How to use Zoom as an Attendee

When you join a Zoom meeting hosted by another user, you are considered an attendee. Below is a basic tutorial to get you started.

Prerequisites

You will need to download the Zoom app on your computer or on your smartphone. Don’t worry, it’s easy to use. Signing-up for an account is optional. However If you choose to sign-up, the Basic plan is FREE.

Joining a webinar

Your host, will provide you with an invitation link. Clicking the supplied link is the easiest way to join. If a link is not sent, you may be asked to use the 9-digit meeting ID/webinar ID and possibly a password.

Sample Zoom meeting invite.

Zoom provides a test meeting to practice on. This is perfect if you are stressing about potential troubles with your video or audio connections.

Preparing to Start

If the host hasn’t started broadcasting, you’ll receive the following message.

Waiting for the host to start this meeting

This is a great time to test your audio and video b clicking the “Test Computer Audio” button.

The Basic Controls

Computer Audio

Click Join Audio By Computer. After joining computer audio, you can Mute/Unmute at the lower left corner or click on the ^ to select a different microphone and/or speaker. 

Video Layout

Below is a sample of the video display layouts. Discover all the options on Zoom’s “How Do I Change The Video Layout? ” page.

Speaker/Gallery View

When joined into a Zoom meeting from the first time it will be in  active speaker view or your host may spotlight a view or share a screen.

Gallery view lets you see thumbnail displays of participants, in a grid pattern, which expands and contracts as participants join and leave the meeting.

To alternate between the two views click the button on the top right of the screen.

Left shows “Active Speaker View”. Right Screen shows “Gallery View”. Use the top right button to toggle between views.
Please note: There are hardware limitations on Gallery View, for displaying large amounts of participants on the screen at once. More Info

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *