Whiff@Home uses the Zoom video conferencing software. We have prepared this help page to make your Whiff@Home experience as good as possible. There is a lot here to read but it is all helpful. If we missed something, please email us with your suggestions and comments!
Things to check before a Whiff Meeting
Not having the
most recent version of the Zoom Client software can cause problems during a meeting.
It is easy to update! And only takes a minute or two. Start the Zoom App and
If you do NOT have a personal Zoom account:
On Desktops: The version you have is shown at the bottom of the
Zoom Cloud Meetings window,. If it is not
5.13.5, then go to
https://zoom.us/download and click on the
Download button under
Zoom Client for Meetings and then run the
ZoomInstaller.exe file
On IOS or Android devices: Tap on the Settings (gear) icon in the. upper left corner of the screen, then tap on Version. If not up-to-date, i.e., not
5.13.5, then go to
App Store or
Google Play and tap on
Update to install the latest version of the Zoom app.
If you Sign In using a Zoom account:
On Desktops: Click your profile picture (in upper right corner) , then click
Check for Updates. If one is available, it will download automatically. Click on the
Update button when displayed. Zoom will shutdown, install the update and restart automatically.
On IOS or Android devices: Tap on
Settings in the lower right corner, then tap
About, then tap
Version.
[Version details as of 2023.01.30]
It can look a little odd if the name shown in your video image is not yours or says something like "Clem's iPad".
This short video demonstrates how to change your screen name before a meeting if you have a Zoom account. See the Best Experience Checklist for how to change your name once you are in a meeting.
In Meeting: Best Experience Tips for Desktop viewing
- Try to join the Zoom meeting before the “official” stated start time. If you arrive before the meeting begins, Zoom offers you the option to ensure you have your audio and video set up properly.
- Stay active and involved for the entire meeting. If you have to step away, please turn off your video and mute yourself.
- Mute when you are not talking or a background disruption happens (click the microphone icon at the bottom of the screen – if it has a red line through it, you are muted). You may be muted by the Host if you forget. If you are not able to unmute yourself, the Host may have chosen to mute all participants – use the Unmute Me button in Participants list to request the Host to unmute you
- Engage other attendees through the Chat function when you are muted or a presentation is occurring.
(In Participants list, hover over your name at the top of the list, click More>,
and choose Rename to change your screen name displayed to the Host and other participants.)
These short videos demonstrate how to change your screen name
Breakout Rooms are smaller sessions that are split off from the Main Session of a Zoom meeting. They allow the participants to meet in smaller groups, and are completely isolated in terms of audio and video from the Main Session.
- The host will open the breakout rooms and, if asked to join one of them, please click Join (otherwise you will not be added to the room). [If you don't join, click on the Breakout Room icon to see the Join Breakout Room option.]
- Self-selecting a breakout room: Click Breakout Rooms in your meeting controls. A list of the available breakout rooms and each room's participants is displayed. Hover your mouse pointer over the number to the right of breakout room you wish to join, click Join, then confirm by clicking Join. Repeat as necessary to join other breakout rooms, or click Leave Room to return to the main session.
- Before closing the Breakout Rooms, the Host will broadcast a message to all rooms that they will be closing shortly and a countdown timer of remaining wrap up time will be shown. You can Leave Room to return to the main session at any time.
- Need help while in a breakout room? Clicking Ask for Help will notify the meeting host that you need assistance and he will be notified to join your breakout room.
We use the
Raised Hand indicator to indicate you wish to ask the Speaker a question. During the Q&A session, you will be called upon by the host or speaker to, if needed
unmute yourself and, then ask your question. Lower your hand if your questions is answered before you are called upon by the Host. The Hand icon will appear in your video panel and next to your name in the participants list. You may see your position in the Q&A queue by viewing the
Participants list.
- Raise Hand on a PC/Mac: Move your mouse and click on the Reactions icon at the bottom of the screen, then click on the Raise Hand button. Click again to lower your hand and retract your request.
There are 2 primary video layouts when no one in the meeting is screen sharing:
Speaker view, &
Gallery view.
Mouse over the
View icon in the upper right of the Zoom Window:
• Full Screen will maximize your ability to see more people in the Gallery view and more detail in a Speaker view presentation.
• Speaker View is best when viewing a presentation.
• Gallery view is best for breakout rooms and when no one is presenting.
How to show up to 49 participants in Gallery View
Click on the ^ beside the camera icon in the lower left, click
Video Settings. Scroll down to set
Maximum participants displayed to 49. Close the popup window.
When someone is
Screen Sharing, you can use
Side-by-side mode or view the screen share with Speaker view.
It is very worthwhile reviewing the Zoom explanations linked below as to how to best utilize the different video layouts:
Side-by-side mode for screen sharing: When you are viewing a shared screen, you can switch to side-by-side mode, which allows you to see the shared screen alongside either the Speaker view or Gallery view, depending on which view you've chosen. You can also adjust the location of the separator between the shared screen and video to change the relative size of each side.
More detail in this step-by-step guide on the Zoom support site.
Desktop: At the top of the screen, click on View Options ∨ > Zoom Ratio > [some %] which will zoom in/out on the image. Holding down the left mouse, button, you can move/pan the image around the screen for a closer view. Set Zoom Ratio > back to Fit to Window to see whole presentation again.
