How to Use Zoom on Windows 11

Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet have all been around for a long time. But it was during the pandemic that these apps saw a huge increase in the number of people who used them. As working from home or remotely became more popular around the world, apps like Zoom became more important for everyone.

Zoom is a great app for hosting video meetings, no matter what it is used for. You can use Zoom to run your business, hold corporate meetings, teach your students from afar, or even attend classes from afar if you are a student. This guide will tell you about Zoom, talk about its different parts, and walk you through the basics of using Zoom.

Here is a complete guide to using Zoom on a Windows 11 computer. In this ultimate guide to Zoom, you'll find out how to download and install Zoom on Windows 11, how to log in to Zoom, what some of the app's most important features are, and how to get the most out of it.

What is Zoom, and Why Should You Use It?

Zoom is a video chat program that runs in the cloud and can be used on both computers and mobile devices. The program came out for the first time on December 10, 2012. Even though, as was already said, the app got most of its popularity and users during the pandemic.

When it comes to why you should use Zoom, here are a few reasons:

The app is mostly free to use, but there are a few paid subscription options that come with extra features that are useful for certain uses. This makes it more likely that you will find a plan that meets your needs.

The app works on all platforms and devices, such as Windows, macOS, and Android.

Zoom lets you put people in a virtual waiting room before they can join the meeting.

With zoom, you can show up to 49 people on the screen at once.

Zoom lets you record your video conference and store it in the cloud so you can use it again later.

Zoom lets video conferences that are being hosted be shared or streamed on social media sites like Facebook.

Zoom has tools for working together and getting people involved that make the experience better and make it easier to run a conference.

Zoom Plans and Pricing

If you want, you can use Zoom for free. Zoom also has a number of paid subscription options for people who want to use the program for more than just video calls. Zoom has different plans for people who just want to use it, for teachers, for health care, and for developers. You can see all of their plans by going to their website and looking at the section about prices.

Here, we'll quickly go over the general-use plans, their prices, and what they offer. The first plan is called "BASIC," and it lets you host as many group meetings as you want. But these meetings will last no longer than 40 minutes, and no more than 100 people will be able to attend. You will also be able to use private chat rooms and chat rooms for groups.

The "PRO" plan costs Rs. 1300 or $14.99 per license and has all of the features of the "BASIC" plan plus 1 Gigabyte of cloud storage for storing video meeting recordings.

The "BUSINESS" and "ENTERPRISE" plans come next, and they both cost Rs 1800 or USD 18.99 per license per month. These plans have more features that are geared toward large businesses. For example, the 'ENTERPRISE' plan lets you invite up to 300 or 500 people to a meeting.

What are the Requirements for Running Zoom?

The people who made Zoom made it so that it can run on almost any device. Even though there aren't any hard requirements for the app to work well on your Windows 11 computer, the developers have listed some recommended specs. Here are some of the suggestions:

Processor: Dual-Core Intel or AMD processor or higher RAM: 4 Gigabytes or more
Built-in, USB, or wireless headphones/speakers for audio output
For audio input, you can use a built-in, USB, or wireless microphone
Devices for capturing video that are built-in, USB, or wireless
Besides the hardware requirements, you will also need to be connected to the internet. But the speed or bandwidth you need might change based on what you do. With a connection of 1Mbps, it's easy to make a simple voice call. But if you want to share your screen during an HD or 720p video call, you will need a connection of 2.5 to 3 Mbps. If you want to share your screen during a Full HD or 1080p call, you may need 4-5Mbps.

How to download and install Zoom on Windows 11

Before you can join a video conference or start your own, you must have the Zoom client installed on your computer. In Windows 11, there are now two ways to get Zoom on your computer. You can download Zoom from its official website using your web browser, or you can install it from the Microsoft Store. We'll show you both ways, so you can choose which one works best for you.

How to download and install Zoom from Microsoft Store

1. Click "Start," then "Search," and type "Microsoft Store."

2. Open Microsoft Store by clicking on it.

3. When the Microsoft Store window pops up, type "Zoom" into the search bar at the top of the screen.

4. Choose "Zoom Cloud Meetings" from the list of apps that come up when you search.

5. Click "Install" to start getting the app and putting it on your computer.

6. Wait for the download to finish, which shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes. After that, it will be installed on your computer.

7. You can now look for "Zoom" in the Start menu and find it in the list of results. Zoom has been set up on your computer correctly. To open an app, all you have to do is click on it once in the search results.

How to download and install Zoom from Zoom website

1. In your web browser, open a new tab and go to zoom.us/download.

2. Click the blue "Download" button under Zoom Desktop Client on the "Download Center" page.

3.Double-click the installer to start the process of installing.

