The 5 Best Zoom Tips and Tricks

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual meetings via applications like Google Meet and Zoom have exploded in popularity. They’re convenient, accessible, and user-friendly. Plus, based on the trend, virtual meetings aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

And these apps aren’t just used for meetings at work. In fact, Zoom is very popular for calls with friends and family (especially friends and family who aren’t local), for online group workouts, and even university classes. Because of this, it’s essential to become comfortable using a platform like Zoom. Luckily, a few Zoom tips and tricks can transform your relationship with this application.

In our comprehensive article, we’ll share our five best Zoom tips and tricks to improve your experience with the platform and have more effective calls and meetings. 

The 5 Best Zoom Tips and Tricks 

Zoom can be confusing for new users. Even seasoned Zoom users can run into technical trouble or confusion regarding some of the platform’s features. 

To mitigate this and improve your Zoom experience, here are our five best Zoom tips and tricks you need to know.

1. How to get AI speech coaching when you speak

If you’re using Zoom, did you know you can get AI speech coaching when you speak? Yoodli, a free communication coach powered by AI, functions in tandem with Zoom to give you feedback on your speech and speaking patterns. Here’s how it works. 

Yoodli analyzes your speech and speaking patterns by evaluating related metrics. For example, you’ll get insights such as:

• How fast you’re speaking (your pace) 
• Your filler word usage (which filler words you use, when you use them, and how often)
• Your body language, including eye contact and facial expressions
• Weak word usage
• And any non-inclusive language you might’ve accidentally used

Plus, if your Zoom call includes others, you can also see metrics about your talk time vs. your listening time to see if you might have a habit of monologuing. However, this is totally optional. If you’d only like to analyze your own speech, check out this explainer on private Yoodli and how to set that up: 

In addition to those aforementioned, you’ll get a full transcript of your speech with timestamps. 

Because Yoodli is an AI speech coach, you’ll also get personalized coaching comments, feedback, and suggestions for improvement. 

To access these insights from your Zoom call, all you have to do is record the Zoom meeting and upload it to Yoodli (see tip #4 below!). This is precisely why it made our list of the best Zoom tips and tricks.

2. How to use filters

Applying video filters to your video can be a fun way to participate in a call. Whether you’re on mobile (Android/iOS) or on your desktop (Windows/macOS), it’s pretty easy to apply a filter during your Zoom call. 

These include color filters, overlays, and custom video frames. For example, some people like to use eccentric filters, such as a mustache, a pirate eye patch, or sunglasses. The color filters have the ability to change your screen to black and white, or virtually any other color. 

Here’s how to use filters on Zoom — one of the most underrated best Zoom tips and tricks:

• To start, make sure you’re signed into Zoom
• Once you confirm that, navigate to your profile picture, click it, and then select “Settings” 
• Next, select the “Background & Filters” tab
• There, you’ll see the “Video Filters” tab, which will show you all the various filters you can select
• Once you choose one, click it, and it’ll apply to your video

You can also set video filters as the default for all your meetings, whether you’re a participant or the host. Just select the box by “Apply to All Future Meetings” and you’ll be good to go.

3. How to hide non-speaking/no video participants

Sometimes it’s helpful to hide non-speaking participants or participants who don’t have their video turned on. By doing so, you’ll decrease the number of people on your screen. This can help highlight those who are participating in the meeting — the exact reason this made the list of our best Zoom tips and tricks.

You can do this in real-time during a Zoom call or you can do this via the “out of meeting” client settings. Here’s how to do it:

• Click “View” which is in the top right corner of the Zoom window
• Select “Hide Non-video Participants,” which will instantly hide everyone in the call without their video turned on

If you want the participants without their video on to be visible again, you can click the aforementioned “View” button and click “Show Non-Video Participants.” 

It should also be noted that you can fend off mental fatigue and save some bandwidth by stopping all incoming video. 

4. How to record a Zoom meeting

As mentioned in tip #1, you can record Zoom meetings to analyze your speech and speaking patterns with Yoodli. Luckily, recording a Zoom meeting is pretty easy. To start, make sure your local recording capabilities are enabled. All you need to do is follow these simple steps:

• Start by logging into Zoom on your desktop
• Navigate to the “Settings” option and click it
• Find the “Recording” tab and select it
• Locate the “Local Recording” option and either enable it or disable it, depending on your goal

A verification message could pop up. If so, click “Turn On.” This will confirm the change. If you have a Zoom administrator, this might be grayed out; if that’s the case, contact your administrator for access.

Here, you can also add some extra features. To do so, click the boxes to enable the features, such as the ability to: 

• Give participants in the meeting permission to record 
• Save closed captions in the recording
• Save messages from the meeting’s chat

Now, to actually record a Zoom meeting, the host (or a participant who was given access) will need to:

• Initiate a Zoom call
• Select “Record”
• There might be a menu, and if so, you’ll need to click “Record on this Computer”
• If the recording is active, you’ll see a small, red indicator in the top left of the screen
• Once the Zoom meeting ends, the recording will be converted by Zoom so you can get the file
• The folder with the Zoom recording will open when it’s completely converted to an MP4 file 

Once you’ve recorded the Zoom meeting, you can upload it to Yoodli. To do so, sign up with Yoodli for free. Once you’ve set up your account, you can log in. 

Navigate to the left sidebar and hover over the second icon. You should see three options: “Speech,” “Interview,” and “Meeting.” Click on “Meeting.” 

Here, there should be two modes: “Individual Mode” and “Team Mode.” As mentioned above, “Individual Mode” gives you the ability to analyze only your speech. Real-time, private coaching is a helpful option. It’s perfect for things like one-on-ones, interviews, and project meetings. With this mode, nobody will know you’re using it.

The other mode, “Team Mode,” is great if you’re looking for communication coaching for every participant in the meeting. For example, “Team Mode” is great for things like Toastmasters, collaborative team meetings, and communication coaches. 

With these two modes, you’re set on course to improving your speech and effective communication skills. 

5. How to give participants a waiting room

Especially with meetings at work, it’s often nice to have a space, like a waiting room, for participants to wait until the meeting has officially started. That being said, learning how to give participants a waiting room in Zoom isn’t complicated. 

To do so, just look for the “waiting room” option when you’re scheduling a call and select it. If you’d like to enable (or disable) the waiting room function, you can navigate to Participants > More > Enable Waiting Room (or Disable Waiting Room).

The Key Takeaway

Hopefully, these best Zoom tips and tricks can boost your confidence using the platform and improve your overall experience. Using Yoodli to analyze your speaking patterns and speech can also improve your experience. 

Not only will it boost your confidence, but it’ll help you become a better, more efficient speaker. Don’t wait to try it out — start your journey of elevating your communication capabilities today.