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What is Zoom?

If an invite to a meeting has you wondering “what is Zoom?”, we’re here to answer the question with as much detail as we possibly can.

Custom image for What is Zoom guide with a question mark silhouette and the Zoom icon

If you’re looking at a meeting inviting and asking yourself, “Okay, so what is Zoom?“, we’ve got your back. Our guide to the popular video conferencing service has all you need to know about this platform that got a big push during the recent pandemic. Whether you’re logging on for work or just want to use it to catch up with friends, we’ve got all the details below.

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What is Zoom?

Zoom is one of the world’s most popular video-conferencing services that enjoyed a boost in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot of corporations and academic institutions use Zoom for conference calls, meetings, interviews, and even classes, but you don’t necessarily have to install the app to join a meeting. You can send out Zoom meeting invites to users who don’t have the app, and they can still join by using the link int the email.

How do I download Zoom?

We’ve got a whole Zoom download guide for getting this video-conferencing app on your phone, so check that out for more details. However, it’s important to note that you don’t need to download Zoom if you’re joining a one-off call like an interview, and you should be able to follow the steps on your invitation to join the meeting on your preferred device without downloading the app.

What is Zoom - someone using a mobile phone to make a video call

How do I set up a Zoom meeting?

If you want to set up a Zoom meeting, just follow these steps:

  1. Sign into the Zoom portal
  2. Hit the “meetings” option
  3. Select the “schedule a meeting” option
  4. Choose your time and date
  5. Select save
  6. (Optional) Use the “copy the invitation” button to copy a link to the meeting you can send directly through email or workplace messaging service.

How much is Zoom?

While you can technically use Zoom without spending a dollar, there are limitations to free accounts. For a start, you can only have a maximum of 100 attendees, and there’s also a 40-minute limit to your call time. If you can’t get by with those limitations, check out the different types of plans in the table below.

Zoom One plan Price Service included
Basic Free
  • Team chat
  • 40-minute meetings 
  • 100 attendees per meeting 
  • Three whiteboards
Pro $149 / £119.90 annually
  • Team chat
  • 30-hour meetings
  • 100 attendees per meeting 
  • 5GB cloud storage 
  • Three whiteboards
Business $199.90 / £159.90 annually
  • Team chat
  • 30-hour meetings
  • 300 attendees per meeting 
  • 5GB cloud storage 
  • Three whiteboards
  • Extras 
Business Plus  $250 / £185 annually 
  • Team chat
  • 30-hour meetings
  • 300 attendees per meeting 
  • 10GB cloud storage 
  • Three whiteboards
  • Extras 
  • Translated captions
  • Workspace reservations

As you can see, which option to go for depends on your business or individual needs. There is also the option to request a demo on the official Zoom site for those interested in trying the service out.

What is a Zoom client?

If you get a Zoom client link via email, you can use it to join a Zoom meeting without downloading the application. It saves you the hassle of downloading the app just for one meeting or interview, but it’s always worth checking the link works before you need to use it just in case you run into any issues.

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What is Zoom One?

Zoom One is essentially a digital workspace, offering messaging, calls, meetings, a digital whiteboard, and more to bring your communications together in one place. It also utilizes some smart AI tech to make notes from meetings and help organize your workload. However, it is a subscription service, so you can’t use it without your company first purchasing the program. You can find out more via the official Zoom One website.

What is Zoom AI Companion?

Zoom AI Companion is a piece of AI software that can annotate, edit, and summarize meetings. However, it’s only available if you’re a Zoom’s paid service, with no equivalent for users on a free plan. Considering it saves you using a transcriber like Otter, it might be worth paying for you if you often find yourself spending too much time transcribing meetings. For more details on Zoom’s AI Companion, visit the official Zoom site.

What is Zoom Whiteboard?

Zoom Whiteboard is a software tool you can use in meetings to drive live collaboration between teams. With just one click, Zoom offers you multiple whiteboard templates, and once you pick which works best, everyone in the meeting has access to the whiteboard. If you’re planning something with a group over teams, or want to brainstorm with colleagues, it makes it easier for everyone to see the information and contribute.

What is Zoom Scheduler?

You can use Zoom Scheduler to share appointments with your contacts and automatically generate slots based on your calendar availability. It’s a bit like a digital secretary, managing your calendar for you so you never miss a meeting and your colleagues always know when you might be free for a catch-up.

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There you have it, our answer to the question “what is Zoom?”. If you’re feeling more play than work, be sure to check out our guides to the best mobile games and the best Switch games while you’re here. Or, if you prefer in-game money-making mobile titles, check out our free Monopoly Go dice and Coin Master free spins guides.