Zoom

Signing up with Zoom

If you just want to join a meeting, you can skip ‘signing up’ and use Zoom without “an account”.
However, if you do sign up with Zoom you will have more control, be able to do more things and be able to start (Host) your own meetings.

On a laptop or computer

• Visit the Zoom Web Page
• Click on the Sign Up button and follow the instructions to sign up with Zoom. You’ll get sent an email (to confirm your email address is real).
• Check your email for a mail Please activate your Zoom account (check your spam box)
• Click Activate Account 
• Enter your name and a password – Click OK

On an iPad, iPhone, tablet or smart phone

• For iPad or iPhone go to the Apple store / for tablet or smart phone (Android) go to your Google store or Play store
• Find and install the Zoom Cloud Meetings app
• Open the Zoom app
• Click on Sign up and fill in your email, first name and last name and agree to the Terms of Service
• Click on Next (probably top right-hand side)
• Check your email for a message called Please activate your Zoom account (check your spam box)
• Click Activate Account 

Downloading the Zoom program or App

On a laptop or computer

• The first time you join a meeting or schedule/host a meeting you will be automatically prompted to download Zoom.
• Otherwise, go to https://zoom.us/download

On an iPad or iPhone

• Go to the Apple store
• Find and install the Zoom Cloud Meetings app

On a Tablet or Smart phone (Android)

• Go to your Google store or Play store
• Find and install the Zoom Cloud Meetings app

How to Update Zoom

On a laptop / computer

On a Mac

Watch this excellent, short simple video

On a PC …

• Start up Zoom (not the Zoom website – zoom.us – but the program on your computer) …
  • Click in the search area at the bottom of your screen (next to the Start button)
  • Type Zoom and click on the “Zoom app” that should appear

OR …

• • Click your Start button
  • Search down through the list of programs to find Zoom
    (to scroll down, you can use the down arrow key on your keyboard or the scroll wheel on your mouse)
  • Click on Zoom

If you have a Zoom account (free or paid) …

If you see this screen, sign in …

Otherwise, you’ll see this screen …

• Click on the icon or picture of you (top right)
• Choose “Check for Updates”
• Update if necessary

If you don’t have a Zoom account, you should see this screen …

Look for the small Zoom icon in the Notifications area (NOT the one highlighted in red, but the one highlighted in yellow on the far right) …

If you can’t see it, click the little up arrow to see the rest of the icons …

Right-click on the Zoom icon and choose Check for Updates …

On an iPad or iPhone

If you have auto updates on, Zoom should stay updated automatically. To check …

• Go to the Apple store
• Click on your Updates button and look for Zoom
• OR search for Zoom Cloud Meetings and see if it needs an update

On a Tablet or Smart phone (Android)

If you have auto updates on, Zoom should stay updated automatically. To check …

• Go to your Google store or Play store
• Find the Zoom Cloud Meetings app and see if it needs to be updated

* for information about “Gallery view” see Controlling what you see

* and how many people you can see depends upon the capability of your device (e.g. as of Dec 2020 you can see 25 people on an 11″ or 12.9″ iPad Pro) – see this Zoom help page for further details.

You can even use a traditional phone: you need to dial a special ‘Zoom meeting’ number (UK: +44 203 695 0088 or +44 203 966 3809), enter the meeting ID and you’ll be able to hear and talk in the meeting. You can find more information here.

Main differences between the Free and paid for versions of Zoom

Join Zoom meeting with a “Link”

The person who is ‘hosting’ the meeting will have sent you an invitation with a “link” that looks similar
to this https://us04web.zoom.us/j/123456789
or this https://us04web.zoom.us/j/123456789?pwd=VHp1c3FvQ05xdkxsZU1UZjg3NWFhQT097 

Just click on that link and it should start Zoom and take you to the meeting.

Note: the difference is that the second link has a password embedded in it. By clicking on the link you don’t have to enter the password yourself.

Join Zoom meeting with a “Meeting ID”

If you don’t have a link or you are asked for a “Meeting ID” … the Meeting ID is the number at the end of the invitation link.

So, in the example above, the meeting ID is 123 456 789.

If the meeting has a password you will have to type that in when you are asked for it.

Getting started as a HOST

Getting started as a host – 5 min Youtube video (can skip forward to 0:45)