How to Become a Zoom Pro

By now, you have likely been using Zoom for a few weeks. As such, this is not a tutorial on how to get started, but rather it is a walkthrough on some tips that can take you from Zoom Proficient to Zoom Professional.

Note: If you have any tips that you have personally found helpful, please add them as well!

Improving Sound

Krisp

If you're anything like me, you have to deal with your fair share of background noise while in class, meetings, etc. One great way to deal with this is by downloading and installing Krisp, a noise-canceling app. Before you download it, you can see how it works on their website and you can also test it yourself before using it in a call.

According to their website, Krisp works with over 800 applications, including Zoom, Skype, Adobe Audition, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Team. For detailed instructions on setting up Krisp with the apps you use most, you can check out this page. On a personal note: I have used Krisp with QuickTime to record my Bok Center walkthroughs and it has been great.

While the free tier has time restrictions, they are offering students and teachers unlimited Krisp for 6 months. You can find more information about how to get that offer here.

Improving Video

Lighting

While there may certainly be times when you do not want to be seen, when your camera is on, why not try to improve the video quality with a simple lighting step. If your bedroom has dark areas like mine, add a light source in front of your face/behind your laptop and angle it upwards. You are essentially creating a constant bounce flash effect that fills the area and allows your face to be seen more clearly. If you do not have a light source you can manually angle, you can still take the source and place it so that more light is bouncing off of your face.

Virtual Background

I am personally a big proponent of using virtual background images. For academic purposes, I use a cartoon classroom background that allows me to feel more focused. You can find some great classrooms here.

Improving Usability

Keyboard Shortcuts

You can navigate Zoom more quickly and efficiently by setting up personalized keyboard shortcuts. To access them: