Search Google Appliance

Information Technology

Advanced Zoom Videoconferencing Tips

For information on how to protect your Zoom sessions from disruptions, see Protect Your Zoom Meeting Spaces & Class Sessions.

Access More Zoom Account Settings Online

While many settings for features like video and audio are available within the desktop or mobile Zoom apps, some important advanced settings are only available in your Zoom account settings on the web. 

To access your UMass Amherst Zoom account settings on the web:

  1. Navigate to umass-amherst.zoom.us in your web browser and click Sign in to configure your account.
    • You will be asked for your NetID and password.
  2. Click Settings on the left side of the window. 

 


 

Make It Easier to Connect on Zoom

 

Enable or Disable Using Your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) When Scheduling Meetings by Default

You can configure your Zoom account to use your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) by default when scheduling meetings, rather than using a new meeting ID for each meeting.

With this option enabled, people can more easily join your meetings if they already know your PMI, and people with whom you have shared your PMI may pop into these sessions. 

Note: Instructors - it is strongly recommended that you do not use your Personal Meeting ID link for classes.
Get Started with Zoom in Moodle

We recommend turning on the Waiting Room feature if you use your personal meeting ID for all meetings. 

To enable or disable this setting: 

  1. Navigate to umass-amherst.zoom.us in your web browser and click Sign in to configure your account.
    • You will be asked for your NetID and password.
  2. Click Settings on the left side of the window. 
  3. Toggle "Use Personal Meeting ID (PMI) when scheduling a meeting."

 

Put Your Personal Meeting ID in Your Email Signature

To make it easier to transition conversations to a Zoom call, consider adding your Zoom Personal Meeting Room ID and link to your email signature.  

To quickly get both your Personal Meeting Room ID and a meeting link, hover over the down arrow next to New Meeting in the Zoom desktop app, then click the number at the bottom of the menu (your personal meeting ID), and then click copy invitation. The invitation includes more information than you need, but it is a quick way to get both your meeting ID number and link.

Here's an example email signature with those items included:

Name
Job Title, UMass Amherst Information Technology
Room ### Workspace, Building Name, Town, MA zipcode
email@umass.edu
Zoom 123-456-789 [link this to your Personal Meeting Room link]
413-5##-####

 

Enable a Waiting Room for Your Personal Meeting

Enable your Personal Meeting Room's Waiting Room feature to manage and admit attendees, rather than letting anyone using the link join while the call is active. 

Hover over the down arrow next to New Meeting in the Zoom desktop app, then click the number at the bottom (your personal meeting ID), and then click PMI settings. Under Security, click Enable waiting room

 

Connect Zoom and Google Google Workspace Applications

UMass Amherst users of Google Workspace (Google Calendar and Google Mail) can join, manage, and schedule Zoom meetings from their Google Workspace applications. 

Install the add-on for Google Workspacee

 

Connect Zoom and Microsoft Outlook

UMass Amherst users of Office 365 and Outlook can join, manage, and schedule Zoom meetings from their Outlook email clients.

Install the add-on for Outlook

 


 

Improve Zoom Session Quality & Performance on Your Network & Computer


Disable HD Webcam Video

High definition webcam video requires more from your network connection and computer’s processing power than non-HD video.

To disable HD video:

  1. In the Zoom desktop application’s Home tab, click the settings gear icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Select the Video tab on the left side of the Settings window.
  3. Uncheck “HD” and close the Settings window.
     

Stop Your Webcam Video When It Isn’t Necessary

While checking in face to face via video call is important, webcam may not always be necessary, and will require more from your network connection than just audio. 

To turn off your webcam video during a meeting, simply click the Stop Video button in the lower left of the Zoom window. 
 

Avoid Other Activities That Use Bandwidth During Your Zoom Session

Don’t start other activities that will strain your network connection while you’re in a Zoom meeting. For example, avoid:

  • Large downloads
  • Large uploads like automatic cloud backups
  • Streaming videos or music

 


 

Personalize Zoom Application Settings


Enable Virtual Background

Want to look like you're somewhere else? Enable a virtual background option by clicking the settings gear icon in the upper right of the Zoom desktop application, then selecting the Background & Filters tab. 

 

View & Edit Zoom Application Keyboard Shortcuts

You can use keyboard shortcuts to more easily and efficiently control many Zoom functions during a meeting or class session. 

To view or edit your keyboard shortcuts, from the Zoom desktop application:

  1. Click the settings gear icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Select the Keyboard Shortcuts tab on the left side of the screen.

Note: If you check the box for Enable Global Shortcut for a keyboard shortcut, you can use that shortcut during a Zoom call without having to find and click on the Zoom window first. Make sure the key combination you choose for global shortcuts does not interfere with other applications.  

This can be particularly useful for easily muting and unmuting your audio during calls. 

 


 

Get More out of Your Zoom Sessions

 

Automatically Save a Copy of In-Meeting Chat Messages

To make sure you don't lose any important links shared in the chat during a Zoom session, you can save a copy of the chat to your computer.
To do this automatically for Zoom sessions that you host:

  1. Navigate to umass-amherst.zoom.us in your web browser and click Sign in to configure your account.
    • You will be asked for your NetID and password.
  2. Click Settings on the left side of the window. 
  3. Enable Auto Saving Chats under In Meeting (basic)

After your Zoom session, Zoom will save a text file with the chat contents to your computer, and open the folder to show you the file location. 
More information and other options for saving in-meeting chat

 


 

Advanced Tips for Zoom Webinars & Events

 

Stream a Zoom Meeting or Webinar to Facebook Live or YouTube Live

You can stream a Zoom webinar or meeting live on Facebook to your Facebook timeline or a group/page that you are an admin for - or on YouTube Live. 
While attendees watching on Facebook or YouTube Live cannot directly interact with your Zoom meeting, they can comment during the live event and interact on their respective platforms. 

Streaming a Meeting or Webinar on Facebook Live

Streaming a Meeting or Webinar on YouTube Live

Livestreaming your event from Zoom to Facebook Live or YouTube Live can be a good way to broadcast to more than the maximum amount of viewers allowed for standard Zoom meetings (300 attendees) or webinars (500 attendees).