How to Join a Zoom Meeting: Ultimate Tutorial for Beginners [2023]

Do you ever feel like you are missing critical virtual sessions because you can’t figure out how to join a Zoom meeting? Or maybe you have been invited to a Zoom meeting, but you are unsure how to get started. Regardless of what the reason is, it can be daunting to understand how to enter a Zoom meeting or navigate its features, especially if you are unfamiliar with the video conferencing platform. 

Fortunately, we are here to help! CJ Digitals understands the importance of quick collaboration and brainstorming sessions. Whether you want to join the meeting via Zoom desktop client, web browser, mobile app, or meeting link, this comprehensive guide is for you. 

In this ultimate Zoom tutorial, we will reveal step-by-step instructions to enter Zoom meetings. We will also walk you through a recording and transcribing tool we have recently started using that simplifies Zoom recordings and helps the participants get real-time transcripts of the entire conversation. 

Let’s get started! 

Prerequisites for Joining a Zoom Virtual Meeting 

Zoom is a feature-rich and popular video conferencing platform that helps remote workers connect from all over the world. However, it’s essential to meet some prerequisites before you can join the meeting. Here are the three important things one needs to enter the virtual conference. 

• You need a 9, 10, or 11-digit phone number called a Zoom Meeting ID to join the virtual session. If you are a participant, you can locate the Zoom session link in the invitation sent by the meeting host.
• You must enable the ‘Show a “Join from your browser” link.’ This will help the host and participants to join via the web browser. 
• Those who are joining by telephone require a teleconferencing number available in the invite. 

If you are the meeting host and want to improve the experience of your Zoom meeting, consider integrating the best Zoom apps, like Notta, Zapier, Slack, etc., with the video conferencing platform. These apps are available in the Zoom App Marketplace, which streamlines the scheduling, joining, and recording of the virtual sessions. While Notta helps record and transcribe the meeting, Zaiper simplifies the process of scheduling Zoom sessions.

How to Join a Zoom Meeting on the Desktop Client? 

Whether you’re using Zoom via Windows/Linux or you want to join a meeting via macOS, Zoom desktop client is a straightforward way to check out. Here’s how to join a Zoom meeting via a desktop client in simple steps. 

Step 1: Open the Zoom desktop client on your Windows, Linux, or macOS. Select the ‘Join a Meeting’ option if you want to join a Zoom session without signing in. 

Alternatively, you can sign in to the Zoom desktop client and select the ‘Home’ tab. Now click ‘Join’ to enter the session. 

Step 2: Enter your display name and meeting ID in their respective boxes. 

Step 3: Choose if you want to connect with audio or video during the session. 

Step 4: Finally, select ‘Join.’ 

If you are the host of the Zoom meeting, you can use other exclusive features like Zoom breakout rooms. These features allow you to split larger Zoom meetings into smaller and more focused sessions. You can check out this ultimate tutorial on creating, managing, and participating in Zoom breakout rooms. 

How to Join a Zoom Meeting on the Mobile App? 

Besides Windows, Linux, or macOS, you can join a Zoom meeting using the mobile application. Below are step-by-step instructions to join a Zoom meeting on Android or iOS devices. 

Step 1: On your iOS or Android mobile device, open the Zoom mobile app. If you want to join without signing in, tap the ‘Join a Meeting’ option on the screen. 

Alternatively, sign in to the Zoom mobile app and then click ‘Join.’ 

Step 2: Similar to Windows/macOS, simply enter the meeting ID and the name you wish to display throughout the Zoom session. 

Step 3: Choose if you would like to connect audio and video during the Zoom meeting and then tap ‘Join Meeting.’ 

That’s it! This helps you enter the Zoom session in three simple steps using an Android or iOS device. 

How to Join a Zoom Meeting on a Web Browser? 

If you don’t want to download any application or software to join a Zoom meeting, consider joining via a web browser. 

Step 1: Open any of your favorite web browsers on your computer and go to ‘join.zoom.us.’

Step 2: Here, you can enter your personal link name or the meeting ID provided by the virtual session host or organizer.

Step 3: Click ‘Join.’ 

Step 4: A window pop-up will appear indicating ‘Open Zoom Meetings?’ Click ‘Open Zoom Meetings’ to join the session. 

How to Automate Zoom Recordings & Transcription? 

Recording or transcribing Zoom meetings can be tedious, especially if you are using the video chat app for the first time. Luckily, there are multiple recording and transcribing tools available online. 

One feature-rich tool that allows users to transcribe Zoom recordings is Notta. The all-in-one tool lets you upload your recordings, transcribe them in real time, and share or export work without any hassle. 

And the best part? It offers transcripts with 98.86% accuracy, ensuring you don’t miss any important detail of your meeting. Follow the below steps to automate the recording and live transcription process using Notta. 