4. Wait a few seconds until another window pops up with the message "The installation was successful."

5. To have Zoom automatically update, check the box that says "Keep me up to date" and then choose "Slow" or "Fast" from the dropdown menu next to it. Then click the button that says "Done" to close the window.

6. After that, you can either sign in to your Zoom account or use a room code or link to join a meeting right away.

Zoom login

1. Click on the Start Menu.

2. Type Zoom to search for it.

3. Click on Zoom to launch the application.

4. Enter your Zoom email and password or click to sign in with SSO, Google, or Facebook.

5. Click Sign In.

Zoom Sign Out

1. Open the Zoom client.

2. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner.

3. Click Sign Out.

The Basic Operations of Zoom

After you sign in to the Zoom client on your Windows computer, the home screen will show up. You can do a variety of things from here. You can host a meeting or join an existing one if you have the meeting ID or a link to join. You can even use this menu to plan a meeting for the future. In this part of the guide, we'll show you how to do some of these tasks on your own.

Add People to your Zoom Contacts List

Zoom has a Contacts list where you can add other Zoom users and make it easier to invite them to your meetings or join theirs. Go to the "Contacts" tab and click the icon to add a new user to your list of contacts.

Then, click the small "+" sign and choose "Invite a Zoom Contact."

Then, a small window with the title "Invite to Zoom" will pop up. To add a user to your Zoom contacts list, you need to know their email address. To send an invitation, type the person's email address into the "Email" box and click the "Invite" button.

The window will now show that the user has been sent an invite.

After that, if you expand the "External" list under "Contacts," you can see that the invite is still pending.

When the person you added accepts the contact request, you will be told. They are now on your list of people to contact, and you can reach out to them or ask them to a meeting.

How to Host a Meeting on Zoom

To start a meeting, click the "New Meeting" button on the Zoom home page. To start the meeting without using your camera, click the small drop-down arrow next to the orange icon and the words "New Meeting" and uncheck "Start with video." If you want to, you can also use your Personal Meeting ID from here.

After that, the main "Zoom Meeting" window will appear, and inside it will be a smaller window called "Join Audio." You can join the meeting with the default audio settings or test the devices that send and receive audio.

In general, it's a good idea to check your audio equipment before going into a meeting to make sure there won't be any problems with the sound once the meeting starts. Click the "Test Speaker and Microphone" text below the blue "Join with Computer Audio" button to test your audio devices.

You should now be able to hear sound coming from the window. If you can hear that sound clearly, click the blue "Yes" button to move on with the test.

Now is the time to see how well your microphone or other device for getting sound works. In this case, as well, your default audio input will be chosen first. You can say anything, as long as the "Input Level" meter doesn't go up. This will let you know that your microphone is able to pick up your voice. What you say will be repeated back to you so you can hear it again.

After you're done setting up your audio output and input devices, you'll be taken to the main Zoom interface. With the options here, you can do a lot of different things.

Related: How to mute Zoom.

How to Share Zoom Meeting Link

If you are hosting a meeting, you must give the link to the meeting to other people who want to join. With the meeting link, it's easy to do this. Now, while the "Zoom Meeting" window is still open, press ALT+i on your keyboard or click on the three dots next to the "Apps" button, and then choose "Invite" to get the meeting link.

Now, choose "Copy Invite Link" from the menu.

The link will be copied to your clipboard, and you can now share it with the people you want to invite to your meeting or with the people who are already signed up. They can come to your meeting if they click on the link to the meeting.

How to Schedule a Meeting on Zoom

With Zoom, it's easy to set up a meeting for the future. To start, go to the Start menu and search for Zoom. Then, choose it from the list of results. Then, click the "Schedule" button under the "New Meeting" button.

Now, a window called "Schedule meeting" will pop up. From here, you can change the meeting's properties and set parameters like the date, time, length, and so on.

To start, you can tell everyone what the meeting is about or why it's happening in the text box below "Topic." Then, there are two drop-down boxes next to "Start:." Use these to set the date and time of the meeting. Last, use the two drop-down menus next to "Duration:" to choose how long the meeting will last.

By checking the box next to it, you can also decide if the meeting will happen again. In that case, the date and time must be on the calendar invitation. You can also choose the time zone you're in.

You can play with even more options and settings. You can make a Meeting ID, or you can use your Personal Meeting ID. Most of the time, you should make a Meeting ID instead of using your Personal Meeting ID.

In the Security section, you can give each person a password so they can get into the meeting. There is also the option to set up a waiting room where people will be put when they get to the meeting. You can also choose if the host and participants should be able to see video and which calendar service to use.

Lastly, if you click on "Advanced options," you'll get even more choices, like muting new participants or recording the meeting and saving it to your computer. Click "Save" when you're done setting up the parameters for your future meetings.

