From audio and video controls to meeting recording and transcription, Zoom has an extensive list of controls for your meetings. All you have to do is explore your options and customize your own personal settings. We’ve got three Zoom best practices to follow for quickly customizing your setup as well as specific tips for protecting your space from being "zoom-bombed."

Mic Check 1, 2, 1, 2

In the preferences, open up the Video and Audio settings to test out your camera, microphone, and speakers. If your computer is powerful enough (and you’ve got the connection speed to support it), you can enable HD video and even add a custom background. You can also set your default speakers and microphone and test each of them prior to your meeting.

Making Things Zoom

The powerful scheduling feature in Zoom includes options for time zone preferences, recurring meetings, calendar integration preferences, and audio/video presets. If you prefer using your work calendar app, check to see if there is an extension or add-on. We use this one for our Google Calendar to “make it a Zoom Meeting”.

Mischief Managed

Given the surge of remote teams hosting video calls on tools like Zoom, hackers have seized the opportunity to create mischief. They're not only snooping, but taking control of meetings to share inappropriate material. Here are five tips for how to keep hackers from crashing the party:

1. Use randomly generated meeting IDs (not your personal ID): This will keep nefarious hackers guessing and safeguard your meetings from being the target of repeat shenanigans.
2. Require a password: Zoom autogenerates numeric passwords for your meetings (making your meeting both computer- and phone-friendly). There’s also a feature for embedding an encrypted password into the meeting link. (Note: this is not recommended if you’re going to share the link publicly).
3. Use the Waiting Room: Any new arrivals to your meeting will be placed into the waiting room until you let them in. You can even customize a welcome message for your guests.
4. Disable Guest Screen Sharing: Restricting screen sharing to the host-only prevents others from being able to display what is on their desktop.
5. Disable Join Before Host: If you (the host) don’t start the meeting, no one can join and take control. No host. No meeting. Simple as that.

Check out the Zoom Blog and the Help Center for more best practices for securing your Zoom Meetings or general support, tips, and tricks to the software. 

You’ve tested your setup, scheduled meetings, and secured your space. Now you can focus on the more behavioral Zoom best practices. We recommend fine-tuning your participation skills to become a star contributor and host!