PC controls use mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts.  If you are not screen-sharing, then it is usually best to maximise the Zoom window that has the control buttons, and ensure you are in ‘Gallery view’.  If you are screen-sharing, it may be possible for a speaker to have a shared window and a Zoom window on the same display – thus enabling view of speakers notes, but still being able to see (some of) your audience.

Using an HDMI cable to link to a second screen can give advantages, particularly if the second screen is a big TV screen.  It enables one to see other participants on the TV in ‘gallery view’, but still have the second Zoom window in front of you.  Be aware of your camera though.  You don’t want other people to see you ‘looking sideways’ all the time – which will happen if your camera is built into your laptop and your second screen is to one side.  This is something that needs practice to get right.  It is particularly important for a speaker / presenter to ‘appear’ to be looking at the camera a lot of the time – not so important for participants.

Tablet/smartphone/iThing devices are normally used ‘portrait’.  However, it is usually better for everyone else to hold/stand them in ‘landscape’.

The controls work significantly differently on devices that have touch screens.  Touch gestures include swipe left/right etc.  The downside of such devices for someone remote trying to provide advice is that the ‘control buttons’ automatically disappear if not used immediately.  Unlike the PC, Zoom on ‘other devices’ does not itself offer the ability to control microphone or speaker levels meaning the user has to understand how to sort out issues when they occur.

Keyboard Shortcuts (there are others)

• (Host) To un/mute all ALT+M.

• To un/share ALT+S

• To un/mute self ALT+A

There can be advantages to having a second screen available, attached to your laptop, when using Zoom.  Particularly when the second screen is either a projector or a large TV.

Once you have a second screen attached, there are four modes that can be used.  Laptop EXTENDs to TV/Projector, Laptop DUPLICATEs to TV/Projector, Laptop only, TV/Projector only.  The first mode is the one needed for Zoom.

Laptop keyboards usually have a ‘function key’ combination to toggle through the modes.  Look for a key, probably labelled FN, in a different colour.  Often in the bottom left hand corner of the keyboard.  Whilst holding that down, look for a key with a picture of a screen (or two) in the same colour often on the top row.  It may be labelled F8 as well, of sometimes F1 (See Keyboard1.jpg)

Once you are in EXTEND mode, it is possible to drag a window from one screen to the other.  Be aware that your laptop has a setting that tells it where the two screens are in relation to one another.  This should be found in Start > Setting > System > Display.  This should be fine-tuned – otherwise, you may find yourself trying to drag a window off the ‘wrong’ part of the screen and being annoyed when it doesn’t work ☹

Once you are in EXTEND mode and also have Zoom active, there is a Zoom setting that needs to be on (see Zoom Dual Monitors setting.jpg).

If your second screen has good resolution, you may find it useful to set Zoom to display up to 49 participants at once (see Zoom Video 49 setting).

If you find that Zoom has only given you a single video window, try turning ‘screen sharing’ on, and then turn it off again.  That should jog it into providing the second video window.

You will need an appropriate wire to do the connection between laptop and TV/Projector (or, if both laptop and second screen are WiFi enabled, you may be able to use WiFi)

More recent laptops and TVs/projectors will have HDMI sockets (for detail on HDMI see https://www.the-home-cinema-guide.com/hdmi-cable-connector-explained.html).

Older ones may have VGA sockets (for detail on VGA see https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/v/vga.htm)

In the event that you have only VGA on one and only HDMI on the other, you may need to purchase a connector.

Is to use at least 4 devices (people), ideally in separate locations, to perform different tasks:

1                     Meeting Host – handles Meeting setup, Waiting Room, muting/unmuting, scans Chat messages.  Must know how to remove someone from the meeting.

2                     Master of Ceremonies – handles talking to camera, introduces participants, requests Meeting Host to mute/unmute, provides continuity et al

3                     Screen Sharer – handles provision of words for songs, and video/audio clips etc.  Probably best if they are one of your Music Team as they need to anticipate verse changes

4                     People Helper – handles offline communication with anyone experiencing problems gaining access.  Needs to understand the different types of Zoom User device (PC, smartphone/tablet, iphone/ipad, Landline) and the various issues that a user may get themselves in.

If you have 2 of these roles on devices in the same room, then it is best to either have one with both video and audio turned off.  If both devices need to use audio, then both devices must use headphones to reduce feedback / background noise problems.

Can be very useful to control what everyone else sees AND ensure that the right hand side is not masked by the Zoom interface itself.

1. Start the application that you want to share

2. {If you regularly use VideoPsalm, it may be best to have the control section not in a full-screen (so that there is empty space to the right)}

3. In Zoom, click on Share Screen.  At the top of the pop-up select Advanced, then select Portion of Screen and then click Share

4. You will now see a box/window with a green outline that can be moved around your screen(s) and re-sized.

5. Move the box over the part of the screen you want to share.  Everything inside the box will be shared to all participants.  It can be useful to have white/empty space on the right hand side.