To change the:
- Font size of messages in the Chat panel, press Ctrl+ to enlarge the font size and Ctrl- to decrease it.
- Size of the message text you are typing, hold the Ctrl and Shift keys down while scrolling the mouse wheel to adjust the font size.
Open the Chat window and send a message to "
Tech Support 647-999-8543" or phone Ron at
647-999-8543. We’ll try to help straighten out your issue. But please do try the
Test Meeting before the meeting, if you haven’t tested out Zoom yet, thanks!
In Meeting: Best Experience Tips for Tablet & Phone viewing
- Try to join the Zoom meeting before the “official” stated start time. If you arrive before the meeting begins, Zoom offers you the option to ensure you have your audio and video set up properly.
- Stay active and involved for the entire meeting. If you have to step away or do another task while listening, please turn off your video until you need to appear to the other participants.
- Mute when you are not talking or a background disruption happens (click the microphone icon at the bottom of the screen – if it has a red line through it, you are muted). You may be muted by the Host if you forget. If you are not able to unmute yourself, the Host may have chosen to mute all participants – use the Unmute Me button in Participants list to request the Host to unmute you
- Engage other attendees through the Chat function when you are muted or a presentation is occurring.
(In Participants list, hover over your name, click More>,
and choose Rename to change your screen name displayed to the Host and other participants.)
These short videos demonstrate how to change your screen name
Breakout Rooms are smaller sessions that are split off from the Main Session of a Zoom meeting. They allow the participants to meet in smaller groups, and are completely isolated in terms of audio and video from the Main Session.
- The host will open the breakout rooms and, if asked to join one of them, please tap Join (otherwise you will not be added to the room). [If you don't join, tap your screen and then tap Join Breakout Room icon in upper left of screen.]
- Self-selecting a breakout room: If the host has allowed you to join breakout rooms of your choosing, you will see a list of breakout rooms available. Tap the Breakout Room you wish to participant in and then tap Join. Repeat as necessary to move to other breakout rooms, or click Leave Room to return to the main session.
- Just before ending the breakout session, the Host will broadcast a message indicating that the Breakout rooms will be closed shortly and a countdown timer of the remaining time to wrap up will be displayed. You can choose to return to the main session immediately by tapping on Leave Now. You can also choose to leave the meeting entirely from the breakout room.
- Need help while in a breakout room? Clicking Ask for Help will notify the meeting host that you need assistance and he will be notified to join your breakout room.
We use the
Raised Hand indicator to indicate you wish to ask the Speaker a question. During the Q&A session, you will be called upon by the host or speaker to
unmute yourself and then ask your question. Lower your hand if your questions is answered before you are called upon by the Host, The Hand icon will appear in your video panel and next to your name in the participants list. You may see your position in the Q&A queue by displaying the
Participants list.
- Raise Hand on a phone/tablet: Tap the screen and then tap on ••• More (in the lower right of the screen). Tap on Raise/Lower Hand to raise or lower your hand.
There are 2 primary video layouts when no one in the meeting is screen sharing:
Speaker view,
Gallery view.
- iPad: To switch from Active Speaker View, tap your screen and then tap Switch to Gallery View in the upper-left corner of the Zoom window. To switch back to Active Speaker View, tap the screen to view the controls and tap Switch to Active Speaker in the top-left corner of the Zoom window.
- Mobile phone: By default, the Zoom app displays the Active Speaker View. If one or more participants joins the meeting, you will see a video thumbnail in the bottom-right corner. If a third • is shown at the bottom of the screen, you can swipe left to switch to Gallery View. You can view up to 4 participants' video at the same time. You can keep swiping left to view more participants' video. Swipe right to the first screen to switch back to active speaker view.
Zoom help: Switching between Gallery view and Speaker view
Phone/tablet: Best to permit and orient your device to display in landscape/horizontal mode. You can use two fingers on the screen moving apart to zoom in and squeezing together to shrink it back.
Open the Chat window and send a message to "
Tech Support 647-999-8543" or phone Ron at
647-999-8543. We’ll try to help straighten out your issue. But please do try the
Test Meeting before the meeting, if you haven’t tested out Zoom yet, thanks!
Help using the Zoom App
Take a look at the Zoom articles to learn about the basic features of the Zoom client on:
This 45-minute
training session video with live Q&A will provide a high-level tour of Zoom and cover the basics you need to get up and running.
It's a good idea to sign up for one, but a Zoom account is not required if you are strictly joining Zoom Meetings as a participant. If someone invites you to their meeting, you can join as a participant without creating an account.
Learn more about joining a Zoom meeting.
- A Zoom account is only required if you want to create your own meetings and send invitations to participants. Having a Zoom account allows you to create your own Instant Meetings or Schedule Meetings. Having an account also allows you to access your personal settings, where you can update your profile or upgrade your plan at any time.
- Note, some hosts may restrict who can join meetings by using “authenticated profiles”, in which case you, as a participant, will need a Zoom account to access such meetings.
- So that Whiff@Home meeting can be “more secure” and for easier event management, your Junta recommends you sign up for a free Zoom account at zoom.us/signup using the same email address as you do for your Whiff membership. Zoom does not send you any junk mail just by signing up for an account.
