How to Schedule a Video Chat with Friends & Family on Zoom

One of the most popular platforms for staying in touch with friends virtually right now is
Zoom. Zoom has had a surge in popularity due to COVID-19 and the stay home orders
that have been issued state-wide. It is an extremely simple platform to use once you get
the hang of it and it is a great way to catch up with your friends from the comfort of your
own home. Seniors who live alone are even more susceptible to loneliness and
depression during this time of social isolation. Below is a brief tutorial on how to use
Zoom for those who might not be as tech savvy as other generations. Follow these
simple steps and soon you too can be connecting with your friends and family virtually!

How to Use Zoom on a Computer

1. Go to the Zoom Website and create an account. Download the Zoom app for a
more streamlined version of the website.
2. Once your account is created you can join, schedule or host a meeting at the top
of the screen. You can also chat with friends on this platform. If you are joining a
meeting, you will need a meeting ID.
 a. If you’d like to be in a Zoom meeting without signing up, click the “join a
meeting” button located in the center of the webpage. Then you will be
asked to put in the Meeting ID provided by the meeting host in order to
connect (this option only works if you are joining a meeting someone else
has created).
3. On the left side of the screen, you can edit your profile. Change your username
and photo to whatever you would like so that you can be recognizable to your
friends and family!
4. Scheduling a meeting from the Zoom web portal is quick and easy. From the
“Meetings” tab, click the “Schedule a New Meeting” button.
5. Give your meeting a title. For example, “Cindy’s 75th Virtual Birthday Party!”
6. Next, choose your start time and time zone. Video chats are only allowed to last
for 45 minutes with a basic Zoom account, so keep that in mind.
7. If this meeting occurs frequently, you can set it as a “Recurring Meeting” and
change how often it will occur.
8. You can also change settings to use a one-time unique ID or use a personal
meeting ID that will stay consistent for all of your meetings.
9. Under “Meeting Options” you can require a password to enter the video chat if
you desire and change the video default settings for both the host and the
participants.
10. Once you have scheduled the meeting, you can add it to your Google, Outlook
and Yahoo calendar. You can also scroll down and copy the invitation so that you
can paste it and share it with anyone that will need to join your session.
11. When it is time for your scheduled video chat, simply go to the “Meetings” tab
and click on the event you have scheduled. Your friends and family will join you
shortly!
How to Use Zoom on a Mobile Device

1. Download the Zoom app from the App Store or Google Play
2. Open the app and click “sign up” on the bottom left corner of the screen, you will
then be asked to put in your name and email to create your Zoom account. Once
you have made your account, you will be able to schedule meetings, join meetings
or chat with other people through the Zoom app.
a. If you’d like to be in a Zoom meeting without signing up, click the “join a
meeting” button located in the center of the iOS app or the bottom right
corner of the Android app. Then you will be asked to put in the Meeting ID
provided by the meeting host in order to connect (this option only works if
you are joining a meeting someone else has created).
3. To create or schedule a new meeting, select the “Meet and Chat” icon on the
menu at the bottom of your screen. On this page you will see five options:
a. “New Meeting” (or “Start Meeting” on Android phones), which allows you
to instantly begin a Zoom meeting.
b. “Join”, where you can join an existing meeting using a Meeting ID
provided by the meeting host.
c. “Schedule”, where you are able to schedule future Zoom meetings for a
specific date and time.
d. “Share Screen”, which is a tool that allows you to share what is happening
on your screen to all those in your Zoom meeting.
e. You will also see your own name listed on the screen, by clicking on this
you are able to enter your personal chat space where you can write
messages, take screenshots and save files that will only be visible to you.
f. You will also see two small icons at the top of this page. On the left, there
will be a star. Clicking the star allows you to view and start chats with your
starred contacts. On the right, there will be a plus sign. This plus sign lets
you start a one-on-one chat with another user.
4. Scheduling Meetings​: There are a lot of steps when scheduling meetings, here’s a
basic overview of how to do it.
a. Name your meeting: This is the first thing you will be asked to do, choose
something recognizable to those you will be asking to join so they know
what the meeting is for!
b. Pick a date, time and time zone: This is where you are able to schedule the
meeting for your preferred date and time. It will also ask you for a time
zone, by default it will choose the time zone your phone is on, but it’s
always good to double check that it’s correct.
c. Repeat: This is a great tool for recurring meetings, such as your weekly
book club. By selecting this option, you can set up a Zoom meeting to have
multiple occurrences that will have the same Meeting ID each time! This
allows you to schedule your daily/weekly/monthly meeting, but you’ll only
have to send out a Meeting ID the first time.
d. Video/audio settings: You will see options for host and attendee video and
audio, these options allow you to control who you want to see and hear
during your meetings. The host video and audio is yours, so you can turn
those off if you don’t want people to see or hear you. You can also choose
to have the attendees video turned off as well.
e. Passwords: There is an optional password you can turn on for added
security, this option allows only those with the Meeting ID and the
password to join your Zoom meeting.
f. Advanced Options: There are a few extra options available to use if
necessary. You can click “Allow join before host” to let attendees join a
meeting before you, the host has joined. “Record meeting automatically”
will record the scheduled meeting when it starts. “Alternative Hosts”
allows you to pick another person that will be able to start the meeting if
you are unable to.
 g. Finish scheduling and invite people: When you have finished the above,
click “Done”. This will bring you to a page that asks you to add the meeting
to your calendar and where you can then select who to join you under the
“Invitees” option.
5. The next icon on the menu is “Phone”. Here you can call someone, as well as view
your Zoom call history and any voicemails you have on the Zoom app.
6. For iOS users, there will be a “Meetings” icon. This page allows you to instantly
start a meeting, or begin a meeting that was scheduled. Android users do not
have this option on their Zoom app.
7. The “Contacts” icon is where you will find a list of all the contacts you have made
in Zoom, as well as the option to create new contacts. You can click a contact’s
name to start a private message with them.
a. Under the “Channels” tab at the top of the screen is where you’ll find the
group messages you have starred.
b. The “Rooms” tab shows you all the Zoom Rooms you are in. Tapping on
the name of the Zoom Room starts a meeting with its members.
c. Lastly, you will see a plus icon at the top right of this screen as well. This
plus icon allows you to add a custom contact, join or create a new channel
for group messaging and for iOS users, you can add an app from the Zoom
marketplace.
8. The last icon you will see on the menu at the bottom of your screen will be
“Settings”, which allows you to view and change meeting/chat settings as well as
your profile name, picture and password.

References

1. https://oit.colorado.edu/tutorial/zoom-host-meeting-and-invite-participants
2. https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362413-How-Do-I-Schedule-Mee
tings-
3. https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362993-Getting-Started-with-iO
S
4. https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/200942759-Getting-Started-with-An
droid