Step 1: Join the Zoom meeting. At the bottom toolbar, click ‘Participants.’ 

Step 2: A window pop-up will appear, where you can click ‘Invite’ and then ‘Copy Invite Link.’ 

Step 3: Now go to the Notta dashboard and select ‘Transcribe Live Meeting.’ 

Step 4: Simply paste the Zoom meeting link into the ‘Meeting URL’ box. Here you can name your robot and click ‘Transcribe Now.’ 

Step 5: When you look at the participants’ window in the meeting, you will see the Notta robot attending the Zoom session. 

Step 6: Go back to your Notta dashboard to view the real-time live transcription of your Zoom meeting. Click on the live transcript to expand the view and see the transcripts. 

Step 7: Once you are done with recording and transcribing, click ‘Stop.’ Your Notta robot will immediately leave the Zoom meeting, and you can access the saved transcript in the Notta dashboard.

That’s it! With a few steps, Notta allows you to save valuable information in the form of transcriptions. If you are unsure if Notta is the right tool to record or transcribe meetings, you can claim a free trial to explore its features like recording and transcribing meetings, generating AI summaries, etc. 

How CJ Digitals Use Notta Recording & Transcribing Tool During Zoom Meetings? 

CJ Digitals is a team of professional writers who offer services, including online content writing, blog writing, research articles, social media content, product descriptions, copywriting, and much more. Whether it’s internal team discussions, client meetings, or training sessions, we prefer the Zoom video conferencing platform for better collaboration. 

However, the in-built Zoom Live Transcription feature sometimes falls short. That’s where third-party recording and transcribing tools come in. Recently, we have started exploring the features of Notta — an all-in-one transcribing tool. Below are a few ways in which the team at CJ Digitals leverages the tool: 

• Efficient Note-Taking: Manual note-taking can be cumbersome and prone to human errors. Notta helps us eliminate extensive note-taking by automating the process. While the Notta bot is busy preparing transcripts in real time, our team members can actively engage in the discussions. 
• Streamlines Content Creation: CJ Digitals generates written materials for its clients, which often require the team to conduct Zoom meetings to discuss the requirements. Recording and transcribing the meeting using Notta ensures that the team can have all the important information handy. They can refer to the transcript to ensure the prepared content meets the guidelines. 
• Accurate Client Communication: CJ Digitals prioritizes client satisfaction. This is why we often schedule Zoom meetings to discuss project updates and gather feedback. Generating AI-powered summaries using Notta ensures we adhere to the client guidelines during project execution. Thus, it helps us build robust client relationships. 

FAQs 

Can I Join a Zoom Meeting Without the App? 

Yes. You can join a Zoom meeting without downloading the app through a web browser or via a meeting link. But before you follow the below steps, make sure you enable the ‘Show a “Join from your browser” link’ in your Zoom settings. Once it is enabled, follow these simple steps: 

Step 1: Locate the Zoom meeting invite link from your calendar or email invitation. 

Step 2: You can click on that link shared by the email to enter the virtual session. 

Step 3: Once you select the meeting link, you will be prompted to open or download the application. In the pop-up window, simply click ‘Cancel.’ 

Step 4: At the bottom of the same page, you will find ‘join from your browser.’ It will redirect you to a new page where you have to modify the permissions. 

Step 5: If you want to allow permission for the microphone and camera, select ‘Allow.’ 

Step 6: Now, you can sign in with your name to join the Zoom meeting. 

If you want to avoid following the lengthy process the next time you join the virtual session, select the checkbox displaying ‘Remember my name for future meetings.’ 

Step 7: Select ‘Join.’ 

Why Can’t I Join the Zoom Meeting? 

If you cannot join the Zoom meeting, try troubleshooting. Here are a few simple ways to do so: 

• Install the Zoom desktop client if you are experiencing issues while entering the meeting through the browser. 
• If you are experiencing problems with the installed Zoom desktop client, try to uninstall and reinstall Zoom. 
• Verify if you have installed the latest Zoom desktop client or mobile app version. 
• If you see an invalid meeting ID error while joining, contact your session host for the correct meeting ID. 

Key Takeaways 

Zoom is one of the feature-rich platforms that allows you to collaborate with colleagues in real time, add annotations to videos for better collaboration, or save recordings for later review. In order to leverage the collaborative features of Zoom, one must clear their basics and understand how to join Zoom meetings in simple steps. 

We hope this ultimate guide will help you streamline the joining, recording, and transcribing of your next Zoom sessions. If you don’t want to manually record or transcribe the meeting, you have the alternative — Notta. If you are a team like CJ Digitals that schedules Zoom meetings frequently, sign up for a free Notta account today to make recording, transcribing, or generating AI-based summaries a hassle-free task.