your goal.

 

If you have any questions or suggestions, always feel free to drop us a line in the CONTACT US section of this website. Good luck in exploring Zoom further!

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