6. When shared, it is automatically re-sized on the User’s device to fill as much of their screen as possible.

7. When sharing is taking place, the User sees the shared screen, plus a few video feeds of other participants.  These are all shuffled to the right hand side, but displayed above/on top of the shared-screen – hence the value of white space on the right hand side of the shared-screen

8. Note: screen sharing may interfere with the ability of a Host to mute/unmute.

Be aware that the action of sharing/unsharing has an annoying ability to randomly move Zoom windows around your screen(s).  It does the same to everyone else ☹.

The following only works for PC users.

1. Launch the Zoom app.  If it asks you to sign in, then provide the details requested.

2. Click on your initials in the top right corner.

3. Select Audio.

4. Unclick ‘Automatically adjust volume.

5. Set the volume slider to below halfway.

6. Keep this setting page open whilst you try talking to someone in a Zoom call.  If the input level goes too high, move the volume slider to the left.

If you are already in a Zoom call and it is your own audio that is a problem, then click the ‘twisty’ next to the Mute/Mic symbol, click the last option ‘audio settings’, and follow step 4, 5 and 6 above

Occasionally, Mic problems can be made worse if the talker has a complex setup using external speakers.  The noise cancellation process can make it appear that the microphone is sensitive to direction.  The quickest cure to this is to unplug the external audio feed (from computer to external system) for the duration of the Zoom call.

Zoom provides a number of short cuts.  This includes links suitable for an email format.  Information includes phone numbers that can be used, and something called ‘one touch mobile’.  These can be a trap for the unwary!

Always double-check that the phone numbers you distribute are UK numbers – otherwise your invitees could end up with International Call Charges.

If you have purchased a Zoom account, it is possible to activate a UK-only policy – in Account Management > Account Settings > Telephone; set the Toll Call slider to on; click the ‘pencil’ icon just below the slider to edit the list.  Ensure the list only has ticks against the numbers from countries that you wish to advertise (ie United Kingdom) and click Save. 

Set ‘Choose where most of the participants call into of call from the meeting’ to Europe

Scroll to the bottom, Under ‘Global Dial-in Countries / Regions’ click the pencil icon and choose United Kingdom.

Zoom security, when applied, is adequate for most ordinary situations.  However, despite their advertising and recent improvements, they do not yet provide true end-client to end-client encryption.

This may be an issue if any of your users/congregation, or the subject matter of services are linked with any country on the Open Doors persecution watch list.  The closer the links, the more careful you would need to be.  If you need more detail on this topic, please contact us.

Zoom has several security features which include:

• Password (can be different for different meeting types).  Recommended.

• Waiting Room.  Don't combine with password.  Only use Waiting Room if you have a very active and very capable host/co-host team.

• The ability for a host to eject someone from a meeting.

• Control who can share a desktop.

When a Zoom meeting is advertised, be specific about the security measures in place e.g.:-

The password is… /can be obtained by…

You will be placed into a waiting room whilst the host admits you

No password/waiting room will be used.  If the meeting is disturbed, the host will immediately close the meeting for everyone and restart it 2 minutes later

Et al

Avoid communicating passwords to large groups (>200?) of people as there is a risk that one of them will publish the password widely without thinking of the consequences.

Do not under any circumstances, publicise Zoom meeting details on social media (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest et al) or anywhere that it might be publicly available.  In a world of almost 8 billion people, there are quite a few not-nice folk.

Remind people regularly ‘it is OK to invite individuals to a Zoom Meeting, but it is NOT OK for anyone to tell the world via Twitter et al’

GDPR / Data Protection

Beware the requirement that Personal Data be processed in the UK/EU.  Be aware that Zoom (and other video conference mechanisms) by default may not be hosted in the UK/EU.  Zoom allows the Host to de-select regions for Data Centre hosting, but seems to always require the USA – which may not always be appropriate for GDPR compliance.  Zoom has signed up to the EU US Privacy Shield.

Security Background

Someone created a hacking tool that guessed meeting IDs and then tried to use them.  It managed to find about 100 per hour (worldwide).  This tool is freely available on the Internet.  It fails if the meeting is password protected.

Using a password will probably prevent 99.99%+ of hackers – but always check that you have set a password for each meeting.

Using a password is likely to cause problems for a small, but noticeable, proportion of your users / congregation.  Particularly those who are less computer savvy.  It also makes the user experience a bit more tricky, including those who are telephoning in.

Using a Waiting Room will also probably prevent 99.99%+ of hackers.

Using a Waiting Room will give some issues for users, particularly the first couple of times they experience it.

Using a Waiting Room will give additional work for the host as they have to keep an eye out for latecomers in addition to everything else they have to do.

Using a Waiting Room makes it more difficult to automate meeting startup.

Waiting Room does not give hosts any reasonable ability to be certain who they are allowing in.  Hence the value for public /semi-public meetings is limited to preventing automated attacks.  Use password security instead of Waiting Room, unless you really understand what you are doing.

The host has the ability to remove someone from a meeting – but they should practice this till they can do it quickly and efficiently.

Controlling who can share a desktop may be useful, but does limit what ordinary users can do.