TO SIGN UP for your FREE Zoom account,

Go to the Zoom sign-up page (https://zoom.us. ).

Click the orange SIGN UP, IT’S FREE button on the upper right.

Enter your date of birth.

Click continue.

Enter your email address.  It says “work address.”  Just enter your email address.

You may be asked for your telephone number.

Click SUBMIT.

You will quickly receive an email reply.

Look for it. It may end up in your inbox or in your promotion or spam boxes.

Click Activate Account.

You now have a Zoom account

TO JOIN a Zoom meeting:

[NOTE: these directions are for a computer; mobile devices are similar]

A few minutes before the meeting is to begin, click the link for the meeting that was sent in a church email. A link looks like https://zoom.us/123.

You will be asked if you want to join using your computer or mobile video and audio.  Yes, you do.

The meeting’s host will admit you.  While you are waiting, turn your volume up.

When you are admitted to the meeting, drag your mouse to the bottom left of your screen.  A control panel will open.

Click the audio and video icons if there is a red line across them.  This turns them on.  When you are not speaking, Zoom etiquette asks that you turn your microphone off so others will not hear your phone ring or dog bark.  When you are ready to speak, just click on the microphone again.

You can change how you see everyone.  By default, Zoom will show you who is speaking in what is called Active Speaker View:

You can also see everyone in the meeting in Gallery View:

To change views, move the cursor to the upper right corner.  A dialog box opens:

Select the view you prefer.  You can change as many times as you like during the meeting.

When the meeting is over, be sure to drag your mouse to the bottom right and click Leave Meeting.