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How to Use Zoom for Better Virtual Meetings
IMAGE CREDIT: [Pixabay] – No changes were made to the image/images
In the midst of the global health crisis, more businesses are being forced to adopt remote working strategies if they want to survive. Software company Netskope has been tracking the shift to remote work and found that remote work among professionals made a jump to 60 percent from just 27 percent earlier this year—and the numbers only continue to grow from there.
With that shift in mind, companies are relying on video conferencing tools to keep up with communications and get work done. Between all the choices on the market, people have found a reliable favorite: Zoom. In fact, Zoom ranks high on HP’s list of top telecommuting tools thanks to its stability, call transcription features, and long-lasting free option. It’s even available on every device and OS, so people don’t have to be locked to specific devices. And while Zoom is already good by itself, your experience can be made better with a couple of tricks and techniques.
From less obvious settings to general hacks, here are a few tips to smoother, more pleasant Zoom calls.
Change Background
Perhaps one of the neatest features in Zoom is the opportunity to change your video’s background. Whether it’s to add a little fun to the meeting or display a more professional space than your bedroom, this feature has plenty of uses. To change your background, simply tap the three dots in the bottom-right corner of the screen during a call and select Virtual Background.
Video Credit: [Zoom]
Turn Off The Mic
It’s always good practice to turn off your mic before you join a meeting. After all, our tech writer K. Zed notes that people have the tendency to make unnecessary noise when setting up their equipment. To turn off your mic automatically, click Settings in the navigation bar. Then, go to Meetings. Under the Always Mute My Microphone category, hit toggle on the Always mute my microphone when joining a meeting button. In any case, you can always turn it back on once you’ve settled down.
Mute All
Nothing is more distracting than giving a presentation while ambient noise plays in the background. In this case, you may want to take advantage of Zoom’s Mute All feature. During a call, tap the Participants tab at the bottom of the screen. On the bottom right of this window, tap the blue Mute All button to confirm the change. The process is the same when you’re ready to unmute and listen to their dialogue.
In-call Reactions
Even though you’re on mute, you can let the current speaker know your immediate impressions by sending one of two emojis on screen. During an active session, tap Reactions on the bottom of the screen. Then, choose between clapping hands or thumbs up. The reaction will display for five seconds.
In the Participants tab, there’s also a Raise Hand button, which displays on your screen as long as you don’t remove it. Use it to call the current speaker’s attention when you have something to say.
Record Meeting
For important meetings, note-taking may not be enough. Sometimes, it helps to look back at the entire conversation to see if you’ve missed anything or if there are any new insights that can be gathered from the discussion. To start recording, tap the three dots in the bottom-right corner of the screen and select Record. A Recording… icon will appear on the top-right corner of the screen when you’ve succeeded. Tap on this icon to stop or pause your recording.
So far, Business Insider claims that you need to have a paid Zoom membership to access this feature on mobile. However, it’s free to use on PCs.
All in all, Zoom isn’t just practical, but fun and user-friendly, too. So, the next time you join a Zoom call, look into incorporating a few of these hacks for more memorable and efficient meetings.
