The fastest way to start a meeting

Open Zoom, click the New Meeting button on the home screen, and you have a meeting room ready to share. Zoom generates a meeting ID and a link automatically — you can send that link to others, or they can join using the meeting ID and a password. The whole process takes about 30 seconds.

If you want to schedule a meeting for later instead of starting one right now, Zoom lets you pick a date and time, add a title, and send calendar invites. That route takes a few extra steps but means your participants see it on their calendar rather than getting a link in a message.

Key Takeaways

  • Click New Meeting on the Zoom home screen to start a meeting immediately with a generated ID and password.
  • Share the meeting link (found under the meeting controls) or give participants the meeting ID and password to join.
  • Use Schedule instead of New Meeting if you want to set a specific date and time and send calendar invites.
  • Enable the waiting room in settings before you start if you want to approve each person who joins rather than letting them in automatically.
  • The host can end the meeting for everyone using the End Meeting button, which closes the room for all participants.

Starting a meeting right now

Sign into your Zoom account on your computer or phone. On the home screen, you will see a row of buttons near the top. Click New Meeting (on a phone, tap the icon that looks like a camera with a plus sign).

Zoom opens your meeting room immediately. You are now the host. At the bottom of the screen, you will see the meeting controls — a row of buttons for muting your microphone, turning your camera on or off, and inviting others. The meeting ID appears at the top of the screen or in the participant list.

To invite people, click Invite or Share (the exact button name varies by device). Zoom shows you the meeting link, the meeting ID, and the password. You can copy the link and paste it into an email or message, or you can copy just the ID and password if you prefer to type them out.

Scheduling a meeting for a future date

If you know when you want to meet but not everyone is available right now, use Schedule instead of New Meeting. Click Schedule on the home screen, and Zoom opens a form where you enter the meeting title, date, start time, and duration.

You can also set whether the meeting repeats (daily, weekly, or monthly) and whether you want a waiting room — a holding area where people wait for you to let them in, rather than joining automatically. Once you fill in the details, click Save. Zoom generates a meeting ID and password for that scheduled time.

To send calendar invites, look for a button labeled Copy Invitation or Copy Meeting Invite. This copies text that includes the date, time, meeting link, ID, and password. Paste it into an email and send it to your participants. If you use Outlook or Google Calendar, Zoom can also add the meeting directly to your calendar and send invites from there.

Controlling who joins your meeting

By default, anyone with the meeting link or ID can join as soon as you start the meeting. If you want to approve people one at a time, turn on the waiting room before you start. On the home screen, click your profile picture in the top right corner, then select Settings. Look for In Meeting (Basic) or In Meeting (Advanced), find Waiting Room, and toggle it on.

When the waiting room is on, participants see a message saying they are waiting for the host to let them in. You see a list of people in the waiting room and can click Admit next to each person's name to let them join. You can also admit everyone at once by clicking Admit All.

Another option is to use a meeting password. Zoom creates one automatically, but you can change it in the meeting settings. Anyone joining needs to enter the password after clicking the meeting link, which adds a small barrier against accidental or unwanted joins.

Sharing the meeting link with participants

Once your meeting is running, click the Invite button (usually at the bottom of the screen) to see all the ways to share. You can copy the meeting link and paste it into email, Slack, or any other messaging tool. The link looks like https://zoom.us/j/[meeting ID] and includes the password in the URL, so people do not have to type anything — they just click.

If you prefer not to include the password in the link, copy the meeting ID and password separately and send them in different messages or emails. This is slightly more secure but requires participants to type the password when they join.

For scheduled meetings, you can send the invitation before the meeting starts. Participants can add it to their calendar and click the link when the meeting time arrives. If someone joins early, they see a message that the meeting has not started yet and can wait or try again in a few minutes.

Ending the meeting and what happens to participants

When you are ready to finish, click End Meeting at the bottom right of the screen. A dialog box appears asking whether you want to end the meeting for everyone or just leave the meeting yourself. If you click End Meeting for All, Zoom closes the room and disconnects all participants. If you click Leave Meeting, you leave but the meeting continues if other people are still in it (though only if you are not the only host).

After the meeting ends, Zoom can save a recording if you turned that on before you started. The recording appears in your Zoom account under Recordings and can be downloaded or shared with people who were not able to attend.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I start a Zoom meeting without signing in?

No. You need to sign into your Zoom account to start a meeting. You can sign in on the Zoom website, in the Zoom app, or through a web browser. Signing in takes less than a minute if you already have an account.

What is the difference between a meeting ID and a meeting link?

The meeting link is a full URL that people can click to join directly. The meeting ID is just the number part of that link. If you share the link, people do not have to type anything. If you share only the ID, they have to enter it manually in Zoom or type it into the join screen.

Can I use the same meeting ID for multiple meetings?

Yes. Zoom can assign you a personal meeting ID that stays the same for every meeting you start. This is useful if you hold regular meetings with the same group. You can turn this on in your Zoom settings under Personal Meeting ID.

What happens if someone joins while I am still setting up?

If the waiting room is off, they join automatically and can see your screen and hear your audio. If the waiting room is on, they wait until you admit them. You can also mute your microphone and turn off your camera while you set up, so participants do not see or hear you until you are ready.

Can I change the meeting password after I start?

No. The password is set when you create the meeting and cannot be changed while it is running. If you need a different password for a future meeting, you can set a new one when you schedule or create that meeting.