People have been using Zoom since 2013, but the software saw a significant rise in popularity with the pandemic. That led many people to wonder how to schedule a Zoom meeting, something that can be challenging if you’ve never dealt with a virtual meeting. The good news is Zoom has worked to make the process seamless and straightforward. You can set up a Zoom meeting in 3-4 steps using this guide whether you’re scheduling from the desktop app, web portal, or an iPhone.

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How to Schedule a Zoom Meeting on the Web

For people looking to schedule a Zoom meeting in advance, using the web portal may be the best option. It’s just as easy as other methods in our guide, but you won’t have to open the desktop app.

1. Log in at Zoom

Go to the homepage at Zoom.us and log in to the platform by clicking the Sign In prompt and entering your information on the new page.

2. Select Meetings

After you’ve logged into the site, you’ll see a column of options on the left side of the page. Choose Meetings to open up that section and select Schedule a Meeting.

3. Set up the Meeting

From this screen, you can schedule the Zoom meeting by setting the date and time. This is also where you can set the duration for a meeting, choose a passcode, or whether the video is on for the host and participants. When satisfied with your settings, select Save.

4. Send out Invitations

After your meeting settings have been saved, you can send out invitations. To do this, click on the Copy Invitation link at the bottom of the page and send the link to anyone you want to attend your upcoming Zoom meeting.

How to Schedule a Zoom Meeting on the Desktop App

Setting up and scheduling a meeting from the desktop app is the best method if you’re on a PC and ready to start the meeting soon after scheduling it.

1. Open the Zoom App

Locate the Zoom app on your PC and click to open it. When prompted, enter your login information to sign into the site.

2. Choose Schedule

When the Zoom desktop app opens, look for the icon that says Schedule and select it to bring up a new window where you’ll enter details for your meeting.

3. Set Options

Choose a date and time for your Zoom meeting along with a meeting ID unless you want it generated automatically. Set any other options you want, and then select save to schedule the meeting.

4. Confirmation and Invitations

If you’ve successfully set up your Zoom meeting, you’ll get a confirmation message similar to the one you see below. This is also where you can copy an invitation to the clipboard to share with people you plan to invite to the meeting.

How to Schedule a Zoom Meeting on iOS and Android

Being able to take a meeting from your smartphone or slate is handy, but you can also schedule Zoom meetings from those devices whether you prefer Android or iOS.

1. Open the App

Locate the Zoom app on your mobile device and tap to open it. If you haven’t downloaded the app, you can pick it up for Android on Google Play or the App Store if you own an iPhone or iPad.

2. Schedule a Zoom Meeting

When the app opens, tap on the Schedule icon and fill out the details for your meeting in the fields. After you’ve set a time and date, you select Done.

3. Finalize Settings

Once you set up the meeting, you have a few more prompts to complete including sending out invitations. The options will vary depending on the apps you use and the platform, but you can add the meeting to your calendar from here, make quick edits, or issue invitations.

Zoom Meeting Settings

One thing we didn’t touch on but that you’ll encounter are additional and advanced settings for Zoom meetings. You have the option to set these anytime you schedule a new meeting, and they can be tricky to understand if you’re new to the platform.

In the Security section of Zoom meeting scheduling, you can set a new passcode for the meeting or use the generated one. With Basic plans, this feature is enabled by default, but everyone can set up a Zoom Waiting Room.

The waiting room feature allows you to control how people enter the meeting. You can let them in as you’d like or open the meeting to everyone at once. You can also toggle Host Video on or off from this menu or set your participants’ video stream up in the same fashion.

Do you need to block users from specific regions? There’s an option for that under the Advanced Options section where you can also block or allow people from joining before you do. If you plan to record the meeting, you can set that up from here and choose a location for the recording.

The Wrap-Up

Zoom is one of the best options for video conferencing when it comes to ease of use for the average individual. Scheduling and attending Zoom meetings is a breeze, but if you’re nervous about hosting your first meeting, we can show you how to make a Co-Host on Zoom in a matter of minutes.

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