If you want to effectively manage a Zoom call it is important to understand Zoom’s controls. In this guide we cover all aspects of the calls – where the buttons are and what they do.
Overview of controls
Zoom’s controls include for main sections:
- Call information: Access detail on the meeting ID
- Recording controls: Pause and end a recording
- Main Control Panel: The main controls for managing the call
- View Controls: Switch the view between gallery view and speaker view
1. Call Information
The ‘i’ button at the top left of the Zoom window allows you to access information about the call – including the Meeting ID and Invite Link that you can share with others to allow them to access the call.
The green security symbol in the diagram below indicates that the call is encrypted, (clicking on it takes you to call statistics, such as your processor or RAM usage).
2. Recording Controls
If you are recording your call, the recording controls allow you to pause, restart, and end the recording. When paused the icon turns red to highlight that it is not recording. If the stoped button is pressed (and a confirmation message clicked), the recording ends and the toolbar disappears.
3. Main Control Pannel
- Audio: Button to connect your audio when you join the Zoom call, change microphone, or test your microphone and sound
- Video Controls: Change your webcam
- Security: Restrict what your participants are able to do, including limiting: Sharing their screen, renaming themselves, chat, and unmuting themselves
- Participants: See who is on the call or access the waiting room
- Chat: View the text-based chat
- Share Screen: Share your screen, or a component of your screen, with participants.
- Pause/stop recording: Functions the same as the recording control bar
- Closed Captions: Used if you or someone else on the call will type closed captions
- Breakout Rooms: Create and manage breakout rooms
- Reactions: A way of expressing emotions (e.g., clapping hand), similar to an emoji
- End the call: Leave the meeting or end it for all participants
4. View Controls
- Speaker/Gallery view: The view controls allow you to switch between gallery view and speaker view (when in gallery view the speaker view button is visible and vice versa).
- Full-Screen View: The button with four corners allows you to switch from Zoom appearing in a pannel to being maximized to fill the entire screen.
Related articles
Hide the Zoom Control Bar When Screen Sharing
The Zoom control bar is normally useful to have at hand (and for teaching it can be useful to always have it displayed). However, if you are sharing your entire screen it can be useful to disable it so that viewers can see your entire screen.
Keeping your Zoom Call Secure
The security of your online class is important – not only would an instant of Zoombombing disrupt your class, but a security breach could easily overshadow your entire semester. This article explores some of the built-in security features of Zoom that it is important to be aware of.
Using Zoom’s Waiting Room
The waiting room feature help ensures Zoomboming is a thing of the past. This article explains Zoom’s waiting room feature, and important things to know about the feature for managing your class.
Disable Zoom Chat
The chat feature on Zoom can sometimes be useful – potentially for sharing links with others – but it can also be distracting when presenting. Getting a flashing notification can interrupt the flow of a presentation, and allowing others to share messages when you are presenting can lead to side-conversations. Learn how to temporarily and permanently disable the chat feature.
Using hotkeys in Streamlabs OBS
Hotkeys (or shortcuts) are a convenient way of managing your stream in Strealabs OBS – allowing you to switch scenes or change settings without while still concentrating on your main task. In this guide, we’ll explain how to configure your hotkeys.
Setting up a Doc Cam with Zoom
If you need to capture your handwriting as part of presenting online via Zoom, a document camera can be the way to go. This article explores two different ways of sharing your document camera via Zoom.
Sharing your Screen on Zoom
An essential skill for using Zoom is learning how to share your screen or windows in it. In this guide, we will cover all of the options for screen sharing that you need to be aware of.
Using Gallery View in Zoom
Want to see everyone at once on Zoom? Our complete guide to using Gallery View in Zoom – how to select Gallery view, both during a regular call and also when sharing your screen.
Setting up Virtual Backgrounds in Zoom
Have you considered using a virtual background when on a Zoom call? Whether you are looking to add some personalization to the call or avoid a cluttered backdrop, this article explores the opportunities and explains how to set one up.
Changing Zoom’s Resolution
The resolution of your video classes can have a big impact on the overall experience – high resolution makes everything feel crisper and closer to in-person discussions. The guide illustrates how to change the resolution of Zoom calls, reducing pixelation from default settings.
Using Chat in Zoom
Zoom’s chat feature can be a great resource – but are also a potential distraction when teaching. Learn how to selectively use it within your class, or disable it to avoid interruptions.
Disable Webcam Mirroring in Zoom
While mirroring your webcam is often a useful feature on Zoom – with your preview the mirror-image of how it is recorded – there are occasions when it is more natural to disable this and see your preview the way participants do. This article explains how to disable the mirroring of your webcam in Zoom.
Related articles
Downloading Attendance from Zoom
If your class incorporates attendance as part of its grading structure, it is useful to be able to download a list of class attendance, rather than have to manually record participation levels – this article describes how to download attendance for each class.
Display 49 Participants in Zoom Gallery View
Although the default settings in Zoom limits the number of thumbnails displayed in the gallery view to 25, this can be increased to 49. This article explains how to increase the number of participants displayed and the technical requirements to do.
Sharing a PowerPoint via Zoom
One of the most common ways of presenting on Zoom is to share a PowerPoint Presentation. In this article, we will explore how to set PowerPoint presentations to open as a separate Windows that can then be shared from within Zoom.
Familiarize Yourself with Zoom Controls
If you want to effectively manage a Zoom call it is important to understand Zoom’s controls. In this guide we cover all aspects of the calls – where the buttons are and what they do.
Using Zoom’s Waiting Room
The waiting room feature help ensures Zoomboming is a thing of the past. This article explains Zoom’s waiting room feature, and important things to know about the feature for managing your class.
Scheduling a Zoom Meeting
If you are new to Zoom, there are a lot of settings that are useful to be aware of when setting up a meeting. This article explores those settings, with guidance on what may be useful for your class.
Using Chat in Zoom
Zoom’s chat feature can be a great resource – but are also a potential distraction when teaching. Learn how to selectively use it within your class, or disable it to avoid interruptions.
Hide the Zoom Control Bar When Screen Sharing
The Zoom control bar is normally useful to have at hand (and for teaching it can be useful to always have it displayed). However, if you are sharing your entire screen it can be useful to disable it so that viewers can see your entire screen.
Preventing the Zoom Meeting Control Bar Auto Hiding
Although Zoom includes an easy to use options bar that appears at the bottom of the call, the standard behavior is for this bar to auto-hide. When presenting a Zoom class it is useful to have these options easily available so that they can be clicked as needed. This article illustrates how the change this default behavior.
Effective Use of Zoom Polls
A quick way of engaging with students on Zoom is through the use of polls. In this article, we will explain how to set up polls in Zoom and effective opportunities for integrating them into your class.
Top Zoom Shortcuts for Teaching Online
There are lots of shortcuts in Zoom – most you will never want. This article highlights the important ones specifically useful when teaching online.
5 Features We Hope Zoom Adds Soon
Zoom has quickly become the go-to video conferencing software for online learning. But it is far from perfect, and some much-needed features would make the online learning experience a much more satisfying experience, for students and educators alike. Here is our wish list for features we would love Zoom to have.