How to: Set Up and Use Zoom Meetings 

Intro to Zoom 

Zoom provides a high-quality, mobile-optimized, video and audio-conferencing service for free to all USC students. 

  • If you do not have a USC Zoom account yet, follow the instructions below. 
  • If you do have an existing Zoom account through a USC school, administrative unit or 2U- administered on-line Master’s program, please read our Note on Existing Zoom Accounts. 

Join Zoom Meeting Via SSO 

Use these instructions to join a Zoom meeting after logging in via SSO. 

  1. Locate the Zoom app on your computer and click to open.  
  1. Click Sign In. 
  1. Click Sign In with SSO. 
  1. On the Sign In with SSO screen: 
  • Input “usc” in the Company Domain 
  • Click Continue. 
  1. On the Welcome screen: 
  • Enter your Net ID and password. 
  • Click Sign in. 
  1. A browser window opens. Click Open Zoom. 
  1. The Zoom app opens. Click Home. 
  1. Click Join. 
  1. On the Join Meeting screen: 
  • Enter the meeting ID. You will find this in the invitation or e-mail from the host. 
  • Click Join. 
  1. If prompted: 
  • Enter a meeting password. You will find this in the invitation or e-mail from the host, usually below the meeting number. 
  • Click Join Meeting. 
  1. Wait for the meeting to start and for the host to admit you into the meeting from a waiting room. This task is complete. 

Join Zoom Meeting Open the meeting invite in Outlook. 

  1. Scroll to the Join by Telephone section. [Example image below.]   
  1. Call the number listed after “US:.” 
  1. Enter the Meeting ID found next to “Meeting ID:” 

Note: All dial in participants will be placed in the Waiting Room for the host to admit. 

Add a Profile Picture to Zoom 

Follow these steps to add a profile picture to Zoom: 

  1. In your web browser, go to https://usc.zoom.us/. 
  1. Click profile. 
  1. If prompted, click on the USC single sign-on page . 
  1. On the Zoom Profile tab, click Change under the profile icon. 
  1. On the Change Picture screen, click . 
  1. Locate and double-click the image file on your computer. 
  1. On the Change Picture screen, use the cropping tool to resize and move the portion of the image that will be used for your profile. 
  1. Click . 
  1. The picture is saved to your profile and will appear next to your name in the Participants panel in Zoom meetings. 

Start and Stop Video in Zoom 

Hosts and participants in Zoom meetings can start and stop video on their computer camera. You may also add a virtual background when your video is active. 

Start Video: 

  1. Place your mouse in the meeting window. 
  1. A bar will appear with several icons. Locate and click  in the bottom left. 
  1. Your video camera will be active. Adjust the camera angle to ensure that you appear on the screen. 

Stop Video: 

  1. To stop your video, place your mouse in the meeting window. 
  1. Click Video Icon. Your computer’s camera will be deactivated. 

Set Up Zoom Virtual Background 

For many end users of Zoom, it may be convenient to replace the background from their home office with a virtual background. The virtual background will cover up your actual background. 

  1. In your web browser, go to https://usc.zoom.us/. 
  1. Click Settings. 
  1. Under Meeting, click In Meeting (Advanced). 
  1. Scroll down to Virtual Background and turn the option on. 
  1. In the Zoom app, turn on your video. 
  1. Select  and then  Choose Virtual Background. 
    On the Settings screen: 
  • Click to select a background, or 
  • Click to upload your own background image 
  1. Close the Settings screen by clicking  in the upper right-hand corner. Your old background will now be replaced with the new background. This will be the default for future meetings. 

How do I know if I am logged into Zoom? 

Open the Zoom client. 

  1. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner. 
  1. Click Sign Out.   
  1. Click Sign In. 
  1. Sign in to your desired account using your USC email. You should also be prompted to sign in using SSO. 

Host and Co-Host Controls 

  1. Please visit  https://usc.zoom.us/meeting#/upcoming. 
  1. Select the meeting by clicking on the topic. 
  1. Scroll to the bottom and select Edit. 
  1. Select All if you want to add an Alt. Host to all the scheduled meetings or Select Only This meeting. 
  1. Scroll to the bottom and select options.  
  1. Add the USC NetID Email address to the Alternative Hosts field. 
  1. Select Save.  

