A Complete Guide to Zoom's Controls Bar

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.

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