Top 15 Hacks to Make Your Zoom Meetings More Productive and Enjoyable

Zoom has become an essential tool for remote communication and collaboration. However, to make the most out of this versatile platform, it's crucial to understand and utilize its features effectively. Here are 15 top hacks to enhance yourZoom experience and streamline your meetings.

1. Keyboard Shortcuts

Efficiency is key in meetings, and mastering keyboard shortcuts can significantly boost your productivity. Easily mute and unmute yourself, start and stop your video, share your screen, and communicate through the chat with just a few keystrokes:

Mute/Unmute: Alt A (Windows) / Command Shift A (Mac) Start/Stop Video: Alt V (Windows) / Command Shift V (Mac) Screen Share: Alt S (Windows) / Command Shift S (Mac) Chat: Alt H (Windows) / Command Shift H (Mac)

2. Virtual Backgrounds

Give your virtual meetings a professional or creative touch by using Zoom's virtual background feature. You can upload your own background or choose from Zoom's library. Ensure you have a solid color background for the best results.

3. Breakout Rooms

Breakout rooms are perfect for smaller group discussions within a larger meeting. You can pre-assign participants or create breakout rooms on the fly during the meeting session.

4. Polling

Enhance participant engagement by creating polls during meetings. You can set up polls before the meeting starts or during the session. This feature is useful for gathering immediate feedback and making decisions in real-time.

5. Touch Up My Appearance

Bleased (previously ) is a great tool for improving your appearance in Zoom. You can adjust your lighting, enhance your video quality, and more. It's particularly helpful for ensuring that your video is clear and professional.

6. Enable Subtitles

Use live transcription to provide real-time captions for your meetings. This feature is invaluable for accessibility and helps participants follow the discussion more easily.

7. Use the Waiting Room

Control who enters the meeting and when by enabling the waiting room feature. This is especially useful for managing larger meetings or webinars, ensuring that the meeting runs smoothly.

8. Record Meetings

Record your meetings for later reference. You can choose to record directly to your computer or to the cloud. Just be sure to inform participants if you are recording the meeting.

9. Integrate with Other Tools

Utilize Zoom's integration capabilities with calendar apps like Google Calendar or Outlook. This allows for seamless scheduling and joining of meetings, saving time and maintaining consistency.

10. Use the Zoom App on Mobile

Stay connected while on the go by downloading the Zoom app on your mobile device. You can access features like screen sharing directly from your phone, ensuring flexibility in your remote work life.

11. Change Your Display Name

Clarify who you are in large meetings by changing your display name. This can be done during a meeting by clicking on your name in the participants list, which helps maintain clarity and avoids confusion.

12. Use Reactions

Express your reactions during meetings without interrupting the speaker. Use emoji reactions like thumbs up or clapping to show agreement, excitement, or other emotions.

13. Pin and Spotlight Videos

Select a participant's video for others to see more prominently or use the spotlight feature to highlight a speaker. This keeps important participants in the spotlight and ensures everyone can see them clearly.

14. Schedule Recurring Meetings

Save time and maintain consistency by scheduling regular meetings as recurring events. This ensures that your team always knows when to expect these meetings and can plan accordingly.

15. Customize Meeting Settings

Before starting a meeting, customize settings like enabling or disabling the video or audio for participants, and setting screen sharing preferences. This can be done in the settings panel on the right side of the screen.

By implementing these hacks, you can significantly enhance yourZoom experience, improve engagement, and streamline your meetings. Whether you're new to Zoom or a seasoned user, these tips will help you get the most out of your virtual communication tools.