Visit https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360040324512-Roles-in-a-meeting to learn more about the various roles and permissions in Zoom meetings. 

Require a Password when Scheduling New Meetings 

  • Open your zoom application and click on the Schedule icon. 
  • To set up a password check the box left to Require meeting password. 

Require a Password for Instant Meetings 

  • Click on Sign In. 
  • Click on Settings.  
  • Navigate to the Meeting tab and scroll down to verify that the password settings that you would like to use for your account are enabled. 
  • If the setting is disabled, click the Status toggle to enable it. If a verification dialog displays, choose Turn On to verify the change. 

Enable a Waiting Room for Zoom Meeting 

The Waiting Room feature allows the host to control when a participant joins the meeting. As the host, you can admit attendees one by one, or hold all attendees in the waiting room and admit them all at once. 

Enable Waiting Room 

  • When scheduling the meeting, click Advanced Options.    
  • Under Advanced Options: 
  • Select Enable waiting room. 
  • Ensure Enable join before host is not selected.   
  • When you have selected all other options, click Schedule 

Start Meeting with Waiting Room 

  • Start your meeting from the Zoom app or from the Zoom meeting link in your calendar. 
  • As participants join the call, you will see a pop-up message: 
  • To admit a person directly, click Admit and go to Step 7. 
  • To see all participants in the waiting room, click See waiting room. 
  • In the waiting room panel, perform one of the following: 
  • Click Admit All to admit all participants. 
  • Click Admit to allow a single participant into the meeting. 
  • Click Remove to remove a single participant from the Zoom meeting. 

Managing a Meeting 

Once the meeting has started, the meeting room is still active. 

If you wish to return a participant to the meeting room: 

  • Click More 
  • Click Put in Waiting Room 

If you wish to remove a participant from the meeting. 

  • Click More  
  • Click Remove. 

Disable “Allow Removed Participants to Rejoin” 

  • Sign in to the Zoom web portal. 
  • Click Settings. 
  • Scroll down and navigate to the Allow removed participants to rejoin option on the “Meeting” tab and verify that the setting is disabled. If the setting is enabled, click the Status toggle to disable it.   
  • This will disable removed participants to join the session again so that booted attendees can’t slip back in. 

Disable the In-Meeting File Transfer 

  • To Disable the In-Meeting File Transfer Feature 
  • Sign in to the Zoom web portal. 
  • Click Settings. 
  • Navigate to the File Transfer option on the Meeting tab and verify that the setting is disabled. If the setting is enabled, click the Status toggle to disable it. 
    Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the Group or Account level, and you will need to contact your Zoom administrator. 

Limiting the File Types That Can be Shared 

For security purposes, the file types/file extensions that can be shared via file transfer can be limited at the account level, by the account owner or an admin on the account. 

  1. Sign into the Zoom web portal as an administrator with the privilege to edit account settings. 
  1. Click Settings. 
  1. Navigate to the File Transfer option. 
  1. Enable Only allow specified file types. 
  1. Enter the allowed file types/extensions, with a comma to separate each extension.   
  1. Click Save. 

Zoom Public Meetings 

There are two Zoom Public Meeting options: 1) Zoom Webinar and 2) Zoom Meeting.  Whether you use a Zoom Webinar or Zoom Meeting, there are recommended security settings when conducting a public meeting with Zoom. 

Zoom Webinar 

Zoom Webinars are for view-only attendees.  They start at a capacity of 100 participants and scale up to 1,000 participants. As the host or a panelist, you can share your screen, video and audio in a webinar and attendees can use the chat or question and answer options to interact with the host and panelists.  Webinars can require preregistration, with the option for the host to add custom registration questions, or registration can be turned off for attendees to join by simply clicking a link at the time of the webinar. Webinars can be held once, can recur in a series, or can be the same session held multiple times. 

How to get a Zoom Webinar license 

ITS has Webinar licenses available upon request. 

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