Getting Started with Zoom in a Web Browser

Zoom Web Client

Overview

The Zoom web client allows joining a Zoom meeting or webinar without downloading any plugins or software. However, the web client has limited features and functions best on Google Chrome. 

Through your settings, you can control if the Join From Browser link appears automatically or if it only appears once the participants attempt to download the Zoom client. 

Note: Currently, panelists can not join a webinar practice session from the web client. 

This article covers:

• Features across browsers

• Joining the meeting or webinar

• Joining audio

• Viewing video

• Inviting others

• Sharing Your screen

• Remote control

• Webinar Q&A

• Host controls

  • Cloud recording

  • Manage participants

  • Mute all

  • Lock meeting

  • Webinar Q&A

Prerequisites

• Internet Explorer 10 or higher

• Microsoft Edge 38.14393.0.0 or higher

• Google Chrome 53.0.2785 or higher

• Safari 10.0.602.1.50 or higher

• Firefox 49.0 or higher

Features across browsers

*Screen sharing on Microsoft Edge requires Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise. It is not supported on Windows 10 Home. If you are running Windows 10 Home and need to share your screen, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox.

**Joining computer audio on Firefox and Safari is only available for webinar attendees. 

Joining the meeting or webinar

1. Click the link to join the meeting.

2. An option Join from your Browser may appear automatically. If it does not, select download & run Zoom.

3. The option Join from your Browser will appear.

4. You will be prompted to enter your name.

5. Click Join to be taken into the meeting.

   Open

   

Join audio

Once you have joined, you can join the audio by computer,  dial in by telephone, or choose call me (if enabled for the host's account). Call Me and toll-free numbers require an audio conferencing plan. 

1. Click Join Audio.

2. Click Phone Call, Computer Audio, or Call Me tab to choose your join method. 

   Open

   

• Phone Call: Follow the instructions on the screen for dialing in by phone.

• 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. 
  
  

• Call Me: Choose the country of the phone you are calling from the drop down. Enter the phone number. Check Remember the number on this computer if you would like this number stored for future meetings. Click Call Me.
  
  

Viewing video

When joined into a Zoom meeting from the web client, you can view one participant's video in active speaker view or if the host spotlights a video. If multiple participants are sharing their video, you will only be able to see one at a time.

Inviting others

1. Click Invite to open the options to view others.
   
   

2. The available options will depend on the available add-ons for your account, if you are the host, and if you are logged in.

• Invite by Email: This will open up the options to send an email with your default email client, Gmail, Yahoo email, copy the URL, or copy the entire invitation.

• Invite by Phone: If you have an audio conferencing plan, you can call out to participants by phone. Enter the name you would like to display for them, select their country, enter their phone number, and click Invite.

• Invite a Room System: If you have the Cloud Room Connector add-on, View the information for an H.323 or SIP room system to join the call or invite them by calling out to their IP address.

Sharing your screen

1. Click Share Screen located in your meeting tool bar. 
   
   

2. Select the screen you want to share then click Share. If you are using multiple monitors, you will see each screen.
   
   

   To share a specific application window, click the Application Window tab, select an application, then click Share.
   Notes:

• When sharing an application, live changes made to a document may not appear for others. If you experience this issue, please stop sharing and restart the share or share your entire screen to avoid this issue. 

• For Windows 10 users, if several applications are open, a limited number will be listed as an option to share. If the application you want to share is not listed, close unnecessary applications and try again. 
  
  

While screen sharing, you will have access to the following controls:

• A notification at the top of your Zoom meeting window shows a preview of your shared screen. Click Pause Share to pause screen sharing.
  
  

  Click Resume Share to start screen sharing again. You can also click Stop Share to stop sharing your screen.
  
  

• A floating notification bar appears on top of your browser. Click Stop sharing to stop sharing your screen.

  • Click Hide to remove the floating notification bar. 
    
    

• Click the upwards arrow beside the Share screen button to change who has access to screen sharing.
  
  

Request remote control

While another participant is screen sharing, you can remotely control their screen. 

1. While viewing a screen share, click Request Remote Control located at the top.
   
   

2. Click Request to confirm.

3. Click inside the screen share to start controlling the participant's screen.

4. To stop remote control, click Give Up Remote Control at the top.
   
   

Webinar Q&A

You can ask, up vote, and comment on questions if these features are enabled by the host.

1. Click Q&A in the webinar controls.
   
   

2. You'll have access to the following controls:
   
   

• Type your question in the text box to ask a question.

• If another participant has asked a question, click the thumbs up icon to up vote the question or click Comment. Questions are sorted based on the number of up votes. 

Host controls

If you are the meeting host and are signed in to your Zoom account on the web, you will have additional options available.

Cloud recording

Click Record to start a cloud recording.

Manage participants

1. Click Manage to manage the participants.
   
   

2. Hover over a participant's name and click More for additional options.

• Rename: Change the participant's name in the meeting.

• Make Host: Transfer host controls to this participant.

• Put in Waiting Room: Remove this participant to the waiting room. You will then have the option to readmit them.

• Remove: Remove this participant from the meeting.

Mute all

1. Click Manage.
   
   

2. At the bottom of the participants' window, click Mute All.
   
   

Lock meeting

Locking the meeting prevents any new participants from joining the meeting.

1. Click Manage.
   
   

2. At the bottom of the participants' window, click More.

3. Click Lock Meeting.
   
   

Webinar Q&A

1. As the webinar host, co-host, or panelist, click Q&A in the webinar controls. 
   
   

2. Questions are sorted based on the number of upvotes. You'll have access to the following controls:
   
   

• Click Answer Live to answer the question out loud during the webinar.

• Click Type Answer to type out your answer for the attendee.
  Type your answer and click Send.
  (Optional): Check Answer Privately if you only want the attendee to see your answer.

• Hover over a question and click Dismiss to move the question to the Dismissed tab.

  • To reopen questions, click the Dismissed tab, find the question you would like to reopen and click Reopen Question.
    
    

Click the gear icon to display Q&A settings.

Note: If you allow attendees to answer Q&A, the questions will still appear in the Open tab, even if an attendee has commented on the question. You can answer the question by choosing Answer Live or Type Answer.