Zoom has become an essential tool for hosting online meetings, offering free hosting for up to 100 participants and supporting up to 1,000 participants on paid plans. Whether you need to connect with colleagues, hold a group discussion, or have a one-on-one meeting, setting up a Zoom meeting is straightforward and accessible from various devices.

Download and install Zoom meeting client

Zoom is accessible on a wide range of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and even a fully functional web interface. If you're simply joining a meeting hosted by someone else, you can use the web interface without installing the Zoom client on your computer.

To host a Zoom meeting and invite participants, you'll need to install the Zoom client on your computer. Follow the steps below to download and install Zoom.

Step 1: Visit the Zoom Download Center on your computer. Under the 'Zoom Client for Meetings' section, click the 'Download' button to obtain the installer file.

Step 2: Once the download is complete, locate the 'ZoomInstaller.exe' file in your Downloads folder and double-click it to begin the installation.

The Zoom installer will start the installation immediately without further prompts. Upon completion, the 'Zoom Cloud Meetings' window will automatically open on your computer.

If the Zoom Meetings window doesn't open automatically, you can find it by searching for 'Zoom' in the Start menu and selecting the 'Start Zoom' app.

Upon opening the Zoom app, you'll see a simple interface with two options: 'Join a Meeting' and 'Sign In'.

One advantageous feature of Zoom is that you don't need an account to join a meeting, which is why the 'Join a Meeting' option is available without signing in first.

However, to host a meeting, you'll need to sign in. Click on the 'Sign In' button on the main screen.

If you already have a Zoom account, enter your email and password to sign in. Alternatively, you can sign in using Google, Facebook, or other available options. If you're new to Zoom, click on the 'Sign Up Free' link at the bottom right to create a new account using your email address.

For this guide, we'll use the 'Sign In with Google' option for a faster process, but feel free to choose the sign-in method that suits you.

Once signed in, the Zoom dashboard appears, presenting options to start a 'New Meeting', 'Join' or 'Schedule' a meeting, and a 'Share Screen' option to share your screen with others.

Set up a Zoom meeting

To initiate a meeting on Zoom, click the 'New Meeting' button on the app's dashboard.

A new Zoom meeting window will open, displaying your meeting ID at the top left corner.

Step 1: To invite participants, click on the 'Invite' button located at the bottom of the meeting window.

Step 2: If you have contacts saved in Zoom, you can select their names to send an invitation directly. If not, click on the 'Email' tab to send an invitation via email.

Step 3: Choose your preferred email service, and you will be redirected to the 'Compose Email' window with the meeting invitation details automatically filled in.

Step 4: In the 'To' field of the email, enter the email addresses of the people you want to invite. You can add multiple recipients to invite several participants at once.

Step 5: After entering the recipients, click the 'Send' button to dispatch the meeting invitation.

Your invitees will receive the email with instructions on how to join the meeting.

Alternatively, if you prefer to invite participants through other platforms such as SMS, Slack, WhatsApp, Telegram, or Google Hangouts, you can 'Copy URL' or 'Copy Invitation' from the bottom left corner of the 'Invite' window and share it via your chosen method.

After sending out the invitations, you can close the 'Invite' window.

Now, wait for your participants to join the meeting. If they haven't joined yet, you can reach out through your usual communication channels to remind them about the invitation.

Note that on Zoom's free plan, group meetings with more than three participants are limited to 40 minutes. If you require longer sessions, consider upgrading to the Zoom Pro plan for extended meeting durations.

To end or leave the meeting, click on the 'End Meeting' button located at the bottom right corner of the meeting window.

A prompt will appear giving you the choice to 'End Meeting for All' or 'Leave Meeting' if you wish to exit while allowing others to continue.

Hosting a Zoom meeting is straightforward and convenient, making it an excellent tool for remote collaboration. For most users, the free plan offers sufficient features to connect and engage with colleagues effectively.