{"id":125183,"date":"2026-05-07T22:51:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:51:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/10-hacks-every-zoom-user-should-know\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T22:52:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:52:44","slug":"10-hacks-every-zoom-user-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiancorner.us\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/10-hacks-every-zoom-user-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"10 hacks every Zoom user should know"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Virtual meetings are essential to remote work\u2014but they can also be tedious. If Zoom is your video conferencing platform of choice, there are plenty of hidden features you can use to make meetings more efficient for hosts and engaging for participants. Here are the best tips and tricks for getting the most out of Zoom. <\/p>\n

Use self-selected breakout rooms to create virtual networking events<\/h2>\n

Virtual networking is already awkward, and potentially even more so if you send people into random breakout rooms to force them to interact. While meeting participants are usually automatically assigned breakout rooms, Zoom has a feature that allows individuals to choose their own breakout and move between rooms at their own pace. This creates a more flexible experience that simulates in-person networking \u2013 if you’re the host, you can name breakout rooms so participants can self-select based on interests or topics. <\/p>\n

Click breakout room<\/strong>Select the number of rooms you want to create Let participants choose the room<\/strong>and click create<\/strong>. Then, click on the option or gear icon and check Allow participants to choose room<\/strong> And Allow participants to return to the main session at any time<\/strong>. Once the breakout room starts, you will see change name<\/strong> Option in the Breakout Rooms window, which you can use to add a name to each space. <\/p>\n

To join the breakout room, participants will click breakout room<\/strong>Hover over the number in the list and click Join > Join<\/strong>. They can follow the same process to move between rooms or return to the main session. Note that auto-selection is only available on desktop and mobile apps\u2014apps on the web client will need to be manually moved by the host. <\/p>\n

Upload a CSV to pre-populate breakout rooms for larger meetings <\/h2>\n

Alternatively, there are plenty of situations in which you’ll need to assign meeting attendees to specific breakout rooms rather than letting them choose or using Zoom’s random assignment feature \u2013 for example, when you want to make sure all team members go to the same room. This can be done manually after the meeting starts, but with larger groups, it’s much easier to do it in advance, and all you need is a CSV file. there is Template on Zoom’s support page<\/a>: All you’ll need is the breakout room name in one column and the participants’ email addresses in another column. When you schedule a meeting, go Option<\/strong>check Breakout Room Pre-Assign > Import from CSV<\/strong> And drag and drop your file into the pop-up window. Zoom allows pre-assignment for up to 100 rooms and 1,000 participants. <\/p>\n

Set your slides as a virtual background to simulate a personal presentation<\/h2>\n

When you’re presenting to an audience in person, you’re probably standing in front of projected slides, so they can see both you and your content simultaneously. Zoom’s Virtual Background feature simulates this by superimposing your video onto your screen share, so attendees can see your expressions and gestures and follow your slides without needing to look back and forth. (Note that this is compatible with PowerPoint or Keynote.) Click Share > Screen<\/strong> choose more Microsoft Powerpoint <\/strong>from under application windows<\/strong>. You can then choose the overlay type where your video will appear\u2014Front<\/strong> Displays you on your shared slides. You can resize your video and drag it around the screen. then click share<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

Share your computer’s audio for ambient sound during breaks <\/h2>\n

If you want to maintain a specific vibe during a meeting break \u2013 or use music as a cue to return from a break \u2013 you can share your computer audio for ambient sound. This works whether you’re sharing your screen or not, so you can leave a slide with information for participants while music plays in the background. To share audio without sharing your screen, click Share Screen > Advanced > Computer Audio > Share<\/strong>. You can play audio from anywhere on your device, including music streaming services and YouTube. If you also want to share your screen then click share screen<\/strong>Select the program or desktop you want to share, and choose Share Sound > Share<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

Spotlight multiple speakers to simulate an individual panel <\/h2>\n

Zoom’s default is to highlight the video or icon for the current speaker. Depending on your view, this can be distracting as videos move around your screen \u2013 especially during Q&A when many participants are unmuting and interacting with the presenters. To prevent chaos, Zoom hosts can spotlight up to nine people as primary speakers to appear in participants’ primary speaker view. (This is different from pinning a participant, which only sets people as the primary speaker on your device.) <\/p>\n

Spotlighting essentially simulates an in-person panel, allowing participants to view all primary speakers on an equal footing. The remaining attendees will be visible via the scroll at the top of the meeting screen. To spotlight, hover over a participant’s video and click Three Points > Spotlight for All<\/strong>. Repeat this process while selecting add spotlight<\/strong> For up to nine speakers. <\/p>\n

Add an amazing view of real-life meeting places<\/h2>\n

Virtual meetings are often boring, but Zoom’s immersive view makes a presentation, class or group a little more interesting by placing participants in real-life scenes. Instead of floating heads in little boxes, you can get attendees to “sit” at classroom desks, on chairs behind the podium on the stage, or even on logs around a campfire. Zoom has pre-made scenes, or you can upload an image of your actual office or outdoor location. These virtual backgrounds can include up to 25 participants. As a host, click View > Immersive<\/strong>Choose whether to add participants to your scene automatically or manually, and select the scene. Press Start<\/strong> To bring people into the deeper scene. For custom immersive views, you have to manually move participants around. <\/p>\n

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