Working at Web Friendly Help, I have been able to walk people through getting started with zoom meetings. So, with that in mind, I thought I’d put together a series of articles on the Zoom meeting process.
Ready… Let’s zoom!
How Do I Join a Zoom Meeting?
First, if you’re a clicker, here is a handy video on joining zoom meetings. Screen reader users will need additional details, so read on for my plain text directions.
Each meeting has a unique 9, 10, or 11-digit number called a meeting ID that will be required to join a Zoom meeting. If you are joining via telephone, you will need the teleconferencing number provided in the invite.
In order to join a Zoom meeting, you will need an invite from the person or organization running the meeting. The meeting invite is usually delivered via email. You will have a description of the meeting, followed by the date and time, and finally the links and phone info to join the meeting.
The most low-tech way to join a meeting is to just pick up the phone and dial. 📞 The tricky part is that you will have to dial the phone number, meeting ID, and a pin number, given a limited amount of time, to gain access to the meeting. Though this is low tech, it does require multiple steps to complete successfully.
The next option, and the easiest, is to just use the zoom invite link. This is the first zoom related meeting link that you will find. This process will work on a computer and smartphone. If you do not have the zoom client and/or app installed, you will be prompted to download the zoom software for your device. Download links will be provided for your convenience at the end of this article. The link will look something like:
You can also join a meeting within the Zoom software. You will need to open Zoom and find the Join button. You will then need to enter or copy/paste the meeting info into the appropriate boxes.
The next way that you can join a Zoom meeting is via the provided one tap phone number link. This is great if you are on a smartphone, but you do not want to deal with installing any Zoom software. This will treat the meeting like a traditional conference call, and will automatically dial the phone number, meeting ID, and pin for you. These one tap numbers are handy, but note that Sometimes the link may not work correctly—not sure what causes this to happen, but I have noticed it with meetings requiring passwords in particular.
Good Practice Makes Perfect
So try a test meeting and see how it goes!
When you use the above link, you will get a page with the following text:
“Test your internet connection by joining a test meeting”.
You will have a join button directly under this text. If you activate that button, you’ll be in the meeting. Remember that because you will be in a meeting with yourself, you won’t hear anything. You should briefly get the “launch zoom” window, followed by the regular Zoom meeting window itself. ✌
Once you have a few meetings under your belt, you’ll be able to join Zoom meetings in a snap without thinking about what you’re doing.
Zoom Downloads
I think it is a good idea to download the Zoom software on your devices before joining a Zoom meeting. While it is true that you’ll be prompted to download and install the software, this gives you a bit more control over the process. Then, when you do join the meeting, it will be a little quicker and smoother.
Zoom for Windows
The web browser client, AKA Zoom for Windows, will download automatically when you start or join your first Zoom meeting, and is also available for manual download here.
Zoom for Smart Devices
Start, join, and schedule meetings; send group text, images, and push-to-talk messages on mobile devices
Zoom Plugin for Skype for Business
This plugin lets you start Zoom instant meetings and invite contacts directly from Skype.
Get Zoom for Skype for Business
Zoom with Me
Well, I think that will do it for this time around. My next article will help you create your own meeting if you wish. Happy Zooming! Meep Meep!
Qapla
Abbie Taylor
April 28, 2020Casey, this is great! I’ve been using Zoom for quite a while. Recently, my singing group started meeting with this platform. Most of the others are not tech savvy and are struggling. They’re all sighted, but I’m sure your article, especially the video will help them. Thanks for sharing.