Help on using Zoom to join a POTB online event

Important: In advance of a Zoom event, you should ensure that the Zoom application is installed and up to date on the device you are using. If you are new to Zoom, brief instructions on this can be found below.

Joining a Zoom Event

Prior to the event, you will be asked to register, so that we can send you  a web link to use when it is time to participate.

This link will look something like https://www.pushingouttheboat.co.uk/Kt2UQDKoFKTJ/ ending in an apparently random (and hence non-guessable) string of characters which differs for each event.

To join the event, click on the link you have been sent. This will take you to a page on the POTB website where you will see a button that looks like

   or   

If the event is not yet open, you will be given an indication of what time it will open. In this case, you can either leave the page and return at the appropriate time or, if there’s just a few minutes to go, stay and wait. If you choose to wait, you will need to refresh your browser window at the allotted time, in order for the button to be updated from amber to green.

Once you see a green button, click on it to join the event. This will either take you straight into the Zoom application

or (on a laptop or desktop) it may open a Zoom web page in your browser that will look something like the image below.

Click on the Open Zoom button (as indicated by the arrow above) to enter the Zoom application.

Once into Zoom you will either enter directly into the event or you will be taken to the waiting room for the event as illustrated below for a desktop (left) and an android phone (right).

Once into the event, you will find that both your audio and video have been turned off by the host, so that you can listen and watch without being seen or heard by others.

The host of the meeting will control what you see and hear but you will usually be able to comment or ask questions using Zoom Chat.


Using Zoom Chat

Hover your mouse near the foot of the screen to bring up the Zoom toolbar:

On a wide screen device

Click on the Chat icon  to open up the chat area on the right of your screen. Here you can view comments made by other participants or type in a comment or a question of your own.

On a small screen device

Click on then select Chat from the menu to open the Chat screen. Here you can view comments made by other participants or type in a comment of your own. On a mobile device you will not be able to view the speaker and the Chat stream at the same time. Closing the Chat screen will return you to speaker view.


Installing Zoom

On an Android device:  install Zoom through Play Store

On an Apple mobile device: install Zoom through AppStore

On a laptop/desktop: go to zoom.us/download to download the application to your computer,
then follow the prompts to install it.


Updating Zoom

For optimum performance, we recommend ensuring that your Zoom application is up to date. If your mobile device is set to apply ‘automatic updates’, then you can skip this step. Otherwise, here is how to check:

On an Android device: go to Play Store to check whether Zoom is awaiting an update

On an Apple mobile device: go to the  AppStore to check whether Zoom is awaiting an update

On a laptop/desktop: open Zoom and sign in.

Then click on the Avatar icon in the top right and click “Check for Updates”.

If an update is available, it will start downloading to your computer.
Once the download is complete, click on the Update button to install the update.

One thought on “Zoom Help

  1. This Help page is intended to be of use to Zoom beginners. We have tried to cover the basics for mobile and tablet users as well as for those using a laptop or desktop computer but there will undoubtedly be some differences that we haven’t explained. If you have any comments on things you found hard to follow or which didn’t match your experience, feel free to leave us a note here.

    Please bear in mind, however, that these instructions are tailored specifically for those attending POTB online events, not for general users of Zoom.

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