Online Education for Students: Zoom Mobile

Zoom is a very powerful platform that can be used on a variety of devices. If you only have access to a phone and have poor internet connectivity, you should still be able to use Zoom (at least as a participant-- screen sharing becomes difficult on a phone when you want to present). It is designed to work well on limited bandwidth. 

This page contains information on (1) installing and signing into Zoom on a phone, (2) using nonverbal communication to indicate a question or comment, and (3) sharing your phone screen. 

Installing and Signing into Zoom

Install the Google Play app or the Apple Store app. The following screenshots are taken from the Android version. 

When you first install the app, you need to link your account (should only have to do this once). If you have not yet set up your account, go to western.zoom.us and choose "sign-in" to set up your account. Use the full email, not just stu00000. 

In the app, you'll need to choose "SSO" sign-in (Single-Sign-On). 

Then, you'll be asked to supply the company name. You'll put Western.zoom.us in and sign in on a page that looks just like your regular email sign-in. 

Then, you'll see a homepage that has options for chatting, joining a meeting, starting a meeting, and more. If you have an email from a professor that includes a meeting link, you can click on it directly and it should open in the Zoom app. You can also take the numbers from that link to use as the meeting ID-- for example, a meeting link that appears as "https://western.zoom.us/j/371972930 " can also be accessed by inputting "371972930." Of course, if you make a typo, you may end up in someone else's meeting, so be mindful when entering. 

When you join a meeting on your phone, you will see a screen like the one below. If you don't see the bottom options (mute, stop video, share, participants, and more), you may need to tap on your screen to bring up those options. At the top left, you'll see that you are muted (x on volume) and  you can switch cameras. 

Nonverbal Communication

If the presenter asks for "nonverbal" communication, you can click on the three dots or "more" to show your choices (reactions, speed up/slow down, raise hand, etc.) as well as chat and other functions. 

Sharing is Caring

When you choose to share from a phone, you have a variety of options. It is possible to present on your phone, but keep in mind that the display on someone's laptop will be very different from what you see on your phone. For best results, try practicing with a friend beforehand. You can also share a whiteboard, which will be a blank space that you can write and draw on. Anything you share, you can also annotate on your phone. You'll be able to circle or indicate anything you want people to pay attention to.