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How To

Best Zoom tips and tricks (advanced users)

Nacho Requena Molina

Nacho Requena Molina

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Video calls, video conferencing, and group chats have become more significant than ever in recent times. Of all the apps available, Zoom has risen to be the ruler of them all. Step back Skype, we’re not here for you Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet needs to have a quiet word with itself too. No, it is Zoom that has won all our hearts and that’s why today we’re going to unlock all of Zoom’s best features for you.
After publishing a guide for beginners, we are sharing new tips for advanced users. Check it out if you haven’t seen it yet. The application is available on Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, Android, and iPhones.

Best Zoom tips and tricks (advanced users)
9

Use the space to bar mute/unmute your microphone

This one does exactly what it says on the tin. Rather than fiddling around looking for that tiny little cursor next to your microphone icon, simply hit the space bar to mute yourself. Then, when you’re ready to talk again, hit space again and your good to go.

Always mute your microphone when entering a call

When you’re in a group video meeting with lots of different people, muting is actually a very powerful tool. Background noise coming from one feed can easily distort and dominate what somebody is actually saying on another feed. This phenomenon is even worse when somebody is already talking, and another account joins the meeting. You definitely don’t want to be that person but fortunately, Zoom has a setting that will always mute your mic when you go into new meetings.

To activate the always muted microphone you need to open Zoom and then access the Settings menu. From there you want to go to the Audio Settings tab. Here is where you’ll find the checkbox that says Mute microphone when joining a meeting. Tick this box and you’ll be saved those embarrassing blushes every time you join a new meeting.

Do the same with video

OK, we get it, first and foremost, Zoom is a video calling platform but sometimes video can really slow the app down and make effective communication harder. Like we’ve just described above, this is particularly grating when it happens every time somebody new enters the conversation. You can make sure that isn’t you by this time going to the Video Settings tab instead of the Audio Settings tab and ticking the box that says Turn off my video when joining a meeting.

Don’t forget the digital whiteboard

There’s a big button that says Share Screen, which makes the screen share a pretty obvious feature on Zoom. What’s not so obvious, however, is that Zoom actually has a few different screen sharing functions including a digital whiteboard that is particularly useful for meetings. It’s also good though, for upgrading that family quiz night to family games night that includes games like Pictionary and hangman. If you throw in the obvious charades too, you’re well on the way to having a full-on party.

Add a beauty filter

This one isn’t strictly a beauty filter, but it is supposed to smooth out any issues you may be having with your skin. The feature is called Touch up my appearance and it softens out the focus from your webcam’s camera. To give this one a go you need to go to Settings, then Video, and tick the box next to Touch up my appearance. The key here though is not to get too upset if you go there and find that it has been ticked the whole time.

Nacho Requena Molina

Nacho Requena Molina

Journalist specialized in videogames and technology. Almost two decades dedicated to it.

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