When you click "Save," a smaller window will pop up. You can either copy the link and send it directly to the people you want to invite, or you can use a calendar invitation.

How to Join a Zoom Meeting

To join a Zoom meeting, you will need either a direct join link or the meeting ID and password. If you have a link to a meeting, click on it to open your browser window.

To join meetings, you will see a pop-up in your browser window requesting that you open the Zoom Meetings application.

Alternatively, you can also join the meeting using the Meeting ID and Passcode.

To do so, open the Zoom app and click the 'Join' button next to the 'New Meeting' button.

A small window will now appear. Two text boxes will be present. Enter the Meeting ID in the first text box and your username in the second text box.

Check the box next to "Don't connect to audio" or "Turn off my video" if you want to use these settings.

After that, type the Meeting Passcode into the text box and click "Join Meeting."

No matter how you join the meeting, the first window you see is the "Video Preview" window. You can join the meeting with or without your camera turned on. Pick the one you like best.

Then, before you join the meeting, a new window called "Join Audio" will pop up. To get into the meeting, just click "Join with Computer Audio" on this page.

How to share your screen on Zoom

If you want to show a presentation or a project during a meeting, you can use the 'Share Screen feature.' To begin, go to the Zoom app's home page and click on the 'Share Screen' button.

Following that, the procedure is similar to attending a meeting. To begin, enter the Sharing Key or Meeting ID into the text box and then click 'Share screen.'

After that, enter the Meeting Passcode into the textbox and then click 'Join Meeting.'

After clicking 'Join Meeting,' you must choose a window to share. From the Basic tab, you can choose to share any currently open window on your computer, a Whiteboard, or the screen of your iPhone or iPad.

When you select the 'Advanced' tab, you will be able to share a portion of your screen or any content from a secondary camera.

Finally, if you go to the 'Files' tab, you can share content from various cloud services such as Dropbox or Google Drive. This is how you can share your Zoom screen.

How to Install Applications on Zoom

You can add apps to your Zoom experience by installing them as add-ons. To install an app, go to the "Apps" tab and then to the "My Apps" section. Here, you can see a list of all the apps you've installed.

1. To add apps, go to "Discover," and you'll see a list of apps that you can add to Zoom.

2. Then, click the "Add" button.

3.When you click "Add," you'll be taken to a new window in your browser. There, it will show you everything that this app can access. Click "Authorize" after checking the box next to "Allow this app to use..."

4. A pop-up message will now appear in your browser window asking you to open the Zoom Meetings client. Select 'Open Zoom Meetings'.

5. When you start up Zoom, you will see that the app has been added to the Zoom Meetings app.

6. Click "My Apps" to close any apps that are running.

7. It will take you to the area called "My Apps." Under "Opened," you can see a list of all the apps that you have opened. To end all of the programs, just click "Close All."

If you want to get rid of an app, go to the "App Marketplace" page and click "Manage" next to the app in the "My Apps" section.

There, you can find information about the app and options to update it or get rid of it. Click the "Uninstall" button to get rid of the app from Zoom.

Now, a new window called "Uninstall app" will appear inside the browser window. Choose why you want to get rid of the app here, then click "Uninstall," and the app will be gone.

As was already said, you can use these steps to update any app instead of uninstalling it. Just click the "update" button under "Authorized."

Now that you know how to install and manage apps on Zoom, here is a list of some very useful apps that will definitely make your Zoom experience better:

Google Workspace: You can schedule, join, and run Zoom meetings with Gmail and Google Calendar.

Google Drive for Zoom: With this app, it's easy to save meeting recordings to Google Drive and move them there.

If you install this app on Slack, you can start a Zoom meeting or call from any Slack channel or group by typing "/zoom."

Coursera: This app is great for students and teachers alike. Add the Coursera learning experience to Zoom meetings to improve the learning experience.

Evernote: You can get to and change your Evernote content from Zoom.

With this app, you can automate tasks in Zoom like scheduling meetings and sending invitations.

DocuSign: This add-on lets you connect your DocuSign account to Zoom and use bots to sign documents digitally.

Zoom Shortcuts

Menu navigation is fine, but knowing useful keyboard shortcuts will significantly increase your productivity on Zoom. Here's a list of some useful shortcuts to learn and use.

ALT+a : Mute/Unmute

Space Bar : Push-to-talk

ALT+F1 : Speaker View

ALT+F2 : Shortcut Gallery

ALT+m : Mute everyone except the host

ALT+i : Invite menu

ALT+Shift+s : Start/Stop screen share while hosting

ALT+t : Pause/Resume screen share

ALT+F4 : Close current window

ALT+y : Raise/Lower hand

F6 : Navigate between open windows on Zoom